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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 13 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USProperty tax cut approved by Legislature
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Taxpayers would get about a $100 property tax cut under a budget deal given final approval by the General Assembly this morning.
The measure passed the House 166-0 and the Senate 48-0. The deal still must be signed into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue.
House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram), said he hopes the tax break will come in the form of a check counties send to property owners in coming months. Or homeowners could get a tax credit on the annual property tax bill they receive. “We’re still working on the details,” Richardson said.
The measure will save taxpayers - and cost state coffers - $142 million. “You are giving tax relief to the citizens of Georgia. It’s something you can all be proud of,” House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans), told his colleagues this morning.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) said, “Sending money back to taxpayers is the right thing to do.”
House leaders proposed the tax cut after they reached an impasse with Senate leaders on the mid-year budget for fiscal 2007, which ends June 30.
Members of the House felt the Senate had portrayed them as big spenders because they’d tried to include projects such museum funding and Perdue’s “Go Fish Georgia” fishing tourism program in the mid-year budget.
The Senate gutted the mid-year budget of those projects, and the two sides did not appear near a deal when they began negotiations Tuesday.
Under the deal being approved today, the mid-year budget will provide $81 million to prop up the PeachCare health insurance program for children of the working poor, more than $9 million to keep the public defender’s system afloat and about $40 million to aid the startup of a new Kia car plant in West Georgia.
Permalink | Comments (35) | Categories: Taxes
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By One
April 13, 2007 12:07 PM | Link to this
I’d much rather see a check….otherwise I’d be hesitant to believe that they are actually giving us anything!!! We want CHECKS!!!
By Robert
April 13, 2007 12:14 PM | Link to this
I am waiting patiently to see which crazy liberal screams first that this is not fiar to those who don’t own property since they won’t get a check…
By newkid
April 13, 2007 12:23 PM | Link to this
Not sure a lousy $100 check (or thereabouts)is gonna mean much to those of us with property tax bills north of $10K. We need REAL tax reform, not silly attempts at pacification. Homes don’t produce income until they’re sold; incomes should be taxed, not homes. These cats are unimaginative, have little to no analytical skills, and are resigned to moronically continuing a 100-year old approach to taxation that’s not fit for 21st century realities. And some call the cats ‘leaders’. Wow!
By The Professor
April 13, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this
Nice start. Now dump the Ad Valorem!
By Lion
April 13, 2007 12:27 PM | Link to this
I WANT A CHECK!!!
By Dave
April 13, 2007 12:27 PM | Link to this
Outstanding! Just wish it could be more… Nevertheless, it’s a small step in the right direction for the overall economy of Georgia.
By I'll take it!
April 13, 2007 12:31 PM | Link to this
I’ll take a check or cash please. it’s not much but I can pay a bill or 2 with that.
By Diane
April 13, 2007 12:32 PM | Link to this
If you have a tax bill ‘north of $10 K’, maybe that’s a sign you have too much STUFF!
I’d welcome the $100. in any form.
By s tucker
April 13, 2007 12:43 PM | Link to this
I’d like to see a check. If we won’t have to claim this on our next tax return.
By Confused
April 13, 2007 12:45 PM | Link to this
You shouldn’t be so quick to bash the current system of taxation especially property taxes. Yes, tax reform is not out of the question but the necessary funds have to be raised to maintain our publc services which we can’t live without. Instead of bashing the current system why dont you explain your plan to make it better.
By Dave
April 13, 2007 12:47 PM | Link to this
This proves 100% that Sonny “Gone Fishin” Perdue is a moron with no clout whatsoever.
By Me
April 13, 2007 12:50 PM | Link to this
How about enacting a law (like I think Colorado did) where your property valuation & taxes are LOCKED until you sell it! Quit taxing me on unrealized gains!
By Bill Kecskes
April 13, 2007 1:03 PM | Link to this
I’ll take my hundred dollars because it’s mine! $142 million in tax refunds should only be the starting point! The state collects far more than is reasonably needed.
I’m more concerned the $100 refund was only a diversionary tactic to draw our attention from all the pork and waste that is being loaded in HB 95 - the FY 08 budget. $2,000,000 for a parking garage in LtGov Cagle’s hometown, $1,500,000 for a library in Speaker Richardson’s hometown and $350,000 for a golf hall of fame museum in Chairman Harbin’s district is a wasteful outrage of our tax money! Worse yet, there are $6,000,000 in legislator’s pet pork projects that will be kept secret until the last moment of the session. WHY? Taxpayers deserve to know what’s in the budget well before any legislator votes.
Mr. Speaker, Chairman Harbin: Cut the crap and quit porking the taxpayers! We’re too busy going to work each day and we don’t have time for the Gold Dome’s hide the pork games.
By KR
April 13, 2007 1:05 PM | Link to this
Since I sold my home in February 2007 and moved out of state, I’d prefer they send a check. However, I’m not holding my breath waiting for this one…
By gregoratl
April 13, 2007 1:06 PM | Link to this
I would rather see them put the money into correcting the traffic problems in the Metro area. Transportation is a priorty!
By Bill Kecskes
April 13, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this
Dear gregorati: The money the General Assembly should be putting into transportation should not come from the $142,000,000 refund. We’re owed that!
+Transportation should be a priority and that money should come from all of the pork and waste and personal pet projects the House is loading up in HB 95!
Transportation issues in all of Georgia are far more important than a $2,000,000 parking garage in Hall County or a $1,500,000 library in the Speaker’s hometown or a $355,000 golf hall of fame museum in Augusta or the $6,000,000 in secret pork projects the House is afraid to reveal!
By by: SC
April 13, 2007 1:35 PM | Link to this
Will I have to pay taxes on the $100.00?
By Denise
April 13, 2007 1:49 PM | Link to this
Gov. Perdue should be ashamed asking for funds for “Go Fish Georgia” instead of putting that money back into our greatest resource - our children and their education.
By gregoratl
April 13, 2007 1:51 PM | Link to this
I think any kind of state tax refund would be taxable if you file long form. You probably claimed your property taxes as a deduction so you would have to report the $100 refund. However, I’m not a tax expert.
By Kat-Adult Ed Inst
April 13, 2007 2:08 PM | Link to this
Hope the $100 comes soon since I’ll be on furlough May and June.
By Dennis
April 13, 2007 2:12 PM | Link to this
Unless one is extreamly poor, a hundred dollars is not all that much over the long haul. And not that much for the poor over the long haul either. But left intact, that tax cut would have done a great deal of good for public education in Georgia and thence the Georgia public good as well.
“Saving the taxpayer money” has always been used as a political excuse to underfund public education - an institution from which we all benefit, rich and poor alike.
You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.
By newkid
April 13, 2007 2:17 PM | Link to this
“Too much stuff”? So you’re okay with the government deciding that you’ve got ‘too much stuff’ baed upon the perceived value of your home, and you’re okay with it helping itself to your ‘too much stuff’ based upon a valuation that it places on your ‘too much stuff’? Well, if that works for you, fine; it doesn’t for me.
Let me try and put this in perspective for you Diane. I’m sure you’ve heard of Mr. Warren Buffet, reputedly the world’s 2nd richest man. Get this. His home is ‘valued’ at just over $500K, he gets to pay a ‘fair share’ of school and local government costs based upon the perceived value of his ~$500K home. Mr. Bill Gates (you know him don’t you?) owns a home valued at north of $50 MILLION, and he gets to pay based upon that perceived value. Now the truth of the matter is there’s not a dimes worth of difference between Mr. Buffet’s wealth and Mr. Gate’s wealth, but their comparative fair shares of local school costs (if they were in the same political jurisdiction) couldn’t possibly be much farther apart. Instead they’d pay ‘fair shares’ that wouldn’t at all resemble their fairly close real wealth. If that approach appears logical to you, than I’m afraid there’s not much I can say that’ll right your ship.
We happen to live in a region of the country that’s becoming an extremely attractive destination for transplants. This will lead - and has led - to continued dramatic increases in the perceived value of our homes, and consequently dramatic increases in our property taxes (are your services going up proportionally?). Now the fact that I may have paid less than $150K for my home 20 years ago doesn’t come into play. The fact that today someone is willing to pay 6 -7 times more than I might have paid for it 20 years ago is the prime factor in determining how county government assesses my fair share of school and local government costs. Hell, I could’t afford to buy the thing today at its perceived value, but should the growing attractiveness of the region drive me to leave my home of 20 years because of astronomical increases in property taxes? Well maybe you think that’s okay Diane; I don’t. Maybe you think that I’ve got ‘too much stuff’ because the region has become a place far more attractive, and it’s driving up perceived values; I don’t.
I’m at the front of the que (and I’ll fight you for that spot) when it comes to supporting the notion that we’ve gotta pay fair shares. It’s not an accident that the federal government decided to abandon the property tax approach after attempting to employ it for only about 25 years at the beginning of the 20th century. The feds abandoned it in favor of an income tax. Income is earned and received every year; tax INCOME. Tax the income a home produces ONLY when it is produced (upon sale). The fact that my home has zoomed in value means absolutely NOTHING to my checking account UNTIL I sell it.
Hope that helps.
By becky
April 13, 2007 2:26 PM | Link to this
Don’t want to seem greedy, but just $100.00? It takes us three months to save up enough to pay our property taxes. It makes my husband furious that we have to pay since we live in the county. If there is a fire there is a possiblity that our house would burn down before the nearest volunteer fire department could respond? In my opinion property taxes should be charged according to the amenities that the propery owner is enjoying, we dont have sewer, public water, sidewalks, fire service, on and on. Any change is better than none. Thanks
By BelieverInEducation
April 13, 2007 2:27 PM | Link to this
Thanks, Dennis. Your comments are right on. Education, including adult literacy programs which, according to the AJC Thursday edition, are likely to be cut because we properly owners are getting a so-called tax refund, should be fully funded. Our state and nation need educated people and it’s imperative upon all of us to help make that happen. I have no children but I sure don’t mind a portion of my property tax helping our educational system.
By crazyliberal
April 13, 2007 2:33 PM | Link to this
It is not “fiar” that Republicans will use this pittance at election time to make people believe they have actually done something. Maybe I’ll take my generous gift and donate it to the ACLU or the Obama campaign fund.
By Shea
April 13, 2007 2:39 PM | Link to this
Let me ‘splain something for you folks who like to bash people who are trying hard for GA folks (including you). So you hate Sonny’s fishing tourney idea, eh? Ok, fine, forget about it and the hundreds of thousands or pehaps millions of dollars that a huge tourney like that would add to our economy. That is huge part of what we hire our governor for…. He reaches out to business and other organizations to lure them to GA for more GA jobs and to flush money into our economy. Now does that sound so horrible? That is money well spent compared to parking garages and the like.
By newkid
April 13, 2007 2:41 PM | Link to this
Becky, I feel your pain. Give them a few years, and many others here will be singing from the same music sheet as you and I. Becky, have you ever thought that maybe you and your husband might have ‘too much stuff’?
By Bill Kecskes
April 13, 2007 2:48 PM | Link to this
Let me among the very first to say: “I TOLD YOU SO!”
The $100 tax refund is a diversionary tactic so we won’t be looking at HB 95 (FY 08 Budget). It’s 172 pages long.
In HB 94’s Conference Committee budget, $429,000 was “eliminated” to increase House Member’s per diem. Fine. However, HB 95 (at line #77) increases House Member’s per diem to $512,145; an increase of $83,000+!
Plus, look at line item #76 (HB 95) - it appropriates $427,752 to “reflect the budget request of the House of Representatives”. What the heck is the $427,752 for? It looks like some kind of secret slush fund!
Chairman Harbin, Mr. Speaker —- quit porking us! We’re tired of this crap!
By jess
April 13, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this
All this will do is allow people to buy more beer. This is worthless to the average citizen.
Eliminate state income tax.
By SW
April 13, 2007 3:04 PM | Link to this
This refund WILL be taxable if you itemize, since you wrote off your property taxes on your returns. If you didn’t itemize, it won’t be taxable.
By SW
April 13, 2007 3:09 PM | Link to this
That is, if we get a check. If we get a tax credit, we shouldn’t be taxed on the refund, since we’ll just write off an average of $100 less on our next tax return (if we itemize).
By Twinkletoes
April 13, 2007 3:46 PM | Link to this
Your real estate tax that is “north of $10K” is the equivalent of 1/2 my annual income. Therefore, I have little sympathy for your complaint
By newkid
April 13, 2007 4:07 PM | Link to this
Thanks Twinkletoes. I’m a big boy and not looking for sympathy (yours or anyone else’s). I didn’t set my taxes, and I didn’t choose to have the value of my house skyrocket over the past 20 years; but that sort of logic is likely beyond your reach isn’t it.
By The Oddball
April 16, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this
What a courageous bunch of politicians, to hand out checks. Who cares if state government doesn’t have enough employees to visit foster homes or audit Georgia Power’s rate hike requests. Gimme that $100! Forget about managing the government, that’s boring — tax cuts for everybody! Better still, let’s just do away with all taxes and run the gummint on hot air and soda crackers!
By Jonas Salk
April 16, 2007 2:46 PM | Link to this
@ The Oddball:
Gee, I guess a little something never ran through your brain: Cutting government. What, we don’t have enough money for the government anymore? CUT SPENDING.