Real Estate Tax vote coming (Tallahassee: sales, to rent, insurance)

[Florida101]

I was reading that up in Tallahassee they are proposing different plans to adjust our real estate taxes.

The House plan calls for taxes to go back to 2001 levels and gives counties the right to vote on ending property taxes outright and raising the sales tax by two cents.

The Senate plan calls for rolling back taxes to 2005 levels and not giving the counties the opportunity to let them end property taxes.

Any home owners care to share what they think they would rather have?

I'm curently researching the scenarios/revenue expectations if we did end property taxes in Hillsborough and Pinellas. i heard on talk radio that we would have enough if not more to cover county costs. I'll verify once I find out more detailed information unless someone else has more information on this topic.

[rioasad]

Getting rid of property taxes and adding two cents to sales taxes is a tax on the poor and those who do not own a home. It will hit those who are most in need the most. For me, personally, it would be great, since I am not the poor, but then again, it would go along the lines of a typical Florida political play. It is AMAZING how this state is moving towards the extreme right. Barry Goldwater is thrilled (in his grave).

On the flip side, my wife would be able to afford more clothes and make-up. I can dine at J. Alexander's more often. Who cares about single moms with three kids who can't make ends meet, who has to save money to take her kid to Denny's for his/her birthday? Shame on our greed.

[Mike1306]

Tax on the poor?

You need to do the math.

If a person makes $30,000 a year and spends $12,000 on housing, $3,000 on utliites and $3000 on untaxed items this would leave $12,000 spendable.
They probably would not spend that full $12,000 on taxable items but if they did the 2.5 cent additional sales tax would work out to $300 total.

They would be able to write off that $300 in addition to all other sales tax on their federal return at the end of the year.

I have also heard alot of people complaing about rents being raised and the landlords blame it on the higher property taxes. I am sure when the landlords are raising rents they are raising it at least $25 a month which is what that extra $300 a year breaks down to.

Now lets look at the middle class working family. I pay over $4,400 a year in property tax. I would have to spend $175,000 a year for the extra 2.5 cent to equal what I pay in property tax.

Any business especially the mom and pop operations have been affected by the rise in property taxes and the increase is just passed along to you and me in the form of higher prices on what they sell.

[Dee74]

Yes, I too would love an increased sale tax or a combo of P tax reduction and increase in sales tx . As a landlord I am already eating losses, now tenant moving due to job relo. I have been carrying her for 3 years to the tune of 75 mo. Now with another 70 mo tax increase plus 35 mo insurance increase this a tough market to try to rent out a house. And those are outrageous increases Now I must find someone who can afford at least close to the costs of carry. Yes it will be tough in this market. And the poor use the roads,parks,police and other services just like home owners. Yesterday while in Publix I watched a couple pay for a steak I cannot afford with food stamps and the beer with cash. So what do you think I think.
We are looking at other states as we are being priced out a home we have lived in for 20 + years and never wanted to HAVE to leave. We need help yesterday!