Land Value Taxation
Is the sun setting on American Liberty? Is it a Future Solution or a Modern-Day-Version of Feudalism? Evolving out of concerns about “Land Monopolization”…it’s a concept that is gradually emerging out of “Progressive Politics”. In a “Nutshell”, “What happens if we change our current system of property Taxes, (Land and Improvements), to just taxing land alone? Many think this is an idea that’s way overdue and the solution to economic problems and Societal Fairness. A system that no longer discourages development and can potentially deliver dividends into the pockets of consumers. ……..Whatever it’s true nature.. it’s time that all of us in America become aware of this change in Taxation and it’s potential inpact to our society and Personal Liberty !!!
The concept here is that only land is taxed. To keep the “Tax Revenue” at least comparable to what it was, the rate would have to rise dramatically. For example:Let’s say the annual tax on a piece of property valued at $250,000 is 2% or $5,000/yr.. This would be $2500 for the Land and $2500 for the building. If the building becomes exempt from taxation, then $5000 would still need to be raised on just the land alone. Therefore the rate would need to rise considerably to make up for the lost revenue, and in this case $5000 or to 4% of the land value of $125,000. There may be several variations of this but the general idea would remain the same. Taxpayers in America and elsewhere, strive to reduce their tax-burden. After all, all of us have one thing in common – “We All Hate To Pay Taxes”, and this process of “Reducing Tax Liability” called “Tax-Avoidance” and can be done legally while still conforming to the laws of the land. This is the issue: As People work to Reduce their Tax-Liabilty …They will reduce their ownership of Land. As this continues “Tax Rates” will need to be raised on the rest of the Property Owners to compensate for the lost revenue. Demand for land will ebb , local government will pick-up parcel after parcel of unwanted land since since they are the sole entity that has no tax-liability.. This process will continue..Property owners will continue to give up their land holdings and the burden will increase on those who retain ownership in land. The final result: “The Government Will Control or Have Ownership-Rights in Almost All the Available Land”. That which remains will be held by the only people that have the personal wealth to afford the taxes…the 1% and the “Royal Government”!!! Watch Some videos On Land Value Taxation and the System of Medieval Feudalism. The eventual result is that the Government and the Very Wealthy will own almost all the land and the rest of us will be “Serfs or Peasants” similar to the “Feudal System of Old”. Since “Personal Liberty and Property Ownership Go Hand-In-Hand”, There will be little liberty remaining for the people unless you’re born into some form of “Modern-Day-Royal Privilege”.What c omplicates this further are the ideas I hear of substituting other taxes for land tax. Of the people receiving “Alaskan-Style Dividends” from the communities via land tax receipts. And also allowing the people to share in the “Success of Intellectual Property” through a similar system of dividends.
Summing it up… I see our “Economic System of Incentives and Property Ownership Disappearing and Being Replaced by a Massive Distribution of Wealth”. A system where Government is empowered to control all our lives, property and economy. Back to the Medievil days of Feudalism where the Royal Class and their Vassals” control ALL and the Serfs and Peasants do all the work !! Please give this some thought as you view the above videos on the subject. This is a issue that is just beginning to be introduced. “Most of America’s Conservatives Have Yet To Be Introduced To It !” I see little Criticism in the media about “Land Value Taxation” and absolutely no discussion of how a system like this could change a nation !. Some Cities in America have already adopted this system…Pittsburgh I believe and a few recently in Connecticut. What I also see is that a “System of Land Value-Taxation Would Develop a Municipality Similarly to that of Agenda 21 ..the System of Sustainability Originating from The United Nations !. The only difference I see is that Agenda 21 would lead to a strict system of municipal control of land, it’s Zoning, use, etc., whereas Land Taxation would result in tight controls and “Outright Ownership of Land by the Local Government and The Royal 10%”.Please give this some thought as you become familiar with this subject. Note I have added a related post so we review both sides of the Issue: Land Value Taxation: A Positive Appraisal There's a recent article readers here should go to from The Progress Report: Financial Times: Time Now to Levy Land Big Time? There's a editorial on the bottom that all should read which justifies my concerns about LVT: Ed. Notes: Because a tax on your land can make you landless and thus houseless, it is rational for people to not exactly warm up to it. So how to make land taxes or land dues more palatable to land owners? A couple of things.
Not only that, but any good that making people pay rent to their community can do, sharing those recovered rents with everyone can do better. It’s fairer; government does not create land value, community does. And it’s more efficient, enabling people to leave pristine sites alone and to live in small towns if so inclined. So put the horse before the cart and promote land dividends; land dues will come along automatically. Note: I began to worry about LVT when I saw ideas about disbursing the raised revenue back to citizens... 1. How high will this tax eventually get? 2. What criteria will be used to Re-Distribute it? 3. Sounds like a Marxist Wealth-Redistribution scheme. 4. Won't People reduce their land holdings to reduce taxes? Jim Eckland |
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