vtcarter6

Help me remember/realize what unexpectedly costs more in the US...so far I can think of property taxes, cell phone bills, broadband, cable...any others?

Sally Redux

School activities, College Board tests, university. Selling a house. Healthcare I suppose is expected.

Pulaski

Property taxes are highly variable. I pay less in property taxes in the US than I did for a house ¼ the size in the UK.

Jerseygirl

Whereas our NJ house was well into 5 figures per year.

Sally Redux

I didn't realize how high property taxes were here and that they go up 2% per year. Then again people coming from New York consider them low.

Pulaski

There are several reasons why we don't live in NJ, or anywhere in the greater NYC area. That is one of them.

AmerLisa

California should have some of the lowest property taxes. I know my stepmother's property taxes are lower than mine up here in Washington.

Sally Redux

I think they are unfair in California as people who bought a while back are paying peanuts (Prop 13).

Pulaski

I recall seeing several years ago that based on some notional "average income" that state taxes were invariably between 8% and 12% of income, and mostly tightly clustered in the middle of that range, where "state taxes" included state income tax, sales tax, property tax, vehicle tax, gas tax, tobacco and alcohol taxes, and what have you. In short, each state gets your money one way or another, you can move around and save a little depending on your personal preferences, expenditures, and lifestyle, but the state will get it's share of your money.

AmerLisa

Yes, good ole Prop 13.

AmerLisa

Probably true. I know people who think Oregon is the place to live because no sales tax. However they have state income tax, which if I'm not mistaken, levels the playing field.

Sally Redux

Oh and paying someone to do your taxes

Jerseygirl

Yeah that's into 4 figures. Costs more than a year's council tax in the UK.

SanDiegogirl

Low property taxes in California ?

I bought my property in 2001 and am paying over 12K a year!

With Prop 13 the person living next door to me, whose house is valued nearly the same as mine but which is 50 years old (go figure), is paying taxes based on 1975 rates.

Pulaski

Flights "home".