Comments on: Why do Mainers complain about their taxes? http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/ Paying taxes is painful... but reading about them shouldn't be. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:55:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Ann http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-7743 Ann Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:15:53 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/#comment-7743 I'm here for a weekend in Maine unexpectedly. I want to do some shopping while I have the time and there are a number of great stores, but unfortunately, I just learned about the clothing tax. A real bummer because I finally have a little time to relax and shop. If I can find an awesome deal, they'll get my business, but my home state of NH doesn't have sales tax, so I'll probably just wait til I'm home. NH has it's own form of business tax anyway, so maybe it all comes out in the wash. I’m here for a weekend in Maine unexpectedly. I want to do some shopping while I have the time and there are a number of great stores, but unfortunately, I just learned about the clothing tax. A real bummer because I finally have a little time to relax and shop. If I can find an awesome deal, they’ll get my business, but my home state of NH doesn’t have sales tax, so I’ll probably just wait til I’m home. NH has it’s own form of business tax anyway, so maybe it all comes out in the wash.

]]> By: Richard http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-4406 Richard Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:06:46 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/#comment-4406 Having been on both sides of the equation, I've decided that taxation is such a relative issue. As you look at the tax burden in each state, you can almost see the revenue sources. High income taxes - low property tax burden (Maine). Low income taxes - high property tax burden (Florida). In between are CA and NY as exceptions to the theory. Every imaginable interest group has a lobbyist prowling the halls of your state legislature trying to get a bigger slice of the pie for their group. The pie is only so big, and for all these groups to get what they want, the legislators have to make the pie bigger. The problem is that the interest groups also vote and they only see their one issue - and they make themselves heard!! Teachers, cops, firemen, public works get their raises every year - regardless!! You and I are in the office all day and don't have an opportunity to argue against more taxes - our representatives forget who they "represent" and so the cycle perpetuates itself. It might be time for another revolution "... it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government and to provide new guards for their future security..." Having been on both sides of the equation, I’ve decided that taxation is such a relative issue. As you look at the tax burden in each state, you can almost see the revenue sources. High income taxes – low property tax burden (Maine). Low income taxes – high property tax burden (Florida). In between are CA and NY as exceptions to the theory. Every imaginable interest group has a lobbyist prowling the halls of your state legislature trying to get a bigger slice of the pie for their group. The pie is only so big, and for all these groups to get what they want, the legislators have to make the pie bigger. The problem is that the interest groups also vote and they only see their one issue – and they make themselves heard!! Teachers, cops, firemen, public works get their raises every year – regardless!! You and I are in the office all day and don’t have an opportunity to argue against more taxes – our representatives forget who they “represent” and so the cycle perpetuates itself. It might be time for another revolution “… it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government and to provide new guards for their future security…”

]]> By: Claymore http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-4407 Claymore Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:07:49 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/#comment-4407 Being from away....having moved here years ago from the beautiful state of NH...when i moved up here we had an awesome govenor. At that time I had a lot more of my own wages. Since then what is at the heart of all this bs is this. We give more welfare to anyone than any other state. We are one of the few states with what i call free healthcare. If you have a pulse you get medicaid. You dont need to work, in fact we encourage you NOT to work. I have many many friends actually told this by DHS....what does that mean for the us poor working class folks? We pay for the free healthcare they recieve, and pay for our own healthcare through an actual insurance company deducted from our wages. For those people who deserve it, i absolutely dont mind paying, but for those lazy or no english speaking give me anything i can get for free.......enough is enough.....If i didnt own a home in a poor market, i would soooo be done with this sorry state. Our problem is our government, not those of us who work for a living to support everyone else. I think other countries would call it socialism.......our roads are bad because there is no money to fix them, it all went to healtcare, our lottery money supposed to go education, diverted to healthcare. And now my friends comes the "soda" tax. Snack tax and soda tax. Why dont we just make it an "all" tax and get it over with. Oh yes, we cant do that. If we did, those with "free" services would actually have to pay some of their own burden and we wouldnt want that.... Being from away….having moved here years ago from the beautiful state of NH…when i moved up here we had an awesome govenor. At that time I had a lot more of my own wages. Since then what is at the heart of all this bs is this. We give more welfare to anyone than any other state. We are one of the few states with what i call free healthcare. If you have a pulse you get medicaid. You dont need to work, in fact we encourage you NOT to work. I have many many friends actually told this by DHS….what does that mean for the us poor working class folks? We pay for the free healthcare they recieve, and pay for our own healthcare through an actual insurance company deducted from our wages. For those people who deserve it, i absolutely dont mind paying, but for those lazy or no english speaking give me anything i can get for free…….enough is enough…..If i didnt own a home in a poor market, i would soooo be done with this sorry state. Our problem is our government, not those of us who work for a living to support everyone else. I think other countries would call it socialism…….our roads are bad because there is no money to fix them, it all went to healtcare, our lottery money supposed to go education, diverted to healthcare. And now my friends comes the “soda” tax. Snack tax and soda tax. Why dont we just make it an “all” tax and get it over with. Oh yes, we cant do that. If we did, those with “free” services would actually have to pay some of their own burden and we wouldnt want that….

]]> By: Maine Really Is a High Tax State http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-4409 Maine Really Is a High Tax State Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:40:24 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/#comment-4409 [...] tax burdens of various states as part of my upcoming series on state taxes. And to my surprise, Maine actually ranks really high in terms of overall tax burden (they’re second, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Census Bureau and Tax [...] [...] tax burdens of various states as part of my upcoming series on state taxes. And to my surprise, Maine actually ranks really high in terms of overall tax burden (they’re second, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Census Bureau and Tax [...]

]]> By: Chauncey http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-4408 Chauncey Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:21:50 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/#comment-4408 Let's compare Maine's income tax rates to California's and New York's, two states widely believed to have perniciously high tax rates. Maine's personal income tax rates range from 2% to 8.5% (the rate rises as taxable income rises). By contrast, California's personal income tax ranges from 1% to 9.3%, and New York's rate ranges from 4% to 6.85%. So it looks like Maine does indeed have one of the highest income tax rates in the US. Coupled with the sales tax and all the other miscellaneous taxes mentioned above, it's no wonder that no one wants to live in Maine. Let’s compare Maine’s income tax rates to California’s and New York’s, two states widely believed to have perniciously high tax rates. Maine’s personal income tax rates range from 2% to 8.5% (the rate rises as taxable income rises). By contrast, California’s personal income tax ranges from 1% to 9.3%, and New York’s rate ranges from 4% to 6.85%. So it looks like Maine does indeed have one of the highest income tax rates in the US. Coupled with the sales tax and all the other miscellaneous taxes mentioned above, it’s no wonder that no one wants to live in Maine.

]]> By: Richard http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-4415 Richard Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:26:45 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/#comment-4415 As for the rate of the sales taxes and the overall tax burden, I'm inclined to look at the relative "burden" to understand why someone is complaining. The Maine-iac who moved to FL is only paying $39 to register her car, but is also now paying between 6.5 and 8.5% in sales taxes on everything else. She alsopays higher home and auto insurance rates and property taxes. But she's thrilled that she has no income tax to pay, as she (probably) sneaks back to Maine for summers and health care services. As for the "my neighbor is stealing from me" analogy, I don't think it's appropriate. The neighbor doesn't provide any services in exchange for the purloined property, or, CHris, the writer, neglected to mention or acknowledge them. If you really want to get out from an onerous tax burden, look at NH - the live cheap and die state. As for the rate of the sales taxes and the overall tax burden, I’m inclined to look at the relative “burden” to understand why someone is complaining. The Maine-iac who moved to FL is only paying $39 to register her car, but is also now paying between 6.5 and 8.5% in sales taxes on everything else. She alsopays higher home and auto insurance rates and property taxes. But she’s thrilled that she has no income tax to pay, as she (probably) sneaks back to Maine for summers and health care services.

As for the “my neighbor is stealing from me” analogy, I don’t think it’s appropriate. The neighbor doesn’t provide any services in exchange for the purloined property, or, CHris, the writer, neglected to mention or acknowledge them. If you really want to get out from an onerous tax burden, look at NH – the live cheap and die state.

]]> By: Lubna http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-4414 Lubna Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:49:20 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/#comment-4414 Hi Sorry, could not post a comment on your post relating to tax on cell phones. Out here, they call it fringe benefit tax and it is paid for by the employer. If you want to go a bit crazy, read this: http://www.brbraitt.bsnl.co.in/horizon/fbt.htm Now you know where the IRS got this stupid idea from!!! Best Lubna Hi
Sorry, could not post a comment on your post relating to tax on cell phones. Out here, they call it fringe benefit tax and it is paid for by the employer.
If you want to go a bit crazy, read this:
http://www.brbraitt.bsnl.co.in/horizon/fbt.htm
Now you know where the IRS got this stupid idea from!!!
Best
Lubna

]]> By: Dean http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-4405 Dean Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:34:05 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/#comment-4405 In Washington, we have the nation's highest gasoline taxes (adding insult to injury), and pay nearly 10% sales tax on everything except food. No matter what, though, I agree that we must complain about the idiots we keep putting into a position to take even more from us. What this country really needs is a viable Libertarian party to act as a source of sanity that might help reduce the impact of the lawmakers on our wallets. In Washington, we have the nation’s highest gasoline taxes (adding insult to injury), and pay nearly 10% sales tax on everything except food. No matter what, though, I agree that we must complain about the idiots we keep putting into a position to take even more from us. What this country really needs is a viable Libertarian party to act as a source of sanity that might help reduce the impact of the lawmakers on our wallets.

]]> By: Diane http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-4402 Diane Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:20:23 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/#comment-4402 WOW ! 5% is awesome. I live in NC and its around 7.5 % WOW ! 5% is awesome. I live in NC and its around 7.5 %

]]> By: Rebecca http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-4404 Rebecca Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:40:03 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/why-do-mainers-complain-about-their-taxes/#comment-4404 Chris, exactly! That is exactly what I was saying! If I speak out against what my government is doing, it seems that people stand in line to tell me not to complain because people in other countries have is much worse than me. What kind of logic is that?!!!! A few taxes now can mean a lot more taxes later. Chris, exactly! That is exactly what I was saying! If I speak out against what my government is doing, it seems that people stand in line to tell me not to complain because people in other countries have is much worse than me. What kind of logic is that?!!!! A few taxes now can mean a lot more taxes later.

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