I believe the best way is a consumption tax and do away w property taxes

Agree 100%

Then abolish the IRS….

It is a bunch of Karens working their dream job.

There's no way my conscience would let me do that job effectively.

Most people form wrong one sided opinions about the appraisal district and their staff based one one thing, they are upset and don’t want to pay taxes.

From responses above I’m not convinced all the stupid pricks work at the appraisal district. It always funny how little so many of you know about how it works.

I guess you’re just way too condescending to enlighten us? Or you may be too busy turning in your neighbors for pouring a sidewalk?
I might add, what do or did you do for a living?

Don't deliver truth bombs with a 2X4 on this forum. Some are too "delicate" to take them.

I purchased my 1st commercial property in 1998. Almost every year, the appraisal went up and for that, I felt fortunate. I don't want to live in an area where property values erode. Others often told me to protest them and especially after I began to accumulate multiple properties. Even though in a rising value environment, the values listed were less than what I would sell them for and thus, I wasn't going to dispute them - that wouldn't be ethical and Daddy taught me not to lie, cheat or steal. A couple of years ago, I negotiated my largest purchase with a hard driver not known for selling bargains and then the very next appraisal came in at 15% above what I paid him three months prior. The gloves came off, I hired a service and my commercial properties now are all valued at what I am pretty sure are lower (much lower) than what I can get but, it was the appraisal district's call.

Understand the system - if local taxes are to be paid via a property tax system, don't get on the people at the appraisal district for actually doing their jobs.

We ran a family business for 69 years, 120-150 employees. Plenty of interaction with all kinds of taxing entities. Be cordial, professional, legal and ethical, but do NOT coddle the tax man. Nobody made them take that job. 'Not a dam thing wrong with working to not pay more to the government than you absolutely have to.

Yeppers

Just think of all the money you could recoup from drug dealers and the cartel if you had a sales tax. They don't pay a dime of tax now. All the expensive stuff they buy with cash now would get taxed.

Being in the fire service, property taxes are a tough one for me to address because that is where we get our funding from. Property taxes do not go to the state. They go to your local taxing entities. In my county, the local school district is the biggest recipient of property tax. The county gets the next biggest cut, and the ESD (emergency services district which is the fire departments) get the least.

The school gets 2.5 times what the county gets, and they get 15 times what the fire departments get. For every $1.21 the school gets in taxes, the fire departments get $0.10. That is pretty sad.

I know where my property taxes go so I am not opposed to them, however, I am opposed to the way they are collected and the constant increase year after year. The appraisers can make up whatever number they want for property value. Many of them just go off Zillow or other real estate listings. Basing it off of market value is not a fair way do do it. If we are being honest, the market value of my property is $0 because it is not for sale.

A flat rate per square foot on buildings and a flat rate per acre would be the better way to do it instead of just making up numbers. For services provided, it cost the fire department the same to serve a 1500 sq ft dumpy trailer as it does a 1500 sq ft brand new brick home.

I don't mind paying my taxes especially for rural fire departments and law enforcement, some of the fire departments I see asking for donations, which is sad they lack funding, you only need them when you need them, then they are worth whatever taxes you have to pay. When you see public servants off for a "conference" at five-star resorts (Not talking about the workers now, usually just admin folks), it makes you question the distribution of tax monies. The money would probably be better spent in some courtesy and manners training for the appraisal employees, because customer service is not their strong suit.

We have talked about real estate taxes before it’s nothing new, nobody is gonna change anyone’s mind. I am a real estate appraiser and have been for over 15 years, not for the county, but I have done appraisals for and against them, also done work for the state feds municipalities local utility districts, banks, estates and individuals. I use to do a lot of eminent domain work, comical that as the property owners are fighting you tooth and nail that their property is worth so much and at the same time they are fighting the appraisal district that it isn’t worth a plug nickel. Haha. There is a joke in the appraisal field if everyone is mad at you you’re probably right. I may be biased but my dad worked for the local appraisal district for 42 years he’s a good man always has been always will be nothing dishonest about him. You can debate whether property taxes are the best way all you want I don’t know may be a better way and we might change but for right now this is how we do it. All the appraisal district does is estimate value, tax rates and collection of taxes is different people. I can say for a majority of the bank jobs that I do the appraisal district is significantly lower than what the properties are being bought and sold for. I don’t appraise many residences though but the car seems to be able to stay a lot closer to those with better sales info.

Easily the largest part of your tax bill is the school tax. People need to quit blindly supporting school bonds, quit building schools that are some architect and engineers wildest dream, and start holding developers financially responsible for the increased demand on all public utilities that they create and profit from.

It’s really difficult to provide customer service to people who hate you before you open your mouth because of something that is ‘t even their fault.

I’m also not saying don’t protest your taxes, I have do and will. But I don’t walk out calling them a bunch of dumb sob’s when they won’t value my home at $5 either.

I currently live in an appraisal district that has my home valued at a value I do not believe it would ever bring if sold, maybe I'm wrong and sitting on a real gold mine here. I had a nice roof put on my back porch and a nice in-ground pool built, the lady from the appraisal district was knocking at my front door 8am the day after the project was completed, standing there with her tape measure...I'd didn't even know county employees worked before 9am, a city employee told me these folks are there every week pulling permits, sorry for my opinion of them, but they act like vultures on a clean kill...

I don’t know anything about your home.

I built a shop last year they picked it up off aerial photos they don’t come out, they valued it at 1/3 what I paid to have it built and I wired it all myself.

Pull sales if it’s not worth what they have it at then protest it. If it’s hard to find data to protest it with chances are it’s not over values. Sold my first home for more than double what we paid for it. Even as an appraiser I was skeptical but my broker had sales to back it up and it sold. Also how far off value do you think they are? It takes a significant. Laud reduction to move the needle on your tax bill.

I used to have to deal with the CAD there fairly often. Sometimes things could be removed/added with just a phone call. Other times I'd have to raise all kinds of racket to get things lowered. Ladies in the office were nice...except the lady that was the temporary accessor. She was a pill. Hopefully for your sake she's retired/been fired by now.

I’ll be honest here…

I just don’t want to pay any property taxes

We’ve sent enough to Ukraine to cover mine for life…

Your property taxes don't go to the feds, or even the state. They stay right in your county

Did you not understand what I was saying or did you just want to make that statement?

I am not sure what part of your property taxes were sent to Ukraine.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of taxes either but your property taxes do not leave your county.

I am paying Property taxes Friday afternoon.