Property taxes

[talltex]

The real evil is the agricultural exemption. I pay more property tax on my little plot in a suburban neighborhood than many pay for their hundreds of acres that produce little/nothing. But those folks who own vast tracts of land have bought enough legislative influence that the ag exemption will never go away, nor even be modified fairly.

The agricultural tax exemption allows farm and ranch owners to hang onto their property. If ag land was taxed at the same rate as houses and commercial property there would be no cattle ranches, or farms. It takes about 4 to 25 acres of land to graze one cow depending on the location. There are areas in West and Southwest Texas where you need 100 acres per cow plus you still have to supplement feed and maintain water tanks for them. When the ranchland gets sold for residential development like you've seen all over north central Texas, then the taxes get collected. I have a friend that had an 1100 acre ranch between McKinney and Denton that had been in his family for over 100 years and they didn't want to sell, but eventually they were surrounded by high dollar real estate subdivisions. About 25 years ago they got fed up with all the traffic and congestion that now encircled them and sold it and came down here and bought more ranchland so they could continue to live the way they had for generations. And yes, they got rich selling up there and buying down here. That trend has accelerated greatly in the last 15 years and now over 85% of all the farm and ranchland in this area is owned by people that relocated from what are now metro areas. Most of these places are what we refer to as "hobby ranches"--they buy some cows and horses and have someone else take care of them or they lease the land for grazing rights to offset some of their expenses. Does the Ag Exemption get abused? Absolutley, but without it there would be no farms and ranches. The term exemption throws a lot of people off because it sounds like they don't have to pay ANY taxes. They do pay tax on it but at a greatly reduced rate. The exemption reduces the taxable "assessed" value of the land from the appraisal office valuation to 6.5% of the "appraised value". For example a 500 acre ranch "appraised" at $1,000,000.00 would be taxed at the same price as a $65,000.00 house.

[thechl]

I get the point of the exemption, Tall, but I think the abuse has gotten out of hand...a few goats and a donkey? come on...And the rate needs to be raised to a more reasonable level like 15%, in my opinion.

[Papa_Tiger]

The term exemption throws a lot of people off because it sounds like they don't have to pay ANY taxes. They do pay tax on it but at a greatly reduced rate. The exemption reduces the taxable "assessed" value of the land from the appraisal office valuation to 6.5% of the "appraised value". For example a 500 acre ranch "appraised" at $1,000,000.00 would be taxed at the same price as a $65,000.00 house.

I don't know that that is 100% correct. The land I own with my family is assessed at ~$300K and the "agricultural value" is ~$1K. We pay taxes on the $1K agricultural value. We still pay taxes on the value of the homes on the property, so it isn't like the county/school district aren't getting any money from us.

[Take Down Sicko]

The news told us how much in sales tax they would raise but now how much in property tax they would reduce. I'm suspecting they will lower the property tax just enough so they they raise it back up one year later. Then well have both higher sales tax and the same property tax we had before they lowered it again.

[roadkill]

I get the point of the exemption, Tall, but I think the abuse has gotten out of hand...a few goats and a donkey? come on...And the rate needs to be raised to a more reasonable level like 15%, in my opinion.

My land is now ag exempt under wildlife. The Ag value for wildlife is whatever it was valued previously, in my case it’s hay. A little over 18 acres runs about $56/yr in taxes. Of course I also have a barn that is taxed too. It was wrongfully under my house and when it moved to ag they also reduced the value. Crazy how it works. They depreciate the barn under ag but under regular property they appreciate it.

[Bushwhacker]

I kept hearing on the radio today that the governor has proposed a 1% increase in sales tax to offset any reduction in property taxes. The way the radio was reporting, it would be after there is a reduction in property taxes. How come I got a feeling we about to get taxed more not less? I get the feeling that there will not be much of a reduction in property taxes, just enough for them to blow smoke up our you know what's about how they "helped" us out.

I bet a 1% increase in sales taxes could eliminate property taxes.

Maybe at the city or county level, but the state doesn't get any revenue from property taxes. So the governor's proposal makes no sense at the state level.

His proposal makes complete sense if he wants to raise our tax burden while pretending to lower it.

[rotor]

One little reported cause for tax increase is illegals. Each child that they send to school ( and they tend to be prolific reproducers ) costs a minimum of $5,000 a year (probably much more) in school expense and you know where the school gets their money. If you are an average taxpayer your entire property tax for the year may pay for one illegal child school year. Those least likely to pay property tax are also the most prolific reproducers. By law we must educate those illegals. Imagine 100,000 a month crossing the border, how many will stay in Texas and will you be educating? Tough scenario.

[anygunanywhere]

On my hunting property the taxes on the land which is ag exempt is $75.00 per year. I pay residential rate on my residence and .25 acres. The appraisal district was at my place in March doing their 3 year inspection and measuring. I pay my fair share given all the taxes I paid on the home, the septic, the well, and everything else I buy local. In order to maintain our ag exemption we lease the grazing rights to our neighbor who runs cows on our place. There is nothing unfair about ag and wildlife exemption.

[thechl]

hahahaha. Of course there isn't. hahaha

[Bushwhacker]

There is nothing unfair about ag and wildlife exemption.

Not as long as property tax revenue stays in the district where it's collected. If we want to pay lower taxes, we shouldn't expect other counties to subsidize our schools, etc. by paying higher property taxes.

[flechero]

There is nothing unfair about ag and wildlife exemption.

Not as long as property tax revenue stays in the district where it's collected. If we want to pay lower taxes, we shouldn't expect other counties to subsidize our schools, etc. by paying higher property taxes.

It's a trade off... If farm and ranch land was taxed like the urban sprawl... those city folk wouldn't be able to afford to eat. You continue to subsidize our schools and we'll continue to sell beef for less than $100/lb and vegetables for dirt cheap.

[jason812]

We are being bamboozled. The proposed bill is to limit the increase of property taxes to 2.5% a year. If that happens, then we get to pay another 1% sales tax. Our taxes are not going to go down.

[anygunanywhere]

hahahaha. Of course there isn't. hahaha

I also pay taxes on my main residence so don’t sarcastically laugh at me please. My wife and I are retired and yet we still have to pay our taxes. Our over 65 exemption is a mere pittance.

Your inability to understand tax fairness is causing you to point fingers in the wrong direction.

Instead you should be furious about the 50% of citizens who pay ZERO taxes but yet suck up vast amounts of state and federal funds. This 50% includes vast numbers of illegals. Ever hear of the tax credit? Look it up.

Spend as much energy raising cain with Congress and the White House as you do preaching to the choir here while degrading programs that keep food in grocery stores and we might get somewhere.

[anygunanywhere]

There is nothing unfair about ag and wildlife exemption.

Not as long as property tax revenue stays in the district where it's collected. If we want to pay lower taxes, we shouldn't expect other counties to subsidize our schools, etc. by paying higher property taxes.

The robin hood scheme is indeed a travesty. I agree. The scheme is not the fault of ranchers and farmers.

[Bushwhacker]

There is nothing unfair about ag and wildlife exemption.

Not as long as property tax revenue stays in the district where it's collected. If we want to pay lower taxes, we shouldn't expect other counties to subsidize our schools, etc. by paying higher property taxes.

The robin hood scheme is indeed a travesty. I agree. The scheme is not the fault of ranchers and farmers.