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.
When Is a Good Time to Get Into the Stock Market Game?
Anyone who has ever studied or even followed the stock market knows that market ebbs and flows. There will always be ups, and there will always be downs. That’s simply the nature of investing. If it were easy to predict then everyone would be successful and wildly wealthy.Last year saw amazing gains in the stock market, as a whole. However, this year, things have been heading in the other direction. Just last month the market saw some big dips, including a one-day loss on the Dow Jones of more
Five Tips for Staying Ahead of the Avalanche
I was talking to a coworker the other day about work. He responded that he felt swamped and work was descending upon him like an avalanche. Besides the over the top hyperboles, there are many that I have talked to that feel overwhelmed by their work and that’s not good.Stress can have negative effects on the body, mind, and spirit. Stress in one aspect of your life will often lead to more stress in other parts of your life. One real life example is Tiger Woods. It was very sad watching all parts
Selling globally: How to get started
Selling globally: How to get started For many businesses, selling their products or services globally is a natural next step in their growth. But while the prospect of billions of new potential customers is attractive, going global can be a daunting proposition. Here are a few tips on how to get started. Tap your network. …
This Year Will Be the Last Time You Can Claim These Deductions
This Year Will Be the Last Time You Can Claim These Deductions If you’re like many taxpayers, then you’ve already filed your 2017 tax return, and perhaps even received your refund. If so, congratulations are in order. You can now forget about taxes for another year…although we don’t recommend that. On the other hand, if…