Tax Discussion

[f1rehead]

My tax bill was about 15% higher this year. Less than I feared, but more than I hoped.

[runawayjim]

Can someone explain to me the whole tax thing? I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone. I spoke with the Tax Assessor's office and they said that I can apply early next year for the homestead exemption, which is 50%. But then the woman told me that everyone gets something like 30% or 33% off regardless of homestead.

The attorney doing the closing for our house (which is Friday) said there's no discount until I get the homestead. I questioned them and they called the Tax Collector and came back and verified that, saying that the current owner has some kind of exemption because they're using it as an investment property and that the city gives discounts for that to promote investment in the city (sounds odd, more like giving a bonus to absentee landlords, but who knows in this city).

Also, no one has told me when the property tax year starts. Is it Jan-Dec or July-June? I've heard a couple different things there as well. Since I'll be living in the house as of Dec 31, will I qualify for homestead for this coming year since I will be living in it Jan-Dec or do I have to pay the full amount for the whole year?

The city does not make it easy to figure out all this crap.

[Jenkins]

Can someone explain to me the whole tax thing? I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone. I spoke with the Tax Assessor's office and they said that I can apply early next year for the homestead exemption, which is 50%. But then the woman told me that everyone gets something like 30% or 33% off regardless of homestead.

The attorney doing the closing for our house (which is Friday) said there's no discount until I get the homestead. I questioned them and they called the Tax Collector and came back and verified that, saying that the current owner has some kind of exemption because they're using it as an investment property and that the city gives discounts for that to promote investment in the city (sounds odd, more like giving a bonus to absentee landlords, but who knows in this city).

Also, no one has told me when the property tax year starts. Is it Jan-Dec or July-June? I've heard a couple different things there as well. Since I'll be living in the house as of Dec 31, will I qualify for homestead for this coming year since I will be living in it Jan-Dec or do I have to pay the full amount for the whole year?

The city does not make it easy to figure out all this crap.

My experience was this: bought my house 9/03 and had to pull full taxes for the rest of the year since they don't take homestead exemption applications mid-year or pro-rate it. Next year I applied and now receive 50% off my value. I believe the tax year is the same as the calendar year. Hope that helps.

[runawayjim]

My experience was this: bought my house 9/03 and had to pull full taxes for the rest of the year since they don't take homestead exemption applications mid-year or pro-rate it. Next year I applied and now receive 50% off my value. I believe the tax year is the same as the calendar year. Hope that helps.

So basically, I just have to pay the full taxes through Dec. 31? That wouldn't be so bad.

[Jenkins]

So basically, I just have to pay the full taxes through Dec. 31? That wouldn't be so bad.

I'd call city hall and find out when the deadline is to apply for the exemption since it is getting very late in the year.

[Recchia]

I automatically got mine and then when the new date to apply came about I sent in the paperwork just in case. I've only paid the 50% off from the start though.

[runawayjim]

Just so everyone knows how it works, at least in my case, I can't apply for homestead until after the first of the year, but it will take effect for 2009. I closed on my house today and the lawyer suggested I just go down to city hall to talk to someone there rather than the grumpy people on the phone, so after the closing, that's what we did and that's what we were told. It works out well for us.

[Patrick Ward]

Just so everyone knows how it works, at least in my case, I can't apply for homestead until after the first of the year, but it will take effect for 2009. I closed on my house today and the lawyer suggested I just go down to city hall to talk to someone there rather than the grumpy people on the phone, so after the closing, that's what we did and that's what we were told. It works out well for us.

Congratulations and best of luck with the house!

[TheAnk]

Congratulations and best of luck with the house!

I tried to fight the exorbitant tax rates in the ghetto. Sat in font of the panel of idiots with like properties taxed at far less. They wouldn't budge. I think its because I have parking! Its a damn anti-parking conspiracy patrick ward!!

[mikearden]

Does anyone have confirmation about the 33% non-owner occupied resident exemption? I can't find anything on the city's website.

[TheAnk]

Does anyone have confirmation about the 33% non-owner occupied resident exemption? I can't find anything on the city's website.

If you live within the City of Providence, yet do not reside in the house, there is a 33% homestead exemption. you will get a 50% exemption on the Providence house you live in, and 33% on the Providence houses you do not live in.. If you do not live in Providence, there is no exemption. If you call the Assessors Office they will confirm this for you.. And they will also sound like they smoke a pack of Newports per day and possibly have bad coffee breath..

[runawayjim]

If you live within the City of Providence, yet do not reside in the house, there is a 33% homestead exemption. you will get a 50% exemption on the Providence house you live in, and 33% on the Providence houses you do not live in.. If you do not live in Providence, there is no exemption. If you call the Assessors Office they will confirm this for you.. And they will also sound like they smoke a pack of Newports per day and possibly have bad coffee breath..

I could smell the cigs and coffee on the phone with them. They are probably the most unpleasant people I have ever spoken with on the phone and I work in an IT Helpdesk. When we went there in person, the kid at the counter was quite pleasant, though.

[TheAnk]

I could smell the cigs and coffee on the phone with them. They are probably the most unpleasant people I have ever spoken with on the phone and I work in an IT Helpdesk. When we went there in person, the kid at the counter was quite pleasant, though.

Oh this revaluation is going to be humorous, isn't it? I can't WAIT to see how the city values ppty in 2009. I wish they would televise the results like the NFL draft.

"Here comes Ciccilline with the valuation avg for the West End, let's go to the podium mic. 'In 2009, the median home price value in the West End is... 300,000'. WOW, can you believe that Marshall Faulk! Home prices around the country have plummeted but Providence is completely unaffected! What a surprise there!"

I would wager frymasterspeck's life that taxes go UP even though home prices and the economy have gone vertically negative. Gotta maintain that tax base so we can offer absolutely nothing to tax payers!

Of course, what will happen is they will short arm the drop in assessment valuation, say by half of the actual drop in valuation, and increase the mil rate so they still get more out of us than last year. Its disgusting how much home owners pay in ppty tax in, PVD. Its criminal. All for what? To support a growing welfare class? Disgusting.

I propose a new tax, the unwed parent tax. If you have a child out of wedlock, you pay a 10% tax at tax time. For every child, it increases 10 %. We need something to balance off social services, and I think that would do it.

[Cotuit]

I propose a new tax, the unwed parent tax. If you have a child out of wedlock, you pay a 10% tax at tax time. For every child, it increases 10 %. We need something to balance off social services, and I think that would do it.

So gays would have to pay a tax to have children?

[TheAnk]

So gays would have to pay a tax to have children?

I have been away from UP for too long.. So many things have changed.. Gays can now biologically reproduce? Science really is building a better tomato..

[Cotuit]

I have been away from UP for too long.. So many things have changed.. Gays can now biologically reproduce? Science really is building a better tomato..

Yes, we have genitalia.

[Lowerdeck]

Wasn't sure if this was the right topic, or if this already hasn't been mentioned. Forgive me if I missed/goofed.

Front page of Yahoo right now includes an article: "Providence mayor wants $150-per-semester tax on students". Would apply to students at the private colleges: article most specifically mentioned Brown but there's three others.

I saw this proposed a couple of months ago in Worcester, and it was immediately laughed at and dropped quickly. And even then, it was only 100 dollars - forget if it was year or semester.

This can not seriously be a good idea.

[runawayjim]

Wasn't sure if this was the right topic, or if this already hasn't been mentioned. Forgive me if I missed/goofed.

Front page of Yahoo right now includes an article: "Providence mayor wants $150-per-semester tax on students". Would apply to students at the private colleges: article most specifically mentioned Brown but there's three others.

I saw this proposed a couple of months ago in Worcester, and it was immediately laughed at and dropped quickly. And even then, it was only 100 dollars - forget if it was year or semester.

This can not seriously be a good idea.

It can't be legal either. What do they do about students who live in Providence and are already paying property taxes either by way of their landlords or their parents? That's double taxation. Cash strapped families will choose other schools instead. Private colleges are having a hard enough time attracting students these days.

What they should be doing is taxing the colleges on non-academic buildings (dorms, for instance) or partially taxing them on properties that house "money making" ventures (college owned bars, coffee shops, sandwich shops, convenience stores, restaurants, bookstores).

[brick]

So apparently selling out to parking lot developers with his corrupt building inspector wasn't enough to destroy the city, now David wants to see how he can start stripping away anything that makes Providence attractive, while still tacitly supporting a grossly overpaid and underworked city staff (esp. parks dept who outside of about 10% of the people don't do jack crap).

I was saying to a friend the other day, I took a bike ride to Bristol on the East Bay Bike Path and was thinking about what a lovely state Rhode Island is...and yet the politics have and will continue to destroy it. We seriously need a reboot in thinking and ideas. Or, I guess we can continue to beg the Feds for money in exchange for being the welfare state of the union.

[TheAnk]

Staggering drop in taxation values. I'm really shocked that the city didn't hire some jamoke to say ppty values are still at 2006 prices. But the Rilo Kiley Silver Lining of the whole thing is rent actually goes in your pocket instead of gov coffers again. What a novel concept. In hindsight jacking BOTH vals AND the res rate at peak most likely accelerated the crash wave of forecs. Actually, that's pretty much what caused it.

So slowly but suredly the smart contractors have been buying up O'ville for short money. The hood is marketly improved.

Honestly, with the rate only going up 0.51, and some places shedding 150k in valuation, I have no idea how the city is not going to go bankrupt. My only thought is that my area will get the benefit of lower taxes at the expense of othere areas?

[TheAnk]

Well, now I know.. These people will stop at nothing to destroy this city. Illegally taking away the homestead "exemption"? I can honestly say that even I didn't think these thieves would stoop this low.

It will be overturned, but how can anyone in their right mind support this government after this? On one hand they jack taxes up in gigantic times of need. They don't even CONSIDER cutting spending, and the very people that their illegal tax levy will effect are poor multifamily residences..

Sad to say, most non-owner occ buildings are in low income areas. Just a fact of life. So since the values in these areas were destroyed during the meltdown, the city decided to make up their budget shortfall by taxing evil cold, dead fish hands landlords in low income areas.. A proper villain, correct? Everybody hates the landlord.. The Coup has an album called Kill My Landlord. The Police & Sting, same thing (just minus the egregious violence)..

But the truth is, it will be a pass through cost borne by the very people these "democrats" in office act to serve, the poor and working poor.. First, the tax levy will be a direct cause of an increase in rents.. That's self explanatory.. But secondly, it will increase the dilapitation of properties in these areas.. Can't raise rent, no blood from stone? Let the property go. Paint the trim? Can't do it, taxes too high.. Pave driveway? No funds.. And of course, worst case, pay mortgage? Why when taxes are 7k per year? I'm working to pay the taxes, and my former "profit" is solely going to pay taxes of which evil LL receives no services..

So nice work, Finance Committee & City Council.. Well done.. You thought no one would notice if you tax the evil landlord.. But we are stronger than you think. We are armed with information.. We can tell the truth, that this levy will directly and indirectly make the lives of the residents of Providence's lower income hoods markedly worse..

Nice try though.. You thought you could sneak it through with little to no opposition.. I admire the plan, levy the villain, sneak it through.. Tell the rest of the city that these profiteers have went unchecked for too long, and this is untapped revenue..

But the truth is, you did your property assessments.. You found that the vast majority of 33% non-owner occs were in the areas where price depreciation was ~55%+.. You saw an opportunity to recoup this cost.. And The Villain, is landlords.. But it backfired.. Because the real people you targeted, were the low income backbone and soul of the city.. Disgusting that a democratic government would seek to destroy the QOL of its very voter base through deception and 3 card Monte.. Vote 'em out, they aren't who you think they are.. Unlike Denny Green.............

Ank