Pulaski

My point was that I don't pretend that my perspective is a blanket truth across the whole of the US, I know where I live is different. We tried a high tax location (suburb s of NYC) and didn't like it, so we moved. MrKen incessantly bleats about high taxes yet seems unwilling to do anything about it.

Pulaski

That's an interesting question. ..... I think we would have gone private in the UK too, so that wouldn't be a difference for us.

Giantaxe

He provided a link to an article that explains that tax can differ from state to state, which seems fairer than doing a comparison based on one (low tax) state and - amusingly - comparing it to living in a property in by far the most expensive city in the UK.

Pulaski

Well I could make a similar comparison with my parent's home in a small provincial city in the UK because the tax bill is about the same as for my house in London, and my house in the US is comfortably more than twice the size on about 15 times the land area. Whichever way you slice and dice it, my tax bill in the US is lower than it would be in the UK.

NoOfficialComment

It's the dilemma for everyone in my neck of the woods.

I live in a nice part of NJ (yeah they actually exist, haha) and the property tax is insane. It's over 5x what it would be if I moved 10 miles East and lived in Philly...but then you'd need $10-20K / year for decent schooling.

The schools here are fantastic though so when the time comes to have kids I'm sure I'll begrudge the property tax bill less. A very simple $200K home here is easily $5-6K / year in property tax and many of my friends living in larger properties are up around $10-12k / year.

petitefrancaise

Yes, here in Austin Tx, my 4 bedroom family house is $12k a year property tax. We have no state income tax though. Local schools near me are excellent. I do not begrudge the property tax with having had 3 kids in school. However, the property tax is basically fixed at the price you paid for the house, only smallish increases each year. Smallest leaves home in 3 years and it makes moving seem expensive when the property tax will basically be the same but for a much smaller house due to increase in property values.

Giantaxe

Which removes the "small house in London" part of your argument and still doesn't acknowledge that you live in a low property tax area. Which is odd given you called out another poster for letting the fact that he lives in a higher tax area colour his judgement.

I'm willing to bet that on average property taxes in the US are higher. Otoh, it's also true that the total tax take in the US is a lower percentage of GDP in the US than in the UK. And that latter is a large reason why being lower income in the UK is preferable to being lower income in the US, namely that that extra tax cut affords more social programs.

Pulaski

You read a lot into my posts that isn't actually there (you do that a lot ) ..... People have choices. That's about all I have to say on the subject. ..... Some people complain that taxes are high*, but won't move. MrKen reported he had the possibility of a job in Texas. He decided, apparently, that wasn't for him, but the fact is that he could have moved, but he chose not to. That's fine with me, it's his call, but he shouldn't make out that all the US has high property taxes.

* I have never said that all property taxes in the US are low (that would be patently false), and I think the only time I ever bring up my property taxes is in response to someone who has made the blanket assertion that "property taxes are high in the US", when in fact some property taxes are high in the US.

Giantaxe

If he moved to Texas, he'd have a lot higher property taxes than he does now

He said "Property tax is much more in the US, and sales tax is much higher in the UK."and specifically cited an article that explains how the tax take in the US varies from state to state. Seems you read something in his post that wasn't there.

TiaMaria57

Hello Aless02,
My husband and I currently live in the US, though we plan to move back to retire in the UK next year. (We're both dual nationals). However, when my father became ill at age 94 years old after a fall (in the UK), I moved back to England to care for him for weeks/months at a time. My husband mostly remained in the US because he had to continue running his business. It was a very difficult time but we'd been in this situation before because back in the 90's I took our only daughter back to the UK for her education. The school system where we were living in NC was nowhere like the private education she'd had in the UK before we emigrated. So husband and I passed in the night so to speak. He would return to visit me in UK at Christmas and I'd return to US with daughter for the summer and at Easter, we would switch to whichever suited.

Now back to my father. I felt I could not abandon him during his time of need. He'd already spent the 4 previous summers living with us in the US after my mum passed away right up to him having this fall... so we were really close. I just had to go and care for him but it never crossed our minds to move back permanently to the UK because our income was in the US. (Different now we are due to retire). I would fill the freezer for my husband before leaving with home made meals to make life a bit easier for him whilst I was gone. I'd do the same for my dad before I left him. I also got part time carers in for my dad during the times I returned to the US. During dads final year he simply had to got into a care home due to his fragility being a danger to him, but I was still crossing the pond sorting out his care needs as well as being there with him for a major operation he had at aged 96.

If I was in your position I would continue to live in the UK but commute back and forth to the US to support your sister with your dads care and take some of the burden off her. You commented that your dad had savings so perhaps he could help you with your travel costs. My dad was always generous with me and mine! But I realize that you have children which makes the problem more difficult. Could you arrange for someone to care for them during the times your husband commutes to/from work so they are watched over whilst you are away? I have no idea what age they are. It can be done, but not without sacrifices, which I know we as a family had to make for the benefit of our other family members.

Your husbands income must be a priority so that you can support your own immediate family. Being elderly your father will not live forever and for your youngish family to all 'up sticks' so to speak and relocate thousands of miles for perhaps a couple or 3 years surely must be the big decision maker since you have stability at present with a steady income stream. I know your father will understand, just as mine did, that your family is young and your husband holds the keys to your family's welfare and future survival, so I doubt he'd expect you to move back permantly and give up your whole future for him. But being there part time will let him know how much you care as well as enable your sister to have a break.
Wishing you all the very best at this difficult time. TM

jeepster

To find out what your husband would earn here consult the Bureau of Labor Stats, it's accurate: https://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.

I know this is counter intuitive but in my opinion if you're poor you're better off in the States. Yes the UK has a better social safety net but it's a lot easier to get pigeon holed in the UK. But whether you move or not should be based on one thing only and that is where your heart is, if it's in the UK stay there if not move.

aless02

That's a lovely sentiment, thank you. Actually, we're a pretty 'portable' family as we rent, home educate (so schools are absolutely not an issue) and my husband isn't particularly far along on a career path and his job is transferrable to any industrialized society . We don't live near his family nor have any deep roots beyond the friends we've made in this area.

This discussion of property tax/council tax is kinda amusing, as an aside. Y'all know that London doesn't necessarily have the highest rates of council tax in the country? It's entirely up to the borough/city/county! Westminster (London), for example has one of the lowest rates in the whole of England! Our council tax rose when we moved up north to Yorkshire. This has nothing to do with moving to the US, mind, just throwing in there for the discussion above! Mapped: do you live in a high council tax area? - Telegraph

One bonus of property tax versus council tax is only owners are liable for property tax, not renters (though I know some landlords will pass on the expense in their rates...)

tuxedocat

I have Medicaid and it does not mean I have access to healthcare. I don't know about other areas but around here it's impossible to find a physician who accepts it. The volunteer clinics do not want to see you if you have Medicaid. The options are basically the emergency room or a total crap shoot if the volunteer clinic will make an exception. They you are berated for not using a primary care doctor and taking advantage of the volunteer clinic. (Who is funded by the hospital to reduce ER Visits.)

I don't know about the UK but from internet friends it seems like there is a lot more help there.

Housing assistance here is nearly impossible to receive the wait lists are years long in most areas.

The state is important too in some areas workers have more protection from losing their jobs. If you are in a right to work state forget it.

Can you just visit for an extended period of time?

tuxedocat

I have a hard time believing that! It seems like there is a lot more help with housing in the UK and also cash assistance.

Pulaski

Where I live the waiting list for housing/ housing assistance is closed - in other words the list is so long that the housing authority stopped accepting new applications until they have worked through the list. I think it waa closed around 2008-2009, and the rate at which they can help people is simply a function of the funds available - the housing authority has $xmillion to disburse each year, which pays for a limited number of families to be helped. So barring the availability of additional funds the list only reduces when someone's income rises and they lose housing assistance, or they move out of the area.