Retiring: lowest tax burden Texas or Florida?

[Orchidflower]

Yup, heard something on the news up here in Illinois about there may be a concern about the Texas economy's health but can't quote it or even paraphrase what it was. I will pay more attention in the future if it comes on again.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by winger For fulltime RVers, Texas, Florida and and South Dakota are the popular choices. Most mail forwarding services are also located in these states. Just fyi, you use the address of the mail forwarding service as your domicile. Our address is Wichita Falls, TX. Uh.......we have never been there.

One of the reasons TX and SD are popular for full-timers (besides no state income tax) is because the requirements for establishing residency are not as extensive as some states. FL - I'm not quite as sure, as I think there is some time requirement for residency. I think there are six? states that do not have state income taxes, but notice that they others (WA, WY, and ?) don't come up as fulltimer options.

Audrey

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflower Yup, heard something on the news up here in Illinois about there may be a concern about the Texas economy's health but can't quote it or even paraphrase what it was. I will pay more attention in the future if it comes on again.

Seems like TX in general has lower than national unemployment rate and usually has less budget issues than many other states. I haven't heard anything that indicates this has changed.

The economic base in the state is very diverse and modern. The rural areas may suffer more with economic hardship, but the urban areas seem to go great gangbusters economically. You can see the affluence around the larger cities with the fancy neighborhoods and high-end shopping centers. Very obvious around Houston, Austin, San-Antonio, and the DFW metroplex.

After the 80s oil bust (followed by a real-estate bust) decimated the state, TX really went through a tremendous economic rebirth. This in turn brought a huge inflow of population seeking jobs.

We do have some pretty wild politics though (and it's not that pretty).

Audrey

[Rustic23]

For those that want to plow through Texas's economics here is a summary from their latest annual report:

http://www.window.state.tx.us/financ...9-analysis.pdf

the whole report can be found here

Texas Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

From the management summary

Energy prices are substantially lower than the previ-
ous three years providing state consumers some relief
from higher household expenses due to energy costs and
the national recession. The single-family housing market
is still weak due to declining property values. Weak credit
markets further undermined the housing market by reduc-
ing the volume of home sales and lower demand resulted in
a decline of housing starts. Growth in sales tax collections,
an indicator of taxable retail sales activity, was weak for
most of 2009, in contrast to three years of strong growth,
from 2006 through 2008.
Although a weakened economy is foreseen for the
immediate months, positive signs include an increase in
new business incorporations, an upward trend in retail
sales growth, rapidly increasing stock values of Texas
corporations and higher forecasted growth in the national
economy. Consumer confidence is also showing positive
trends. Negative signs are found in housing permits being
substantially lower than 2007 and 2008 levels and the aver-
age manufacturing hours per workweek, while increasing,
With the current economic instability and changes
occurring both in Texas and the nation, predictions are for
a weak Texas economy for the start of 2010, but trending
rapidly toward positive territory or growth.

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 We do have some pretty wild politics though (and it's not that pretty).

Which reminds me -- it won't be long before another redistricting fiasco again... (sigh)

[Hamlet]

I don't think that I would let the tax tail wag the retirement dog.

Figure out where you want to live based on the qualities that you want that place to have. Taxes are one factor of many. Sometimes (not always) the taxes are low because they've cut some pretty important services.

Having been to Texas and Florida, I don't know that I would put them anywhere near the top of the list for my retirement. .

[audreyh1]

They are both big states with a wide diversity of geographical regions, so you would really have to travel each state extensively to really determine suitability.

Of course, we have plenty of people here already!

Audrey

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 Of course, we have plenty of ...

... scorpions, rattlesnakes, fire ants, crazy raspberry ants, cockroaches on steroids, killer bees, mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, tarantulas, brown recluse spiders, love bugs, swarming crickets, copperheads, cottonmouths, rabid skunks, wild hogs, alligators, oppressive heat & humidity, bleak desolate scenery, dirty beaches, polluted air, dust storms, drought, wildfires, water shortages, recurring floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, rednecks, huge piles of flaming mulch, spontaneously combusting playgrounds, roads hot as flowing lava, the stench of natural and unnatural gasses, amoebic meningitis lurking in area lakes, recurring ebola virus outbreaks, flesh eating bacteria, staggering homeowner insurance rates, unbelievably high property taxes, mandatory death sentences for DUI convictions, and polygamous religious sects.


And then there are the things the TX Chamber of Commerce really doesn't want you to know about...

[Rustic23]

like, well, like really huge RVs!

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustic23 like, well, like really huge RVs!

Out here, at least in the spring time, it's more like the huge "biker invasions" every weekend. But as long as they're going to spend their money here, so be it...

[Orchidflower]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo ... scorpions, rattlesnakes, fire ants, crazy raspberry ants, cockroaches on steroids, killer bees, mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, tarantulas, brown recluse spiders, love bugs, swarming crickets, copperheads, cottonmouths, rabid skunks, wild hogs, alligators, oppressive heat & humidity, bleak desolate scenery, dirty beaches, polluted air, dust storms, drought, wildfires, water shortages, recurring floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, rednecks, huge piles of flaming mulch, spontaneously combusting playgrounds, roads hot as flowing lava, the stench of natural and unnatural gasses, amoebic meningitis lurking in area lakes, recurring ebola virus outbreaks, flesh eating bacteria, staggering homeowner insurance rates, unbelievably high property taxes, mandatory death sentences for DUI convictions, and polygamous religious sects. And then there are the things the TX Chamber of Commerce really doesn't want you to know about...

Picky-picky!

[eridanus]

Property taxes in Texas are low IF you live in a rural area or in a far-away suburb. If you want to live in a city, you will be paying a lot for a smallish house. When I write "a lot," I mean that you'll be paying more than most other posters on this forum, even if they have a house 3x larger.

Texas has an unfunded retiree public employee medical benefit. It's mentioned in the recent articles about state pension problems. This will causes serious economic problems in the future.

It's hot. It's really hot. There were something like 55 days of >100 degrees last year. You'll need the AC in May and sometimes in April. You can turn if off in late October.


What Ziggy said: Live here if you have a high income and own an inexpensive house in a small town.

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eridanus It's hot. It's really hot. There were something like 55 days of >100 degrees last year. You'll need the AC in May and sometimes in April. You can turn if off in late October.

Yeah, but spring and fall are wonderful here. I just wish they were more than a couple weeks long. The weather is near perfect now, but in another month it will start getting hot and in two months it will be oppressive -- for another three months with no breaks in the heat.

As far as the small town thing and property taxes, it's true. Not just because smaller towns tend to have lower property values (mostly because of the lack of high paying jobs there), but also small towns have fewer taxing authorities. And if you live in the country outside the city limits, you won't have city property taxes to pay.

When we were in Houston we had a home appraised at $196K and paid about $4500 in property tax on a homesteaded residence. Out here in a small Hill Country town (within city limits) we pay about $1100 on a home appraised at $88K. Texas isn't a good place to be "house rich and income poor" from a tax standpoint.

[Leonidas]

If you want to move to Texas and pay no income taxes that's fine, but you are going to pay for county and local services with real estate taxes. And as Ziggy points out, if you live in an urban area you are going to be in for a shock when you get that tax bill.

You can live out in the country somewhere, have a nice piece of land and have significantly lower taxes. Especially if you get yourself a nice agricultural exemption on the taxes. But don't expect too much in the way of paved roads (plenty of county roads in this state are shell, caliche or dirt), bone up on water wells and pumps, and volunteer fire departments and EMS. If you're lucky you will have access to private trash pickup, or you'll have to dig your own little dump pile. Don't forget to budget for a gun, because lots of sheriff's departments in Texas are on call after midnightish - or there are just a couple of deputies on duty in counties that are several hundred square miles in area.

If you come here based on the tax structure, don't start whining about services not being as plentiful as they were back in wherever-the-hell-you-came-from. We're usually ranked 50th in state spending per capita and that's fine with us because we think we're taxed more than enough already.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leonidas You can live out in the country somewhere, have a nice piece of land and have significantly lower taxes.

And the possibility of having someone put in a rock quarry, feed lot or pig farm next door...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leonidas Don't forget to budget for a gun, because lots of sheriff's departments in Texas are on call after midnightish - or there are just a couple of deputies on duty in counties that are several hundred square miles in area.

I currently live in a county of 1,335 square miles. Between the hours of midnight and 8 am there are a total of two (2) deputies covering the entire county - unless one of them calls in sick...

[Orchidflower]

Uh, I guess the original question about has anyone done Turbo Tax or put paper and pencil to which State was better tax burden-wise is one that nobody has done? So, I guess that answer is no, nobody has done Turbo Tax for both Texas and Florida or put paper and pencil to it. OK...cool. I was just ask'n.

The best thing about both States to me is the right-to-carry. I hate being in Illinois, the no-gun State. Other than Illinois being broke, crooked Governors and other politicos...they don't allow a right-to-carry...boooooooo! Heck, in Texas HPD told me what to do if I shot someone...my kinda law enforcement. I miss that mentality up here totally where citizens are so brainwashed they act terrified if you even say the word "gun."

Leonidas says that Texas is low in spending per capita. I was shocked to find out that the mentally ill in Texas were just walking around, and there really didn't seem anyone caring to get them help like they did in Illinois when I grew up. Now this Illinois State is broke and there's no place to put them here as all the facilities have been closed. Sad state of affairs America has gotten itself into.

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflower The best thing about both States to me is the right-to-carry. I hate being in Illinois, the no-gun State. Other than Illinois being broke, crooked Governors and other politicos...they don't allow a right-to-carry...boooooooo! Heck, in Texas HPD told me what to do if I shot someone...my kinda law enforcement. I miss that mentality up here totally where citizens are so brainwashed they act terrified if you even say the word "gun."

Quote:

I was shocked to find out that the mentally ill in Texas were just walking around, and there really didn't seem anyone caring to get them help like they did in Illinois when I grew up. Now this Illinois State is broke and there's no place to put them here as all the facilities have been closed. Sad state of affairs America has gotten itself into.

Should be no problem for you, Bonnie, I mean Orchid. If them loonies mess with you, just bust a cap in they a$$es.

Ha

[REWahoo]

Quote:

I was shocked to find out that the mentally ill in Texas were just walking around...

...and posting on internet forums.

[Moemg]

Instead of looking for the cheapest place or best tax place to retire ,look for a place you will feel comfortable in. I never picked a place to retire . If it was up to me I would still be in New Jersey but my husband always wanted to move to Florida so I moved . It's not my favorite place to live but it has become home . Not because of the taxes or the cost of living but because of the people that I've met and the life I've created and there is no way to goggle that on the Internet .

[meierlde]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI I assume you mean state inspection? For the past few years we've paid $39.75 for the inspection of one vehicle.

It depends on which county you live in. The major metros with emission inspection charge the 39.75, while if you live in the deep country there is no emmission inspection and it runs $13.75 or so. So stay away from the Houston and Dallas areas, and soon San Antonio and Austin and you can get the cheap rate. (Try to stay 2 counties away from the central county, but do check where you are looking to see if it is covered.