Free Republic

Taylor Swift’s $17 million Rhode Island mansion isn’t just a star-studded backdrop anymore—it’s ground zero for a growing tax revolt aimed at the wealthy. Starting next summer, the state will slap a new surcharge on vacation homes worth $1 million or more, a move already dubbed the “Taylor Swift Tax.” The goal: Make deep-pocketed second-home owners pay more, and set the stage for a wave of similar crackdowns from Montana’s mountains to Connecticut’s suburbs. And yet, at the very top of the market, wealthy buyers are still scooping up real estate. As of April 2025, the $1 million-plus category has...

Florida lawmakers will examine the potential elimination of property taxes under legislation filed this week by Sen. Jonathan Martin. The bill, SB 852, directs the Office of Economic and Demographic Research (OEDR) to study how the state could replace property tax revenue through alternative means, such as sales-based consumption taxes or budget reductions. The study will evaluate the financial impact of eliminating property taxes, which fund public schools, infrastructure, law enforcement, and emergency services. It must assess whether sales or consumption-based taxes could generate stable revenue without disrupting essential services. The study will also determine also want to determine whether...

And there was a collective gulp heard ’round City Hall. I wouldn’t be surprised to find some of London Breed’s administrators forced into a life of crime to keep the street lights on…just kidding, just kidding. But “I don’t think we’ve reached the bottom yet” is all that encouraging, no? How bad was it? Well, now that they’ve toted everything up for last year, it’s looking grim. "The city’s transfer tax revenue—which is directly tied to the sale of buildings—has fallen off a cliff due to far fewer commercial properties trading hands. Home sales in San Francisco, which provide a...

That honor now goes to New Jersey. Tax reforms passed in the latest budget represent big improvements for corporations, but not so much for individuals. ... Still, New York remains a burdensome place to earn a living. The reforms did not change the state's poor rankings for having high sales taxes (No. 38), individual income taxes (No. 49) and unemployment taxes (No. 45). Meanwhile, the governor announced Tuesday that the state tax department collected nearly $4 billion in evaded taxes in the past year, a 5% or $200 million increase compared to the year earlier.The state collects about $87 billion...

U.S. House Prices About To Soar... Don't Wait A Moment Longer! Housing-Market / US HousingMarch 21, 2013 - 09:56 AM GMT By: DailyWealth Steve Sjuggerud writes: "We're only one year into this recovery..." Doug Yearley said on Bloomberg TV yesterday morning. "Remember, we had seven of the worst years in housing that this country has ever seen. This recovery, we believe, should be a lot longer than just one or two years." Yearley is the CEO of Toll Brothers, a nationwide homebuilder. When asked if he thought the strength in housing could continue, he didn't mince words... "We feel really...

Did you know that if you sell your house after 2012 you will pay a 3.8% sales tax on it? That's $3,800 on a $100,000 home, etc. When did this happen? It's in the health care bill. Just thought you should know. SALES TAX TO GO INTO EFFECT 2013 (Part of HC Bill) Why 2013? Could it be to come to light AFTER the 2012 elections? REAL ESTATE SALES TAX So, this is "Change you can believe in?" Under the new health care bill - did you know that all real estate transactions will be subject to a 3.8% Sales...

I am considering a run for School Board in my community. We really have a terrific school district and one of my jobs would be to keep it that way. However, we have a major reconstruction of the high school coming down the pipe that will start design and planning in the next 12 months. Total cost of the project will be around $10million. We have around 25,000 people in the community and our real estate taxes are relatively high. Figure for a $200,000 house you pay $5,000 per year PLUS a 2% wage tax. Revenue for the school district...