Property taxes can apply to all types of property. The idea is the more valuable the property, the more expensive it is for the state to defend it for you (via

Property taxes can apply to all types of property. The idea is the more valuable the property, the more expensive it is for the state to defend it for you (via police, etc.) In practice, real estate is the 20x more valuable than any other personal property, so it doesn't make sense to tax anything else. Cars are subject to a registration fee. If you own expensive business machinery, that may be subject to tax in some states. My county also taxes boats and airplanes.