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UK council tax vs. US property tax

UK council tax vs. US property tax

Old Aug 18th 2016, 1:35 pm
  #16  
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

For my 1 bed triplex in the uk I pay as much council tax as my 2 and 3 bedroom bed four plex here in the US. The uk is much more expensive for taxes on multiplexes. There is a difference, the tenants have to pay the tax in the uk.

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Old Aug 18th 2016, 1:53 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Originally Posted by mrken30
For my 1 need triplex in the uk I pay as much council tax as my 2 and 3 need four plex here. The uk is much more expensive for taxes on multiplexes. There is a difference, the tenants have to pay the tax in the uk.
Need... Typo, I assume? Trying to figure out what you meant..
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 2:04 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Originally Posted by kodokan
Because different countries choose to collect revenue to pay for public services in different ways. ......
This.

I pay less tax (lower percentage) than I did in the UK, taking ALL taxes into account, AND including family health insurance premiums and HSA contributions. But then I was scared out of buying in the greater NY area (NY, CT, & NJ) by insane property taxes, and would be highly unlikely to move to CA either for the same reason.

The property tax on my home is finally about to pass what I was paying on my home in London 15 years ago - but then I have four times the living space, a double garage (I had no garage in London), and fifty times the land area.

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Old Aug 18th 2016, 2:07 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Originally Posted by robin1234
Need... Typo, I assume? Trying to figure out what you meant..
"Bed"?
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 2:29 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

yes bed, I should never use my phone to reply to posts, auto correct does weird things. In the UK they tax per unit, in the US they tax the whole property. So what used to be a single band B property in the UK is now 3 band A properties. ie a single property consisting of 3 flats.
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 2:40 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Originally Posted by Pulaski
This.

I pay less tax (lower percentage) than I did in the UK, taking ALL taxes into account, AND including family health insurance premiums and HSA contributions. But then I was scared out of buying in the greater NY area (NY, CT, & NJ) by insane property taxes, and would be highly unlikely to move to CA either for the same reason.

My property tax is finally about to pass what I was paying on my home in London 15 years ago - but then I have four times the living space, a double garage (I had no garage in London), and fifty times the land area.


You are considered rich though. It will always depend where you live now and where you move to and I also agree that UK is not always a cheap place either when it comes to property tax, but in the OP's situation I would also question buying in San Diego.




It depends on their financial situation and if they can or want to pay that amount monthly. I'm just used to the European way, so for me owning a house is to eventually be mortgage free and I wouldn't want to be paying tax that is basically like a rent again.
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 3:28 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

It's true you should consider ALL of the taxes you'll be facing. But CA also has the highest sales tax of any state, the most expensive gas (still $2.70 here) and additional state tax. Someone has to pay for the sunshine.
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 3:32 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Originally Posted by Marc_ely
It's true you should consider ALL of the taxes you'll be facing. But CA also has the highest sales tax of any state, the most expensive gas (still $2.70 here) and additional state tax. Someone has to pay for the sunshine.
Maybe if taxes were even higher you could afford rain too.
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 3:41 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Property tax, income tax, sales tax. In most places you can only rely on one of them to be low and the others higher.
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 3:49 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Originally Posted by Mirage88
Hi everyone, our family recently moved from Surrey UK to San Diego California due to my husband's work relocation.

Just realised how expensive property tax here is compared to the UK while we are deciding whether to buy a house here. Back in Surrey we had a four bedroom house and the council tax costed about £120 per month. Here in San Diego if we buy a house say price about $500K and the property tax is around $7300 a year, which works out approximately $600 per month, that's equivalent to £460 a month!! Almost four times as much compared to the UK (£120) and that's only one month before you multiply it by 12 for the year! How ridiculous... Just wondering what's everyone else's experience on that and what are your thoughts on this? Why is the US property tax so much more expensive that of the UK?

As we are very new to this forum so I do apologise if this topic has been discussed a number of times before. Thanks!
yep....there are some very high background costs in this country. As well as Council Tax, there is House Insurance, Medical Insurance if you can't get it thru employment. Just make sure that if you are considering selling up in the UK you are very very very sure of your footing here in the USA before burning any bridges. At least you are maintaining parity on house price movements with Surrey vs San Diego. Problems start when you sell up in the South and move to.....Texas...or...Alabama....or similar. "Well if it doesn't work out we'll just go back"........really?
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 4:03 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Originally Posted by iceflow
yep....there are some very high background costs in this country. As well as Council Tax, there is House Insurance, Medical Insurance if you can't get it thru employment. Just make sure that if you are considering selling up in the UK you are very very very sure of your footing here in the USA before burning any bridges. At least you are maintaining parity on house price movements with Surrey vs San Diego. Problems start when you sell up in the South and move to.....Texas...or...Alabama....or similar. "Well if it doesn't work out we'll just go back"........really?
No different to moving from South East England to Lancashire or Wales. It's hard to move back.
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 4:11 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Sumas, WA yesterday gas was 2.89/gallon.


Some places in CA have high sales tax others are lower then other states.

Base tax is 7.5% and some counties are that low while others are up to 10%.

TN at 9.46% is higher then the sales tax where my dad lives in Calif where its 8% but cross into the city next door and it's 9%.

WA at 8.9 is even higher.

Really depends where in CA you live as it wether it's highest or not.




Originally Posted by Marc_ely
It's true you should consider ALL of the taxes you'll be facing. But CA also has the highest sales tax of any state, the most expensive gas (still $2.70 here) and additional state tax. Someone has to pay for the sunshine.
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 4:12 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Originally Posted by Jsmth321
Sumas, WA yesterday gas was 2.89/gallon.


Some places in CA have high sales tax others are lower then other states.

Base tax is 7.5% and some counties are that low while others are up to 10%.

TN at 9.46% is higher then the sales tax where my dad lives in Calif where its 8% but cross into the city next door and it's 9%.

WA at 8.9 is even higher.

Really depends where in CA you live as it wether it's highest or not.
Whereas the standard rate of VAT in the UK is... 20%.
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 4:14 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

And up my way we pay 13% between federal GST and provincial sales tax and they add the sales to a lot more things when compared to what the states tend to do.

They even tax the taxes..lol

Originally Posted by Giantaxe
Whereas the standard rate of VAT in the UK is... 20%.
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 4:22 pm
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Default Re: UK council tax vs. US property tax

Originally Posted by kodokan
Because different countries choose to collect revenue to pay for public services in different ways. The US estate/ inheritance tax is vastly different too, for example, with the first $5.45 MILLION being exempt from tax. FICA at 6.2% is different to UK NI rates of - what is it now, 12%? - and they pay for different services. Switzerland, where we used to live, has income tax along with an annual wealth tax of a (small) percentage of your entire net worth.

Direct one-off comparisons aren't really valid, even for things that appear as similar as an annual tax on living in a house. If you want to make a comparison, then add up your total tax load in each country, including VAT and sales taxes, capital gains, healthcare costs, etc and see how it pans out.


If you live in countries with similar standards of living then it won't really be surprising if you pay about the same in total. Swings and roundabouts.

Property tax is also a federal income tax deduction if you itemise your return.
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