Moving to Maine from NH? (Augusta: home, income, income tax)

[dmyankee]

Originally Posted by cyc1e

"I moved to Maine and I am now basking in the low taxes that I pay here.
I have lived in other states previously where I paid much higher taxes than I pay in Maine. To see a website that implies that living in Maine would cause a person to pay higher taxes, is obviously the opposite of my observations. I am not alone, others here on CD have posted previously that they also have found that taxes in Maine have been surprisingly low. Lower than they had expected from hearing about Maine's tax reputation."

So the thought here is that your personal anecdote is more compelling than the Tax Foundations comparative research? They're not picking on Maine, they're just making comparative rankings.

I wouldn't read more into it than what we've already said. Again: State & local tax as a percentage of average income.

Its just a barometer - obviously in a progressive tax system those who make less like it better than those who make more.

My wife and I pay a lot more tax in Maine than we used to pay in NH. How does that help the OP?

Ah, but...

Depending on what you want out of life, it is easy to live a relatively low tax lifestyle outside of the population areas of Maine...

and be within a half hour of civilization and everything you need!

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by dmyankee

Ah, but...

Depending on what you want out of life, it is easy to live a relatively low tax lifestyle outside of the population areas of Maine...

and be within a half hour of civilization and everything you need!

Having all one needs is very personal and varies a lot from lifestyle to lifestyle. There are some who can do without a grocery store for months. There are others who are lost without cellphone towers and WIFI everywhere!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

You can live within sight of a cellular phone tower and have very low taxes. A full 52% of Maine is what Augusta calls the Unorganized Territories. Those are towns that don't have enough people that want to form and maintain a town government. They are happy to be ruled by Augusta. There is a price to pay for that service and over time the resentment builds.

There is an island on Junior Lake very popular with campers. Some campers though have never read the book, "How to Sh|t in the Woods" and part of the island had become pretty gross. The Maine Forest Service addressed that problem and brought a brand new outhouse to the island behind a snowmobile. In the spring they dug a hole and set up the new privy nice and level.

I had occasion to stop on the island to stretch my legs and checked out the new privy. Inside the nicely painted white door, neatly lettered almost like calligraphy with a chisel point marker were the following words:

"Please flush twice.
It's a long way to Augusta."

Link: http://www.amazon.com/How-****-Woods.../dp/0898156270

[CoastalMaine]

NMLM... I wanted to rep you twice today, but I keep having to spread the love! Geesh! GREAT post! LMAO I just love yankee independence!

[Submariner]

As I sit at my desk, looking out through one of our front windows, in the sky, is the flashing red lights of a cell phone tower.

I do get good reception here with my cellphone.

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by schizuki

i suppose taxes would not seem to be overly onerous if one does not pay them.

My wife and I combined do not make $80,000. I did not realize we were so truly wealthy. It's a wonder we can fit all of our jewels in our 900-sq-ft house.

Here's another one of my fat-cat high-roller tax complaints - If my wife and I were single, our taxes would be $400 lower. Yes, Maine taxes us $400 per year for being married. Why, that's what it costs me every year just to have street urchins wash our fleet of Rolls Royces with their tears.

Hey .. from one rich person to another(our house is 1200 sq.ft. if you include the basement0.. Ohio does the dame thing. they give you a joint filing credit, but on the years, we can, we file seperately and save. This may help you though not enough to make the payments on your Rolls.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by sassenach76

Hi Forest Beekeeper!

Thanks for such a nice post! I will admit, being in New Hampshire, we are definitely spoiled by being income and sales tax free. Of course we pay for it with property taxes!

From my perspective, which may or may not be accurate, your state government seems to like to tax everything. For example, the new tax that would have been put on soda syrup and other beverages (was that voted through? I'm so lost without WLOB!). Also, it is rumored that if my husband were to work in Maine while I kept my job in NH and we lived in NH, then they could tax my income. Is that true? It just sounds crazy to me!

Anyway, yes indeed, Maine is a beautiful state, and should my husband be transferred there we would be as blessed as if we were to remain in NH. I think we're all lucky to live in this part of the country, not too far from the oceans or the mountains!

~Jenn~

Ray and Ted are on fox tv in the am....same show thats on the radio is televised.....Oh how I do miss them though on the FM 96.3

[tcrackly]

Geez, I and I thought that everyone loved their benevolent state government!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

"The information is presented in a manner to imply that Mainers have high taxes.

Clearly this is not the case."

Maine is still #1 in the nation in tax burden per capita income. Maine's government has rejiggered the numbers to give the false impression that we are #14. One way they did it was to deduct the taxes paid on second homes and recreational properties like land. Nobody really needs a second home or camp; Right? Nobody really needs a wood lot for firewood, Right? Not everybody has those things so they simply took away reporting those for comparison. Presto! We go from #1 to #14. However, we are still paying the taxes! By Augusta's warped logic, if we didn't own it we wouldn't really have to pay the taxes. I wonder if they will do the same thing for garages. Do we really need garages?, a fourth bedroom? a second car? a boat? If Augusta takes enough real property off the list, by this time next year we may be down to #27 on the list. (Psst. We'll really still be #1.)

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Forest Beekeeper reports:
"I do get good reception here with my cellphone."

As long as you keep it away from the goats. ;-)