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> However, the idea that the government has any right to tax private property at whatever valuation they see fit is a quick step towards a totalitarian nightmar

> However, the idea that the government has any right to tax private property at whatever valuation they see fit is a quick step towards a totalitarian nightmare. Many (most?) towns already have a property tax on houses and condos.

tathougies 7y ago
Im unsure of the point of this comment. The constitution restricts the taxing ability of the federal government. States of course are fully sovereign over their land and have broad discretion to levy taxes. Thus their ability to levy this tax speaks nothing about not wanting the Feds to have the same power. State income tax was also legal well before federal income tax. Back to your point -- while property tax is a form of wealth tax, I do believe it is different. Real estate is a kind of property that one owns at the mercy of the state. It is not something that anyone -- other than sovereign governments -- really own. That being said, there is also danger in raising property taxes so i think any such tax should be met with intense scrutiny
- scott_s 7y ago
  > Real estate is a kind of property that one owns at the mercy of the state. It is not something that anyone -- other than sovereign governments -- really own. That would be true if that tax was only on the value of the land. But it's not. The value of the structure on that land is part of the tax.
  - tathougies 7y ago
    Permanent fixtures (like homes) are -- in common law -- typically considered part of the land.
    - scott_s 7y ago
      And condos? But I don't think this actually changes anything. Clearly, homes and condos are considered private property. Whether or not the government has certain rights to that property (eminent domain, search with a warrant), most people consider it their property. So house and condo taxes are going to be perceived by people as taxes on their property. I also claim that we are not currently in a "totalitarian nightmare." So maybe people are okay if the government decides on a case-by-case basis what kind of property can be taxed. Also: some states have car taxes. And boat taxes.
- User23 7y ago
  Personally I wish the federal government just taxed the states by census apportionment per the constitution and left it up to the states how to tax their residents to raise the money.

tathougies 7y ago

Im unsure of the point of this comment. The constitution restricts the taxing ability of the federal government. States of course are fully sovereign over their land and have broad discretion to levy taxes. Thus their ability to levy this tax speaks nothing about not wanting the Feds to have the same power. State income tax was also legal well before federal income tax. Back to your point -- while property tax is a form of wealth tax, I do believe it is different. Real estate is a kind of property that one owns at the mercy of the state. It is not something that anyone -- other than sovereign governments -- really own. That being said, there is also danger in raising property taxes so i think any such tax should be met with intense scrutiny

scott_s 7y ago
> Real estate is a kind of property that one owns at the mercy of the state. It is not something that anyone -- other than sovereign governments -- really own. That would be true if that tax was only on the value of the land. But it's not. The value of the structure on that land is part of the tax.
- tathougies 7y ago
  Permanent fixtures (like homes) are -- in common law -- typically considered part of the land.
  - scott_s 7y ago
    And condos? But I don't think this actually changes anything. Clearly, homes and condos are considered private property. Whether or not the government has certain rights to that property (eminent domain, search with a warrant), most people consider it their property. So house and condo taxes are going to be perceived by people as taxes on their property. I also claim that we are not currently in a "totalitarian nightmare." So maybe people are okay if the government decides on a case-by-case basis what kind of property can be taxed. Also: some states have car taxes. And boat taxes.
User23 7y ago
Personally I wish the federal government just taxed the states by census apportionment per the constitution and left it up to the states how to tax their residents to raise the money.