Originally Posted By Actiondiver:
If sales tax goes up to 22%, maybe we'd go from a consumer economy to one where quality matters more,then 22% for something you're buying that's going to last way way way longer isn't such a bad deal and not having to pay property tax means you actually own your property, which is a really big deal.

Economically this would cause people to move to Texas, and that may or may not be a good deal, but it would be a big boom in business and property values would increase without coming with a burden of having to pay the government every year.

Originally Posted By 7gentex:
Fund schools with a "per student" head tax/charge direct to the parents of such. You got more kids in school - you pay more.

Originally Posted By Mojo_Jojo:
It's a longshot, but who knows if it will gain steam.  Winners: property owners.   Losers: renters, tourists and illegal aliens

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/after-historic-tax-cuts-texas-lawmakers-evaluate-eliminating-property-taxes-entirely

After historic tax cuts, Texas lawmakers evaluate eliminating property taxes entirely
by Michael AdkisonWed, September 4th 2024 at 7:04 PM

AUSTIN, Texas   Last year, after months of negotiating, the Texas legislature approved an $18 billion package of property tax cuts. Now, the Texas Senate evaluated going even further, potentially eliminating property taxes entirely.

On Wednesday, the Texas Senate Committee on Finance took testimony on what further property tax cuts would look like, particularly by cutting school district property taxes, or property taxes entirely. Some Senators on both sides of the aisle appeared skeptical of such holistic tax eliminations, but inclined to further cuts.

The Legislative Budget Board, a state agency tasked with evaluating the fiscal impacts of state legislation, testified that school district property taxes contributed some $81.5 billion to the state's funding. Eliminating the school district property tax would, effectively, carve that from state funding.

"So, how would we pay for that?" Sen. Chuy Hinojosa, D-McAllen, said, in the committee hearing, to a few moments of silence. Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, who chairs the committee, then called that the "eighty-billion-dollar question."

With already no state income tax, if Texas were to eliminate property taxes entirely, that would mean the state would receive the bulk of its funding from the sales tax. Currently, at 6.25%, the Comptroller's Office testified that the sales tax would have to increase to somewhere around 22% to make up for losses, should property taxes be entirely eliminated.

"Diversity in revenue is a policy that I think we need to acknowledge as we have these conversations," Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, said on Wednesday.

Republican leaders, including Governor Greg Abbott, have called publicly to work toward eliminating the school district maintenance and operation, or M&O, property tax. As part of the interim charges for the Texas Senate Finance Committee, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick tasked the panel to determine what level of compression and increase of the homestead exemption could benefit Texans further.

Last session, property tax cuts proved to be one of the most politically divisive issues among the legislature, sowing discord between the two chambers and their leaders, Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan. After the regular session and two special sessions, the two chambers approved the $18 billion package, which voters approved in November.

Originally Posted By isaidme:
How much tax revenue are other states making off Marijuana? Just throwing it out there.

Originally Posted By callgood:
simple, higher sales tax!
rat bastards here want 10%. Ten bloody percent!
4% state
1% county
5% local

Originally Posted By chupacabras:
And school taxes are redistributed from high property tax districts (ie “rich”) to poorer districts across the state. So there really isn’t any incentive for the schools to manage their costs.

Originally Posted By AeroE:
Texas high schools need billion dollar football stadiums and soft tracks.  West Texas stadiums need lots of irrigation.

On the other hand 22% sales tax will keep Californians out.

Originally Posted By uncle_big_green:


@Mojo_Jojo

How do you figure that renters would lose?

Originally Posted By TheDogSaysBark:
I don't buy the 22% figure. Does that account for all the illegals coming through and buying things? suddenly they're paying! Does it account for the hundreds of millions of dollars of property tax enforcement across the state that would be saved? I paid my property off years ago, but still have never owned it. that needs to stop now. And yes, it is a wealth tax based on the value of my property as assigned by a backwards asshat.

Originally Posted By TheKill:
If I was king for a day, it would be eliminating property taxes but only for childless taxpayers and retirees.

Put the burden for paying for schools, buses, and etc. on the people who create that burden - parents.  Watch them start caring about what their kids' school spends.

Originally Posted By TruckinAR:
gee, how about billing property owners for services.

LEO and fire.

Schools can charge tuition

Rocket surgery

Originally Posted By cwm1150:
Sales tax is high enough already in this state and it's 8.25% not 6.25. Just regulate property taxes by capping it and property values so counties can't constantly jack up property values every year with no justifications. Fuck taxes.

Originally Posted By DieselEngineer:
They should charge sales tax on rent, too.

Originally Posted By ElCazadorBlanco:
That would be final blow to the auto industry in Texas. We're already paying 6.25% on new and used vehicles (minus allowances for trade ins). Imagine if that were 20%. $70k pickup jumps to $84K.

Originally Posted By TruckinAR:
gee, how about billing property owners for services.

LEO and fire.

Schools can charge tuition

Rocket surgery

Originally Posted By Curdmugeon45:


Lol no it won't.

Currently, at 6.25%, the Comptroller's Office testified that the sales tax would have to increase to somewhere around 22% to make up for losses, should property taxes be entirely eliminated.

Originally Posted By Socio:


22% my backside,  I would say raise it to no more than 10% and tell the comptrollers office this is all you get, it is your budget, start cutting waste, cut it right to the bone if you have too. Hell, remove property taxes and that is a large percentage of what they do that they no longer need to do, that alone should cut their need in at least half.

These departments live high on the hog, spend what they want, hire 10 people to do the job of 1 person etc...then raise taxes to augment the spending, way past time to cut them off.

Originally Posted By THEBOZ:
Property taxes wouldn't be that big of a deal if I wasn't sending so much money to Washington DC

Originally Posted By HRJ:
I'd rather a higher sales tax than a property tax. The less I consume the less I pay. With property tax I pay regardless, and they're always trying to overvalue.

I think the math that ended up at 22% needs to be checked tho

Originally Posted By amos1909:
It is my property, i should not have to pay rent on it.

Originally Posted By Ryan_Scott:

And mortgages.

Originally Posted By callgood:
simple, higher sales tax!
rat bastards here want 10%. Ten bloody percent!
4% state
1% county
5% local

Originally Posted By Socio:


That would defeat the purpose of cutting property taxes likely costing home owners more a year than the property tax.

Needs to be limited to one time sales tax on goods so everyone pays into the system.

Originally Posted By Ryan_Scott:

You’re going to transfer budgeting from the legislature to the comptroller?

Originally Posted By Bigger_Hammer:
I'll take "Things Highly Unlikely to Happen in Texas" for $500 Alex...

Until the State of Texas develops serious plan to find a sustainable replacement for that revenue stream, as in perhaps either a  huge hike to State Sales Taxes & Fees and / or a Texas State Income Taxes, neither of which are likely to be approved by a majority of voters.  

Bigger_Hammer

Originally Posted By chupacabras:
The state lottery was supposed to fix this.