Low Taxation County vs High Taxation County...where are you?

[Just-Moxie]

I thought I would start a new thread. This is a topic that has come up on @baymules thread.."Mobile Home Goddess"...and it seems to have started a good ol' discussion.

Property taxes. If we own a home, we pay taxes. Dependent on where were are living in the USA, they'll all be different for almost every one.

Ours...here in Saluda County SC....for 1 acre, outbuildings, residential property @ 3125 sq ft, 3 bdrm, 2 bth, is $400.00 per year. Maybe $469.00. I'd have to dig out the paperwork to verify the amount.

Now, for SC, we live in one of the lowest income counties. Lowest population counties. Very very rural.
Just one county to the East is Lexington County, and Richland County. They hold the SC state capitol. I am sure their taxes reflect that.

Now, the county in which DH and I live...DO have 2 new schools. Brand new HS and Middle School. So that is doing well.
However, being rural, we are on NO snow route. Not much snow here anyways to justify expense for snow removal. We have NO natural gas lines. No city water access. All rural Fire Dept...volunteer. NO fire hydrants.
I do see county patrol cars drive by every so often. The UPS knows our address. Our roads are mowed seasonally, resurfaced when $$ are allotted for it.

Our car tags are reasonable also. But that usually goes along with the municipality.

It does make for a good discussion. Especially if one is looking to relocate to another state or area with-in your own state.

 

[baymule]

Our old house, bought 28 years ago, was built by an elderly couple. Their ranch is at the bottom of Lake Livingston, which was built in the late 1960's and much land was condemned to make way for it. After buying the house, I filled out the homestead claim to reduce taxes. The county made a boo-boo and did not take off the senior citizen exemption from the previous owners. So for alllllllll these years, our taxes have been $194 a year. Taxes on this house should be running about $2500 - $3000 a year. I asked several different county employees that worked in the tax office what I should do and was told SHUTUP. So I did. Was told it was the county's mistake and they could not back up on me to collect on their big fat mistake. Cool. Selling the house now, tax increase won't be my problem.

We also had 16 acres of unimproved land we claimed timber exemption on and paid $83 a year in taxes on it. It was 3 miles from the city limits.

New house--taxes! Taxes on the doublewide and 8 acres are about $2000. We filed senior citizen exemption, homestead and timber/farm. So we'll see where the dust settles.

 

[majorcatfish]

i am so sorry @baymule it's all my fault you will probility not get that senior citizen exemption. since i sent you that brick after reading an irs rule stating if a person over retirement age he or she has all their bricks that exemption is null and void... hope you can forgive me...
hows that for a thread jacking... squirrel

 

[Nyboy]

2 year stint of domestic partnership spent at amazing house designed by Eero Saarinen. 10,000 square feet on 4 acres on the water in Westport CT, taxes $36,000a year. Now living in house size of old master bedroom, but much happier.

 

[seedcorn]

Taxes in NE IN are much less than NE Illinois. But again, value of house is much less. Real question should be, taxes vs property value. If all you want is cheap taxes, move to wherever there are no people.

 

[Lavender2]

@seedcorn, it is quite a difference when you compare taxes vs property value ...cnn money
-although this is based on averages.

And as @Ridgerunner mentioned in the other thread, it's complicated.
Average home around my area is 200 - 250k, higher with acreage, and property tax is based on the value of home and property. There are several different school districts in the county, our school levy is $322. plus a special levy of $191. that expires next year. My moms district is much higher, same county. City taxes within the county run from $420 - $780, depending on the city you live in. Our taxes are proposed to go down $26 this year, to around $1,700.

I guess you could go by the average in the county - $2,300. I know without taxes we wouldn't have the parks and services and good schools, but I wouldn't mind if they would make a mistake on my tax bill just once anyway.

 

[baymule]

i am so sorry @baymule it's all my fault you will probility not get that senior citizen exemption. since i sent you that brick after reading an irs rule stating if a person over retirement age he or she has all their bricks that exemption is null and void... hope you can forgive me...
hows that for a thread jacking... squirrel

Actually it is my husband that qualifies for the senior citizen exemption, not me. So I get to keep my brick and senior citizen tax exemption!

 

[Smart Red]

Our old house, bought 28 years ago, was built by an elderly couple. Their ranch is at the bottom of Lake Livingston, which was built in the late 1960's and much land was condemned to make way for it. After buying the house, I filled out the homestead claim to reduce taxes. The county made a boo-boo and did not take off the senior citizen exemption from the previous owners. So for alllllllll these years, our taxes have been $194 a year. Taxes on this house should be running about $2500 - $3000 a year. I asked several different county employees that worked in the tax office what I should do and was told SHUTUP. So I did. Was told it was the county's mistake and they could not back up on me to collect on their big fat mistake. Cool. Selling the house now, tax increase won't be my problem.

We also had 16 acres of unimproved land we claimed timber exemption on and paid $83 a year in taxes on it. It was 3 miles from the city limits.

New house--taxes! Taxes on the doublewide and 8 acres are about $2000. We filed senior citizen exemption, homestead and timber/farm. So we'll see where the dust settles.

@bobm, must Bay add this $2406-2806 un-taxed error as income on her 1040?

 

[seedcorn]

@Lavender2 great map. Surprised how CHEAP California taxes are compared to value of property. Illinois residents are real losers as one of the highest %/value plus one of highest sales taxes-not to talk about income taxes. Gotta pay for those embezzling Governors..... So glad to be EX resident...

 

[Lavender2]

@seedcorn , California property values are so high I don't think they could raise their tax % and have anyone afford to live there. I noticed that with Illinois, we are right up there with the

Sales tax - tax foundation and even pass them up with State Income Tax - Tax Policy Center

Interesting to compare the States.

Our governor is proposing raising the income tax again and tried to pass sales tax on clothing last session, I think he would approve a 'per hair' tax at the barber. Not sure how that bozo got re-elected!