|
Post by dgriffin on Feb 12, 2009 19:48:20 GMT -5
Yes, but no one needs that in order to provide the number I'm looking for. All they need is the total amount of property taxes they pay each year and the amount they THINK their house is worth. Evaluation rates and equalizations don't matter in this case. They won't affect my little study.
Again, for anyone joining the discussion late, all I need is the RESULT of this private calculation:
Total Taxes in Dollars, divided by Estimated Home Value in Thousands.
E.g., $3,450 divided by 165 (thousands) equals about $21. All I need is the $21 figure, NOT the 3450 or the 165.
Maybe most people have their taxes paid out of an escrow account and don't now their total tax bill. I hope not.
|
|
|
Post by frankcor on Feb 13, 2009 14:23:44 GMT -5
Escrow was an invention of politicians. So was withholding tax.
I believe that withholding should be banned and all elections should be moved to April 15. That way everyone would have to write out a check for the full amount of their taxes while they are in the voting booth.
Do you think the same people would get re-elected over and over again that way?
|
|
|
Post by dgriffin on Feb 13, 2009 14:40:59 GMT -5
Excellent combination with the vote held on April 15th! And I think a lot of people wouldn't have the money to pay their taxes. "You can't have it, if I ain't got it," might replace "In God We Trust." Great leveler, being broke. There are some who wish the US hard times as its salvation.
|
|
|
Post by frankcor on Feb 13, 2009 14:51:00 GMT -5
Maybe I'm asking too much for people to take the responsibility to tuck away a part of every paycheck to pay their taxes.
|
|
|
Post by concerned on Feb 13, 2009 19:41:15 GMT -5
I do remember when I owned a home just outside Westmoreland. The taxes were high but I could afford them with a tight belt. Damn, I miss that house, I miss owning a home of my own. But I lost it all. I guess I will regret that for the rest of my life as I live the remainder of my life in damn public housing. I am somewhat happy but I miss being able to do all the things with having your own home involves. A nice garden and landscaping.
|
|
|
Post by dgriffin on Feb 13, 2009 23:31:03 GMT -5
Maybe I'm asking too much for people to take the responsibility to tuck away a part of every paycheck to pay their taxes. I don't think so. That ... and the amount ... would help Americans realize how much of their money they give away for the quality of government the receive. Federal withholding began in the first WW, I think. Prior to that, taxes were probably not much, but would have still been a problem for some people. But maybe not many. No doubt most taxing took place on the local level, where most of the public works took place, except for national defense. And history tells us the feds didn't spend a lot a lot on defense between wars until after WW 2. When the protaganist in "Isaac's Storm" went to Washington, the US Weather Bureau had less than a dozen employees (1900). And yet there were Weather Bureau offices all over the nation, with 2 or 3 employees in each. So, I'm guessing those local revenues came from land and and building taxes, imposed on the more responsible home and property owners. More responsible than my shanty-renting Irish ancestors, that is. There is probably a clear relationship between higher taxes and the coming of withholding. Politicians must have said at one point, "if we want that much of their money, we'd better withhold it from their paychecks."
|
|
|
Post by clarencebunsen on Feb 14, 2009 7:22:47 GMT -5
Extracted from Infoplease: From 1791 to 1802 there were federal taxes on distilled spirits, carriages, refined sugar, tobacco and snuff, property sold at auction, corporate bonds and slaves.
With the War of 1812 came taxes on gold, silverware, jewelry & watches. After the war internal taxes were eliminated & we relied on import tarriffs.
The Civil War brought us an income tax & the first IRS. That version included progression (higher incomes were taxed at a higher rate) & withholding. The income tax came & went during the 2nd half of the 19th century until the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in 1895.
The 16th amendment in 1913 allowed direct taxation by the federal government and income taxes were soon instituted on individuals and corporations. During WWI, 1918 marked the federal government' 1st billion $ collection year.
1943 brought the return of withholding tax. I wasn't privy to the discussions, but I would suspect that the key point was not tax payer pain but that revenues to support the war effort would start coming in on April 16, 1943 rather than wait until April 15, 1944.
Making tax collection easier was just a side effect. Having so many people think that getting money back when they file their return is a "gift" from their government is pure serendipity. I know people who have increased their withholding so they get a bigger return.
|
|
|
Post by dgriffin on Feb 14, 2009 13:33:51 GMT -5
Fascinating. I never knew they were withholding taxes during the Civil War. You're probably right about withholding in WW2 bringing the revenue closer to when it was needed. But once that wagon began to roll .....
|
|
|
Post by clarencebunsen on Feb 14, 2009 17:18:34 GMT -5
I knew of the collection of income taxes during the civil war, but until I did some reading this morning I had never considered how it could be done. I'd like to learn more about it but I'm not sure when.
|
|
|
Post by frankcor on Feb 16, 2009 7:51:33 GMT -5
If I recall correctly, the federal income tax rate was 1% when the 16th amendment reversed the founders' vision of the United States. Today, approximately half of the US Governments income comes from income tax. The remainder comes from tariffs, use and value taxes. That means that if we could cut spending in half, there would be no need for income tax.
|
|
|
Post by dgriffin on Feb 16, 2009 14:51:45 GMT -5
I don't think I ever knew either of those facts, frankcor.
|
|