abolish property tax?

[wiredgeorge]

The curious thing is that property taxes are an ISD and ESD issue. Not sure any centralized money give away to schools and our fire departments and EMTs and such and having the state control them through the check book is a good idea. Best to let our counties mismanage themselves!

 

[Big Dipper]

High taxes are merely the manifestation of profligate spending. The type of tax does NOT change the real problem!

The worst thing that can happen is to have any of the current VISIBLE taxes replaced with consumption or value added taxes, since they get buried in the “cost” of the items and thus become invisible and no longer the subject of complaints of the screwed electorate. (Nirvana for the career politicians.j

 

[Sasquatch]

All 50 states have property tax. If you eliminate it and become the only state without property tax - we'll see confiscatory sales tax rates, or they'll emergency-clause an income tax in when the state is plunged into the red by a few billion dollars.

Its a low-fruit attempt to get votes, pure & simple.

Do you want to pay 15% sales tax? Do you want a 10-15% income tax? Both? Eliminate property taxes and you're going to get something like that. Our tax liability here in Texas is lower than it was in Oregon, which had property and income taxes, with no general sales tax.

 

[busykngt]

Most locations freeze property taxes @ age 65 - old age homestead exemption. But you have to proactively apply for it. It will continue for a spouse if she’s over age 55 and was no more than 15 years your junior (at the time of your death). Some freeze ALL the taxing entities and some freeze all but a select one or two taxing entities. McKinney freezes all but the city taxing entity. I think Plano is the same way, while Allen freezes all the taxing entities. (I may have those last two reversed). Check with your local county appraisal district.

 

[ronbwolf]

The reason the "death and taxes" screed is so on point, is that in truth most politicians have never met a tax they don't like. Taxes are inherently unfair, but none more so than property taxes. Want a new tax on property, just get a bond issue, EVERYONE votes on it, whether they own property or not, hmmm, seems unfair. More taxes for schools, add it to property tax. Own property, but don't have kids in school, oh well. In places like Commiefornia, they put "rent control," on the ballot, and imposed it on the property owners who were outnumbered by the renters. And if anyone challenges the "system," roll out the doom and gloom, in Texas that heralds the Income Tax threat, or increased sales taxes. Here's a thought, tell the government to go on a diet, schools need less administration, government officials need fewer assistants to the assistant to the secretary etcetera. Texas has the 3rd highest property taxes in the U.S. If Huffines, or West want to lower it, great!

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[Rhino]

Huffines and West are just blowing sunshine up everyone's asses to get votes.

There is zero chance of Texas property taxes going away (go ahead and quote me on that).

Anyone who believes this BS is delusional.

It can't be done, so we won't try???

My grandmother had a saying for that: "Can't never could"

 

[ScorpionHunter]

I hate paying any tax. But what I find immoral is when an elderly retiree loses his fully paid for home because he can’t pay the property tax. And in Hays co ( and maybe other counties, too) the appraiser can raise the value of the properties to whatever it needs to be so that the ad valorem rate can meet whatever budget the county wants. I did a lot of data analysis on the changes in the appraised values over time in Hays co, and it smells political. Some areas had 5% increases, while others had 25%. And I know real estate prices don’t work that way.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

I thought it couldn't go up more than 10% a year?

 

[busykngt]

I thought it couldn't go up more than 10% a year?

^^^^ True dat ^^^^
There's a ten percent "cap" annually on the amount of actual taxes you have to pay.

I suppose the appraised value can be increased more than 10% in a given year - BUT the amount of actual taxes to be paid, can't increase more than ten percent in any given year.

Plus, you can contest the appraised value each year. I did this for years and usually won, BUT you really have to do your research and go in, armed for bear. (The strongest argument is what a nearby house actually sold for - assuming a comparable neighborhood). Most years the volunteer citizen review board is fair - but some years I could tell they had been “talked to” by the appraisal district. If you have an {older} Asian female on your three member board... just forget about a win for that year. (JMHO)

 

[tonelar]

I dont mind property taxes since we have no state income tax, however it’d be nice if they’d cap it at 1-2% in total. We’re paying close to $4500 on a house that is only worth $135k.

I was paying close to 10% in state income tax (back in CA).

 

[seeker_two]

I'm for replacing the property taxes with increased sales tax. It will collect tax money from those who aren't paying property taxes (illegal aliens, tourists, etc.) But I want it done like Sid Miller did the fuel tax....make it obvious in the price of a good what percentage of it is tax. And the Texas Govt will need to cut a lot of its frivilous spending to keep the sales tax in line. It'll be sticker shock, for sure....but it will inform a lot of the public about the tax burden and govt creep.

 

[candcallen]

This has been discussed before. It's a complex fix that would require several changes. Sales tax gas taxes energy taxes and small income tax along with regional 1/4 cent sales taxes for freeways and such. Spending and budget changes and I guarentee you claims of racism and federal lawsuits. School districts need to be out of property taxes and get their money from the state equally based on money per student as well as actual justification for facilities.

But that money has to come from somewhere. Where it comes from and who controls it and doles it out are issues no one will agree upon. Also districts should still be able to sell bonds in such for special issues too. Complicated doesnt begin to describe the problem or solution.

That said the current system is probably untenable with the future being New Jersey levels of taxation. There is too much burden on property owners. At this rate I bet you will have as little as 25 percent home ownership occupancy homes in a few years in many places with 75 percent forced to rent. Then the local areas will collapse as people migrate to areas they can afford. Then you have future dilapidated neighborhoods bad property values and lots of abandoned homes.

Any political wannabe who claims to want to do this without a published comprehensive plan to back it up is a charlatan who would then have to prove they arent a liar attempting to blow smoke up my ass solely for a vote doing so with only their political future and power in mind.

The problem is no one wants to give up control or give up that tax revenue. People dont want to pay income tax or higher gas and motor vehicle taxes. Administrators dont want to reign in costs or account for smaller budgets.

I know I pay more taxes in texas than AZ. You shouldn't be priced out of a home cause your taxes are 40% of the monthly payment, the majority going to school districts to build needlessly lavish schools. Richer tax bases make for stupidly wasted money in some areas and failing schools in others. I think we can all agree that education should be equal in opportunities regardless of location. Frisco builds Taj Mahal or university like schools where poorer areas barely get buy with crappy facilities.

Show the plan or I dismiss you on principle that your probably nothing more than a liar who thinks I'm too stupid to know better.

 

[Coyote9]

AND an income tax. Be careful with hocus pocus sleight of hand.

I have often thought that an income tax with the federal SALT offsets is a huge advantages to those states (that money stays in the state vice federal coffers). Texas could provide some relief for lower home / land value taxes while only taxing incomes down to the Maximum federal SALT tax.

 

[Coyote9]

This has been discussed before. It's a complex fix that would require several changes. Sales tax gas taxes energy taxes and small income tax along with regional 1/4 cent sales taxes for freeways and such. Spending and budget changes and I guarentee you claims of racism and federal lawsuits. School districts need to be out of property taxes and get their money from the state equally based on money per student as well as actual justification for facilities.

But that money has to come from somewhere. Where it comes from and who controls it and doles it out are issues no one will agree upon. Also districts should still be able to sell bonds in such for special issues too. Complicated doesnt begin to describe the problem or solution.

That said the current system is probably untenable with the future being New Jersey levels of taxation. There is too much burden on property owners. At this rate I bet you will have as little as 25 percent home ownership occupancy homes in a few years in many places with 75 percent forced to rent. Then the local areas will collapse as people migrate to areas they can afford. Then you have future dilapidated neighborhoods bad property values and lots of abandoned homes.

Any political wannabe who claims to want to do this without a published comprehensive plan to back it up is a charlatan who would then have to prove they arent a liar attempting to blow smoke up my ass solely for a vote doing so with only their political future and power in mind.

The problem is no one wants to give up control or give up that tax revenue. People dont want to pay income tax or higher gas and motor vehicle taxes. Administrators dont want to reign in costs or account for smaller budgets.

I know I pay more taxes in texas than AZ. You shouldn't be priced out of a home cause your taxes are 40% of the monthly payment, the majority going to school districts to build needlessly lavish schools. Richer tax bases make for stupidly wasted money in some areas and failing schools in others. I think we can all agree that education should be equal in opportunities regardless of location. Frisco builds Taj Mahal or university like schools where poorer areas barely get buy with crappy facilities.

Show the plan or I dismiss you on principle that your probably nothing more than a liar who thinks I'm too stupid to know better.

I pay over three times as much property tax on a $282,000 house in Texas as I pay on a $425,000 house in Colorado (the income tax in Colorado combined with the property tax was still less than half of my Texas property tax!)

 

[Darkpriest667]

Next year I will pay 14.9% of my income in property taxes on a 4 bedroom house. Let that sink in.


Many others have mentioned. School district control of the property tax rate is out of control.

 

[toddnjoyce]

Next year I will pay 14.9% of my income in property taxes on a 4 bedroom house. Let that sink in.


Many others have mentioned. School district control of the property tax rate is out of control.

View attachment 291459

Last year we paid 4.7% (less than 5%) of our net income towards property tax. School district took about 55% of that tax burden. Just looked at BCAD and they don’t have my numbers for next year available yet as the county assesses in April and collects in October.

I’m willing to bet my taxable value is significantly higher than yours is, too.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Maybe some people are living in too large of a house for their income.

When I was working, I paid about 2% of my net income toward property taxes.

Percentages don't tell much.

 

[toddnjoyce]

I pay over three times as much property tax on a $282,000 house in Texas as I pay on a $425,000 house in Colorado (the income tax in Colorado combined with the property tax was still less than half of my Texas property tax!)

Our old CO house appraises pretty close to our TX house and are pretty equivalent in sq ft, age, etc.

The current year tax on that property is 41% of my TX property tax. If I take out the ISD share here, it’s pretty much a wash.

But, in CO they spread the school taxes across not just property tax, but specific ownership taxes as well as state income tax. The school district annually got a cut of the house, each of my vehicles, all income, and most everything I spent money on (via sales tax set aside).

 

[pronstar]

Part of the problem…and people vote for these stadiums?

These are the most expensive high school stadiums in Texas

High school football season has started around the state, and some of those players have...

www.chron.com

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[Sasquatch]

I get it, Football is a religion here, but christ - these stadiums rival the semi-pro stadiums we had where I grew up, just for high school sports. They should be charging higher ticket prices if they need $40M stadiums, and not stroking every property owner to pay for this crap. A fraction of a fraction of the kids playing there are ever going to go on to play pro sports, why are these districts wasting so much damn money on these arenas?