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View Poll Results: Why do you think property taxes in Texas have the highest rate (can select multiple choices but sele
Lack of personal income tax to all income including a tiny dividends/interest 22 48.89%
Lack of any personal income tax coupled with no estate tax (contrast to tennesee) 17 37.78%
Robin Hood school financing system 9 20.00%
Lower home values 9 20.00%
Lack of statewide property tax system to administor 3 6.67%
Not everybody paying their fair share (non disclosure state) 10 22.22%
Not everybody paying their fair share (misused ag exemptions/utility for example) 6 13.33%
Corporations not paying fair share (loopholes, lobbied exemptions, non-disclosure difficult to assess properties) 10 22.22%
Government spending in local counties/cities and greed 5 11.11%
Lack of state aid 3 6.67%
Lack of state aid coupled with unfunded mundates by the state , shifting locality to counties/cities 2 4.44%
Sales tax not high enough although high almost like aka Tennesee (7.x vs. 9.x) 1 2.22%
High demand for services, schools, libraries, gold courses by residents 5 11.11%
Other issues, such as municipal utility districts and other special districts that arise 8 17.78%
Overassement by assessors/multiple districts and lack of a property tax cap more beneficial to homeowners or more generous homestead options/phase in 5 11.11%
State government spending/hoarding 2 4.44%
Higher property values particular in metro areas as opposed to rural or country areas 2 4.44%
Texas used to the system and not particular questioning it (no income tax) 6 13.33%
Lack of corporate income tax (although gross receipts insituted) 4 8.89%
Other please state in a few sentences 2 4.44%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 45. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 09-28-2009, 10:08 AM
 
Location: Central Texas
13,714 posts, read 31,184,310 times
Reputation: 9270

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tech2enable - does your post have a point? Do you propose an alternative tax structure for Texas?

No one argues that Texas has high property tax rates. Whether they are the highest in the nation may be slightly debatable. Recent data from the Tax Foundation shows Texas is NOT #1 either as a % of home value or as a % of income.

The Tax Foundation - Property Taxes on Owner-Occupied Housing by County, 2005 - 2008, Ranked by Taxes as Percentage of Home Value

Because there is no such thing as a perfect taxation system, every state has a unique blend of taxes. Texas runs its business one way, other states do it differently.
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Old 09-28-2009, 05:25 PM
 
656 posts, read 1,420,550 times
Reputation: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano View Post
tech2enable - does your post have a point? Do you propose an alternative tax structure for Texas?

No one argues that Texas has high property tax rates. Whether they are the highest in the nation may be slightly debatable. Recent data from the Tax Foundation shows Texas is NOT #1 either as a % of home value or as a % of income.

The tax foundation does show Texas as #1 as a state as percentage of home values.

The Tax Foundation - Map: Property Taxes on Owner-Occupied Housing by State

The Tax Foundation - Property Taxes on Owner-Occupied Housing by County, 2005 - 2008, Ranked by Taxes as Percentage of Home Value

Because there is no such thing as a perfect taxation system, every state has a unique blend of taxes. Texas runs its business one way, other states do it differently.
I am aware, but people make an assumption that Texas taxes are high because of no income tax, which is wrong, it can be partially true buts its definitely not the major factor.
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Old 09-29-2009, 08:21 AM
 
Location: Central Texas
13,714 posts, read 31,184,310 times
Reputation: 9270
What is your conclusion then - why are Texas property tax rates high?
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Old 09-29-2009, 01:52 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,269 posts, read 35,646,924 times
Reputation: 8617
Quote:
no state income tax is not the cause of texas property tax woes, its just that people are much less likely to question or complain about it.
Kind of unsubstatiated comment, actually. I have questioned it and found it to be a more controllable (by the individual) tax process. Yes, appraisals can go up, but the number of loopholes and shelters from property tax is almost none. You can get ag exemptions, but they are not abused as widely as people claim - my parents have been ranchers for years and watch all the 'psedou' ag-exmptions get denied. Also, you can't exempt the homestead portion of the property anyway. Wildlife exemptions pretty much are limited to non-homestead property too.

Income taxes have so many caveats and complications that they are rife with abuse, especially by those that can afford lobbying or shelters.

The only real fix to the tax system that I would recommend is a bigger homestead exemption to shelter lower income families. I also have no issue with a 'disclosure' requirement for purchase price (not that I have thought about it much), but that really doesn't change the system much.
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Old 09-29-2009, 01:53 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,269 posts, read 35,646,924 times
Reputation: 8617
Quote:
What is your conclusion then - why are Texas property tax rates high?
Lol---sarcasm, right? Since he is really just making a statement that property taxes are unfair and we should change to an income tax .

Quote:
but people make an assumption that Texas taxes are high because of no income tax, which is wrong
Why is that wrong? Taxes come in from various sources...if it doesn't come in through one tax, then it is another. Are you saying that we are taxed significantly more, per capita, than places with an income tax? I have seen no data to support that at all. In fact, since we are middling to low on the tax burden as a state, can we ask "why are our overall taxes so low, is it because we pay property tax instead of income tax?"
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Old 09-29-2009, 09:44 PM
 
656 posts, read 1,420,550 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trainwreck20 View Post
Lol---sarcasm, right? Since he is really just making a statement that property taxes are unfair and we should change to an income tax .

Not exactly or necessarily.


Why is that wrong? Taxes come in from various sources...if it doesn't come in through one tax, then it is another. Are you saying that we are taxed significantly more, per capita, than places with an income tax? I have seen no data to support that at all. In fact, since we are middling to low on the tax burden as a state, can we ask "why are our overall taxes so low, is it because we pay property tax instead of income tax?"
Property taxes can discourage people from moving and staying, especially seniors and lower-to middle income earners, it also creates a more hostile environment for home buyers and unfair taxation.Certain groups and organizations however favor high property taxes in texas.

As for taxes per capita, even in taxes are low, its usually not the ordinary janes and joes who are paying the low tax rates, its the big and well connected corporations and individuals, or the high income earners living in modest homes, this is not to say that every big business is able to take advantage and the gross margins tax has affected many bigger small businesses.
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Old 09-29-2009, 09:47 PM
 
656 posts, read 1,420,550 times
Reputation: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trainwreck20 View Post
Kind of unsubstatiated comment, actually. I have questioned it and found it to be a more controllable (by the individual) tax process. Yes, appraisals can go up, but the number of loopholes and shelters from property tax is almost none. You can get ag exemptions, but they are not abused as widely as people claim - my parents have been ranchers for years and watch all the 'psedou' ag-exmptions get denied. Also, you can't exempt the homestead portion of the property anyway. Wildlife exemptions pretty much are limited to non-homestead property too.

It is substantiated, I believe it even tax assessors all across texas tell its residents who complain about property taxes that is because of the state.

Income taxes have so many caveats and complications that they are rife with abuse, especially by those that can afford lobbying or shelters.

So are property taxes, especially in non-disclosure states like texas, certain states have flat taxes no-deductions have one state Utah, actually was rated by the conservative tax foundation to have a better tax business climate than Texas. This does not mean that I am in favor of income taxes, and of course a lack of the state income tax is not the reason for high property taxes solely, so the argument is null.

The only real fix to the tax system that I would recommend is a bigger homestead exemption to shelter lower income families. I also have no issue with a 'disclosure' requirement for purchase price (not that I have thought about it much), but that really doesn't change the system much.
Oh yes it does, do your homework, of course there are certain areas where it may make much less of a difference.
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Old 09-30-2009, 07:28 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,269 posts, read 35,646,924 times
Reputation: 8617
Quote:
Property taxes can discourage people from moving and staying, especially seniors and lower-to middle income earners, it also creates a more hostile environment for home buyers and unfair taxation.
Yeah, I guess this is why everyone is bailing out of the state and all the retirees are moving away...oops! maybe not. I guess reality doesn't always fit with theory, eh?
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Old 09-30-2009, 08:31 AM
 
Location: DFW
40,951 posts, read 49,206,955 times
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This may have been covered already but TX being a non Disclosure state applies to the public only.

For residential sales, the local Appraisal Districts have access to local MLS sale data and use these sales to determine values. The info is just not published for the public but can easily be supplied by your friendly real estate agent. I do it yearly for my clients and am a firm believe that we should keep personal data confidential. Whose business is it in the public what I pay for my house, my car, my TV ?

I do understand there is not a data base for commercial properties.

I think it is ironic that people from places like CA say their rates are so much lower but their cost of homes can run 5 times more. The bottom line costs are all about the same.
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Old 09-30-2009, 08:51 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,269 posts, read 35,646,924 times
Reputation: 8617
Quote:
For residential sales, the local Appraisal Districts have access to local MLS sale data and use these sales to determine values.
My understanding is that the ADs have no access to the MLS, and that the MLS terms of use somewhat directly prohibit it from being used for such purposes. That is the reason that the local ADs send out mail asking what you paid for your house. A curosry examination will show that the sales prices are not typical what is used in the appraisals.
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