Why Are Your Property Taxes So Darn High?
While the majority of people pay the most attention to the taxes they see regularly, i.e. income and sales tax, there are other taxes that cost you a lot of money that you may tend to forget about. One of those taxes that cost a lot, but that kind of goes unnoticed is property tax. In fact, depending on where you live and how much property you own, your property taxes can be huge. For some people, like residents of New Jersey for example, property taxes seem extreme.
A 2014 study by Monmouth University found that 26 percent of New Jersey residents said that they were “very likely” to move to a different state, with the most common reason being the high price of housing and property taxes – with property taxes being the main culprit. Residents of Connecticut and New York are also often on the list of highest property taxes. Why is that some locations have much higher property taxes than others?
There are several reasons that property taxes vary from state to state and city to city. Here are just a few of the main causes:
- State employees make a lot of money – if your state pays its workers well, like New Jersey does, then chances are your property taxes are higher in order to help foot that bill.
- Not Much Tourism – if your state lacks a lot of out-of-town visitors then property taxes could be higher to make up for lost revenue.
- Good schools – in order to have the best schools you have to pay for the best teachers and education services. The funds for those expenses often come from property taxes.
- Valuable property – no matter where you live, if you have a valuable home then you will almost assuredly pay more in property taxes. That’s because your property tax is based on the assessed value of your home times the local tax rate. A higher value home equals higher property taxes.
There are other possible reasons for high property taxes, but these are some of the most common. If you want to avoid outrageous property taxes, then your best bet is to simply move to a state where property taxes are lower.
What Philanthropy Really Is
What Philanthropy Really Is What comes to your mind when you hear the word philanthropy? Perhaps you think of giving away money to a great cause in order to help further its purpose. Maybe it’s a large donation to a school, a community service or a new building designed to help many. Of course, philanthropy…
How to Be a Leader: Dispelling the Myths
How to Be a Leader: Dispelling the Myths No matter what position you hold in your company, your ability to lead will greatly determine the extent of your success. Leadership skills enable you to guide customers effectively, get team members and company leadership to buy in to your ideas, and develop the respect and reputation…
What Makes a Great Boss Unforgettable?
What Makes a Great Boss Unforgettable? Have you ever had one of “those” bosses? You know the type. The kind of person that walks around like a prison guard, always peering over your shoulder through his or her mirrored glasses, ready to pounce on you like a lion at the first sign of trouble. Of…
Habits to Ditch So You Can Retire by Your 40th Birthday
Habits to Ditch So You Can Retire by Your 40th Birthday Are your retirement plans set? Are you going to call it quits when you turn 65 and spend your goldenyears traveling the world, lavishing your grandkids with gifts and good times, and spending your down time relaxing in the sun by a crystal-clearpool? It…