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I wonder if anyone knows if there is any movement to make current use taxation more equitable for all property owners.
Trippling the yearly taxes on properties in current use would reduce everyones real estate tax and still give those with property in current use a major tax break.
For instance:
A piece of vacant land 2 acres valued at 100k may pay $1500/yr in taxes, where a 12 acre parcel may pay $70 .... depending when it was put in current use. The property owner has to pay a penalty to take property out of current use but it pales in comparison to the savings they get simply by having more than 10 acres. And current taxpayers have to bear the burden of their reduced fees.
Anyone else think this is wrong and must be changed?
don't allow or encourage our tax department touch current use or anything else. any time you allow the tax people to fix(??) something, taxes go up. they never go down!
Anyone else think this is wrong and must be changed?
Nope.
I believe that two things NH does well are Current Use and Property Tax Exemptions for the Elderly. The first serves to reduce the incentive of developing open space, the second keeps our limited income elderly in their homes (and spending what income they have on goods/services instead of taxes).
I also agree with the previous posters comments, taxes seldom go down; never believe the hype that by increasing one tax another will decrease.
I disagree. You could triple the current use tax and still retain the incentive for non-development. The loopholes in the system are so large that it is abused beyond it's intent. Research it and you will see what I mean.
And taxes would go down. The problem is lawmakers taking free-ed up money and using it elsewhere... and that's a matter of the citizenry getting involved.
I have no problem with current use exemptions. Without them Southern NH would look like the crowed areas of Seabrook with 1/4 acre lots instead of apple orchards and horse farms. I will gladly pay some extra property tax to prevent over development. Londonderry is crowded enough as it is.
I will gladly pay some extra property tax to prevent over development.
I don't believe I pay more because someone with a lot of property pays less...last time I checked forests & fields don't require services (school, police, fire protection, etc) like housing developments do.
I don't believe I pay more because someone with a lot of property pays less...last time I checked forests & fields don't require services (school, police, fire protection, etc) like housing developments do.
This. Over40, your assumptions are incorrect on their face. Those taxed at fair market value are not picking up the slack for current use land. That kind of thinking mostly went out of fashion in the 80's. As mentioned, current use land requires no services.
For those inclined to research the matter, I offer the following link:
I have no problem with current use exemptions. Without them Southern NH would look like the crowed areas of Seabrook with 1/4 acre lots instead of apple orchards and horse farms. I will gladly pay some extra property tax to prevent over development. Londonderry is crowded enough as it is.
I absolutely agree. When seeing Woodmont farm (280 acres) go to a real estate developer, it was heartbreaking.
I know it was expensive to buy, but Londonderry should have come up with the $7M.
I've seen it everywhere I've lived, and it's a phenomena that I can't explain.
People don't want over development, but at the same time, don't frequent the farmers and their farms to make their businesses profitable. Instead, they go to big box stores and the like.
In the end, the farmers aren't in the business of land preservation.
I mean, who in their right mind would choose to make $60,000/yr, if they're lucky busting their arse 100+ hours a week all year long in the hopes of a good harvest, versus selling the land to the highest bidder and living an easier life?
I've seen it everywhere I've lived, and it's a phenomena that I can't explain.
People don't want over development, but at the same time, don't frequent the farmers and their farms to make their businesses profitable. Instead, they go to big box stores and the like.
In the end, the farmers aren't in the business of land preservation.
I mean, who in their right mind would choose to make $60,000/yr, if they're lucky busting their arse 100+ hours a week all year long in the hopes of a good harvest, versus selling the land to the highest bidder and living an easier life?
You obviously aren't familiar with the NH conservation model and easements. Rural landowners can continue to operate and manage their land has a farm, orchard, or woodlot while forfeiting the right to subdivide the land further. Support for local agriculture and products are very high in NH and the state has established CSAs and farmers markets. The current use model leads to a win/win situation because the current owners continue to profit off a wisely managed lot, the public gets a lower tax rate through less development, and it ends up being good for the town and state as a whole.
Colorado has population growth pressures and in-migration pressures that are several times larger than any area of NH. Colorado also has mineral extraction and other widespread mining extraction industries that NH really doesn't have.
Last edited by GraniteStater; 11-11-2011 at 10:34 AM..
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