I found this while looking for information about intentionally progressive property tax schemes. Not too surprising to find that expensive houses tend to be undertaxed (because they tend to be appraised below their true value), but I didn't have it in my mental model of wealth inequality, either.
Gibbon1 · 1m ago
I remember reading a treatise on the Junkers in Prussia. Farmland was taxed per acre. Respective of how productive it was. So Junkers who owned the most productive farmland got taxed at the same rate as a poor hardscrabble farmer. And that before outright fraud and corruption.
Findeton · 28m ago
I don't care about wealth inequality though. And trying to get taxes to be fair is impossible, as taxes are a form of theft.
uberman · 16m ago
How do you propose paying for shared infrastructure and shared services if taxes are theft?
fuzzfactor · 9m ago
You do have a point, but in this case the original purpose of property tax is so that there is a provision for taxing authorities to confiscate the property itself, in case you or your heirs do not remain well-heeled enough to be fully welcome any more after the property is otherwise completely paid for.
The money collected by the levies has always been just collateral damage.
uberman · 19m ago
Many more inexpensive homes turnover, so a more accurate appraisal is generally easier to obtain. The wealthier you are, the more resources you can devote to challenging your appraisal. When taken together, you get a situation where more expensive properties are likely to be less current with respect to the market and the affluent can then find more comparable under-appraised properties to base an appeal off of.
Don't get me wrong, it makes me super mad that my rich neighbors want to sell their homes for 10 million bucks but are fine being appraised at a million. I'll also comp to being in the same boat, but I really wish there was a way to more accurately keep all properties properly appraised so as to keep taxes fair. Particularly when school budgets fail due to the community not paying what they owe.
There is nothing new here though. The affluent will always be able to game the system (any system) more effectively.
The money collected by the levies has always been just collateral damage.
Don't get me wrong, it makes me super mad that my rich neighbors want to sell their homes for 10 million bucks but are fine being appraised at a million. I'll also comp to being in the same boat, but I really wish there was a way to more accurately keep all properties properly appraised so as to keep taxes fair. Particularly when school budgets fail due to the community not paying what they owe.
There is nothing new here though. The affluent will always be able to game the system (any system) more effectively.