[ExI] (no subject)

[Damien Sullivan]

On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 08:09:40PM -0700, Gregory Jones wrote:

>    California taxes lower than 11 other states?  Depends wildly on how
>    one looks at it.  For instance, California has an income tax, which

Well, my url was looking at from the POV of the money actually taken as
taxes, as a percentage of income.  Which would seem the most relevant
factor.

>    doesn't hit the illegals at all, since they cannot report any income.

That's not true.  To get employed, many of them have fake information,
and employers will withhold money in their name for both the IRS and the
California.  These illegal immigrants in fact support the system, since
they pay in but have no ability to claim Social Security money later.

>    the 9-to-5ers bigtime.  California has a high sales tax, 8.7%, so the

Fairly high, but not vastly so.  Lower than Tennessee, only 1% higher
than Texas.  And IIRC with exemptions for groceries if not other items,
though that's common.
http://www.thestc.com/STrates.stm
Hmm, I see California is temporarily 1% higher, due to the budget
crisis.

>    California has a property tax that is limited in growth to 1% per year
>    after the initial purchase.  So it is very high right after one buys a
>    home, but after a long time, not so bad.

California also has lower property tax rates than most states,
especially most non Deep South states.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Taxes/Advice/PropertyTaxesWhereDoesYourStateRank.aspx
puts it at at 0.61%, vs. 0.63% in Nevada, 1.76% in Texas, or 1.7% in New
Hampshire.  Effectively 3.5% of income, compared to 5.8% in NH, or 4.8%
in Illinois, or 3.5% in Texas.

>    With these things in mind, it isn't a simple statement to say that
>    California is number 12 on the list, because it depends on so many
>    factors.

Those various factors apparently add up such that California is #12 on
the list.  Sales tax rate is moderately higher than most (and much
higher than some, but one might say those are the ones below average),
has fairly high but progressive income tax, and significantly lower
property tax rates.

-xx- Damien X-)