Texas property tax debate

[RWB]

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/07/06/texas-legislature-house-democrats-offer-20-9-billion-tax-relief-bill/70385593007/

What has happened to our state? Proposing some of the property tax relief go to renters because rents have increased. Maybe rents have incresed because property tax are too high.
only politicians could screw up something so easy as reducing property taxes.

[CoolHandLuke]

I have so many things going thru my head right now. LOL You do see which side of the aisle is proposing this stupidity!

[60 Deluxe]

I have protested often and loudly whenever the subject comes up. My bottom line is that the property tax system is such a flawed tax that it should be eliminated. Personally, I never really own my home or land as I have to pay whatever tax the state levies on it every year or it is taken away and sold. As a landlord, I get no protection from exorbitant yearly increases or tax breaks similar to the homestead exemption so I must pass on the cost to the renters. An example that I used the other day is this. Suppose that a home builder built two identical homes, side by side. One is bought by a family and the other is bought by a landlord. The family files for and gets a homestead exemption and this exemption results in a tax reduction of $500 per year. The identical house next door is rented by a family very similar to the family with the homestead exemption. The second family pays $500 more per year because the landlord has passed on the full amount of the tax. To add to the insult, the homes are in a popular neighborhood and property values are increasing by double digits percentage points each year. The homesteaded home increase is limited to a certain percentage increase each year. The rental property is not, so once again the renter gets to pay that tax. Just end it. Find a better and fairer way to spread the tax burden.

[M16]

Sounds like a good reason to raise the rent. Renters will have more money to pay higher rents.

[Hoggslayer]

They are trying their best to screw it all up. Property ownership is going to be unobtainable and unsustainable for the working man.

[Sasqy]

If everyone stops paying their taxes at one time, the system will crumble !

[friscopaint]

Any true type of property tax reform every group that feeds off of it, Schools and government agencies will cry foul and tout how the children are going to be harmed while they literally **** away millions daily........it's the appraisal system that needs to be reined in, one of the few things California got right but my father in law there that benefited from Prop 13 whines about the rent control on the properties he has. Property taxes can only go up a max set percentage every year until property changes hands but also the rent can only be increased a max percentage as well. Not that I'm advocating rent control at all. Everything in Austin is just noise when it comes to property tax reforms......

[flywise]

Tx ain’t worth a Sh@+ as far as property ownership. Thousands of year just to say you own something is BS.
The only way to reform our tax system is to get
rid of state, county and ISD and replace them all with a 20% sales tax. Then everyone gets to contribute…….including the millions of dreamers who are costing the tax payer billions

[TeamAmerica]

they have been debating this the entire session. let's start simple and get something passed. increase homestead exemption to $100K and reduce the cap on value increases from 10% to 5% for homesteads.

if they want rental relief, they should limit the number of homes that corporations/institutional investors can buy/rent in the state. these new investors plus AirBnB/VRBO have done more to increase the rents than any other single cause in my view.

[Walker]

In my case the state and local govt taxes are really not too bad. The school taxes are more than 60% of.my bill. I don't have homestead on my house and my assessment went up over 30% this year. We protested and got 40gs.knocked off. I'm sure they'll try to get that back in the next couple of years.

[asu-indian]

I wrote a check for just shy of $20K this year but I am so proud we don't have a state income tax so everyone can participate in the fun. Those that aspire to working and owning something will be punished.

[TKRanch]

I wrote a check for just shy of $20K this year but I am so proud we don't have a state income tax so everyone can participate in the fun. Those that aspire to working and owning something will be punished.

Yep, lived in Illinois for 8 years with state income tax as well as property taxes higher than here!!! And it was WAY TOO COLD!!

Bottom line is it all sucks, no really good way around paying for services.......

[bpa556]

Tx ain’t worth a Sh@+ as far as property ownership. Thousands of year just to say you own something is BS.
The only way to reform our tax system is to get
rid of state, county and ISD and replace them all with a 20% sales tax. Then everyone gets to contribute…….including the millions of dreamers who are costing the tax payer billions

I agree, except it won’t take nearly 20%. 12-ish% on ALL non-perishable items will cover costs and keep the rainy day fund in good shape.

[flywise]

I agree, except it won’t take nearly 20%. 12-ish% on ALL non-perishable items will cover costs and keep the rainy day fund in good shape.

Well that’s even better. Something has to change in Tx because it just isn’t working right now

[flywise]

Yep, lived in Illinois for 8 years with state income tax as well as property taxes higher than here!!! And it was WAY TOO COLD!!

Bottom line is it all sucks, no really good way around paying for services.......

It’s not paying for services, it’s paying for waste.
no worse place than Illinois for that