Property Tax Credit

[eyexer]

Schools eat up 50% of property taxes. Yet the common land school trust was created to fund education. This includes buildings. Somewhere down the line someone jumped the shark.

 

[TFX 186]

They tax your home for the simple reason that if you don't pay the taxes, they threaten to take your home. Most of us wouldn't go that far. That's a big threat hanging over your head. Play nice and shut up and keep paying your taxes or we will foreclose on your home that you have worked your ass off to pay for and it's probably almost all a guy has going into retirement.
How dare you guys question the blackmail scheme.
I also think the politicians are trying to get ahead of an initiated measure by throwing everyone a bone. A small kernel of corn and maybe they won't raise too much hell? I thought there was a bait ban on somewhere??
Fish On!

 

[Slappy]

And do your property taxes cover road maintenance in your neighborhood? Oh no, they tack on specials for that.

In some states and municipalities they do but not here. However here property taxes pay for removing mountains of snow from your road.

And maintaining the road that serves your house is no different than maintaining your driveway. If not you, then who should pay for that?

 

[NDSportsman]

I'll maintain there is nothing inherently wrong with property tax. If done properly (which it is not currently), it is a direct use tax which is the most rational form of taxation.

I understand the notion that you never truly own your home when property taxes exist, but that's like saying you never truly own your home if it needs periodic maintenance and repairs. No reasonable person thinks a home will last forever with no further investment.

Homes are generally closely associated with roads, water, sewer, police, fire departments and schools. All of those things cost money to build, maintain and operate just the same as maintaining a lawn, replacing worn appliances or paying the electricity bill.

The existence of a property tax is not the problem. The problem is the spending on corporate welfare, socialist programs and corruption that result in high property taxes.

I would agree with most of your post except for the fact 50% of my property taxes go to schools which I do not use so it's not a direct use tax. I'm willing to bet if you took the school funding portion out of property taxes you would hear far less bitching about them. There has to be a better more equitable way to fund our schools then property tax.

WTF are our state school land's funding? Why can't the people who want 10 kids pay for them? Why do I need to pay for your kid's education? Remember when a school building lasted 80+ years? Now they want a new one every 20 and the fricking sports portion is 80% of the costs! JFC we need our priorities straightened out!

I'm taxed on the income I make, I'm taxed on the money I spend and you still need to tax me on the property I'm supposed to own outright??? That's fucked up!!!

 

[SupressYourself]

I'll maintain there is nothing inherently wrong with property tax. If done properly (which it is not currently), it is a direct use tax which is the most rational form of taxation.

No, it is not a "direct use" tax. As someone else mentioned, not everyone uses the things property tax pays for (like schools). Also, if I want to put more money into my home or build a shop, I get punished for it via increased property tax. I'm not "using" the schools, roads, or other crap it pays for any more than I was before, but I get to pay more anyway.

I understand the notion that you never truly own your home when property taxes exist, but that's like saying you never truly own your home if it needs periodic maintenance and repairs. No reasonable person thinks a home will last forever with no further investment.

Nope, it's not like that at all. If I truly own my home and want to let it fall into a state of disrepair, that's my prerogative. There is no choice with property tax. You either pay it, or (eventually) armed thugs from the government come and take what you "own" from you.

 

[savage270]

In some states and municipalities they do but not here. However here property taxes pay for removing mountains of snow from your road.

And maintaining the road that serves your house is no different than maintaining your driveway. If not you, then who should pay for that?

Well the city manages to bill for water usage and garbage service. Pretty sure they could tack on a line for snow removal.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

Is there a time limit to apply for this tax credit?

 

[Lycanthrope]

Everyone needs to spread the word about getting property tax abolished...

 

[Shockwave]

My vote will be yes to abolish property tax. I am tired of this city continuously saying my house is worth more just so they can tax me more. Our house is now worth $100,000 more than what we paid for it 5 years ago. I call bullshit. My house is worth what we paid for it. If we were to sell it and we get that much more for it than that person pays the taxes for that worth, not us.

 

[Zogman]

Just applied and went through. It says "up to a $500 credit" So what is the magic formular that determines the actual amount you will receive???

 

[db-2]

I had 5 kids and one time an old bachelor told me he should not have to pay for my kids' education.
My response was i should not have to pay to remove snow on the street in front of his house or for that matter my grandparents to pay for his education when he was a kid.
It was different back then.

It's just tuff out there, right. In the end nothings fair.
No more kids anymore, no more schools. Issue solved. db

 

[db-2]

I did not apply. My choice, db

 

[Wally World]

If people are fed up with the drunk sailor spending by corrupt politicians running the ND state government, they should watch this video and then sign the petitions and then vote in June to eliminate ALL property taxes in ND. It can be done with the ND surplus money without cutting any local services. Watch the Video!

 

[SLE]

No, it is not a "direct use" tax. As someone else mentioned, not everyone uses the things property tax pays for (like schools). Also, if I want to put more money into my home or build a shop, I get punished for it via increased property tax. I'm not "using" the schools, roads, or other crap it pays for any more than I was before, but I get to pay more anyway.

Property Tax amongst all the other taxes we pay are based on the ability to pay, not on the services we receive regardless of schools, roads, or anything else the tax funds. It's really the same with income tax, sales tax, property tax, etc. They all started out for a good reason, but have grown to be inequitable amongst those that pay and pay the most.

Just because one chooses to own a nice property, maintain it, and continually improve it; they get to pay more, maybe even double or triple, than say the guy down the street that lives in a shit-hole and chooses not to keep it up even though the services they receive from the County and or City are exactly the same. that though process says one that has the financial ability to own, maintain, and improve a property is also one that has the ability to pay more tax.

Same goes for income tax, those that often times pay the most use the least services. The tax system used in this country is pretty socialistic when you really boil it down, and yet there many that want more.

With that said, even as conservative and capitalist, I do see an argument that there's a certainly amount of tax funded programs (welfare and similar programs as many would classify) that help raise the overall standard of living for the country, however the minimum standard of what has been determined a need versus a want, has gotten out of hand. There's a balance. Unfortunately theirs enough pork out there that it's turned into disincentivizing a portion of the population to actually do and be better. At some point if it keeps going, and they keep increasing taxes on those that are paying the most, it'll turn to a breaking point where it will disincentivize those same folks from pushing to strive for more. As some might say, the juice may not be worth the squeeze.

The worst part, its all political. The programs and use of tax dollars are designed to gain votes and not necessarily to make where we live a better place. The more people a certain side can get on programs, fee money, and stuff, the more votes they get. With a shift and major separation of lower, middle, and upper income earners, I see no way this country rights itself. The majority of the population will be using some government assistance in one form or another and there will be no way they will vote to cut programs that benefit themselves. Frankly, to right the ship in this country, pain would need to be felt by all from top to bottom. Taxes would have to increase, pork and government assistance programs decreased, and the size of our government (from top to bottem) would need to be reduced. There is no politician, no matter how good they are, that can make that work and not get blackballed and voted out. They would alienate 90% of the population.

sorry for the tax rant, carry on with the property tax discussion, lol.

 

[SLE]

My vote will be yes to abolish property tax. I am tired of this city continuously saying my house is worth more just say they can tax me more. Our house is now worth $100,000 more than what we paid for it 5 years ago. I call bullshit. My house is worth what we paid for it. If we were to sell it and we get that much more for it than that person pays the taxes for that worth, not us.

Nothing like being taxed on unrealized gains, it's ridiculous. Just wait till they do this will 401Ks, stocks, and other investments. BTW, think what a favor the government is doing for you not requiring you to pay capital gains when you sell (unless netting $250k single or $500k filing married).

 

[johnr]

Property Tax amongst all the other taxes we pay are based on the ability to pay, not on the services we receive regardless of schools, roads, or anything else the tax funds. It's really the same with income tax, sales tax, property tax, etc. They all started out for a good reason, but have grown to be inequitable amongst those that pay and pay the most.

Just because one chooses to own a nice property, maintain it, and continually improve it; they get to pay more, maybe even double or triple, than say the guy down the street that lives in a shit-hole and chooses not to keep it up even though the services they receive from the County and or City are exactly the same. that though process says one that has the financial ability to own, maintain, and improve a property is also one that has the ability to pay more tax.

Same goes for income tax, those that often times pay the most use the least services. The tax system used in this country is pretty socialistic when you really boil it down, and yet there many that want more.

With that said, even as conservative and capitalist, I do see an argument that there's a certainly amount of tax funded programs (welfare and similar programs as many would classify) that help raise the overall standard of living for the country, however the minimum standard of what has been determined a need versus a want, has gotten out of hand. There's a balance. Unfortunately theirs enough pork out there that it's turned into disincentivizing a portion of the population to actually do and be better. At some point if it keeps going, and they keep increasing taxes on those that are paying the most, it'll turn to a breaking point where it will disincentive those same folks from pushing to strive for more. As some might say, the juice may not be worth the squeeze.

The worst part, its all political. The programs and use of tax dollars are designed to gain votes and not necessarily to make where we live a better place. The more people a certain side can get on programs, fee money, and stuff, the more votes they get. With a shift and major separation of lower, middle, and upper income earners, I see no way this country rights itself. The majority of the population will be using some government assistance in one form or another and there will be no way they will vote to cut programs that benefit themselves. Frankly, to right the ship in this country, pain would need to be felt by all from top to bottom. Taxes would have to increase, pork and government assistance programs decreased, and the size of our government (from top to bottom) would need to be reduced. There is no politician, no matter how good they are, that can make that work and not get blackballed and voted out. They would alienate 90% of the population.

sorry for the tax rant, carry on with the property tax discussion, lol.

Agree with pretty much all of this.

I think we need to make social assistance enough to have a hot meal, and a warm spot to sleep, and really nothing more. If you can have an apartment, a cell phone, beer money, a fridge full, without earning one cent of it, why would some of these people ever want to contribute to the betterment of our society, they already get it all with someone else footing the bill.

Someone needs to feed these babies....

 

[Lycanthrope]

some places have taxes fixed at your purchase price, then it is reassessed when the property changes hands and the new owner pays the increased taxes... thats a lot better than how they do it now, but IMO property taxes is inherently unjust. how many people are forced to sell property the inherit just because they cannot afford the taxes? If you own something, you should own it, not have to pay the state or city forever to keep it.

 

[risingsun]

Agree with pretty much all of this.

I think we need to make social assistance enough to have a hot meal, and a warm spot to sleep, and really nothing more. If you can have an apartment, a cell phone, beer money, a fridge full, without earning one cent of it, why would some of these people ever want to contribute to the betterment of our society, they already get it all with someone else footing the bill.

Someone needs to feed these babies....

 

[savage270]

This has maybe already been mentioned, but where can one go to sign this petition to get it on the ballot?

 

[Davey Crockett]

Agree with pretty much all of this.

I think we need to make social assistance enough to have a hot meal, and a warm spot to sleep, and really nothing more. If you can have an apartment, a cell phone, beer money, a fridge full, without earning one cent of it, why would some of these people ever want to contribute to the betterment of our society, they already get it all with someone else footing the bill.

Someone needs to feed these babies....