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rbt
Senior Member
Ahh, thanks. I knew it didn't sound quite right when I said it but couldn't put my finger on it because I recall applying for the rebate.
Jdot
Active Member
Increased property taxes will be remembered for a long time to come, whereas everyone will forget about that land transfer tax that affects a very small proportion of the total property owner base.
Politicians are very aware of this.
Why net yourself only a small annual revenue by pissing a lot of people off with a doubled property tax when you can net yourself a HUGE annual revenue by upsetting a very slim number of people with something that will soon be forgotten?
In any given year, what percent of property owners in the City of Toronto sell their property? I would guess that it is under 1%, maybe 2%. There is so much more money to be obtained in land transfer tax than increased property tax. I think this is a smart solution to coming up with more revenue for the city.
Politicians are very aware of this.
Why net yourself only a small annual revenue by pissing a lot of people off with a doubled property tax when you can net yourself a HUGE annual revenue by upsetting a very slim number of people with something that will soon be forgotten?
In any given year, what percent of property owners in the City of Toronto sell their property? I would guess that it is under 1%, maybe 2%. There is so much more money to be obtained in land transfer tax than increased property tax. I think this is a smart solution to coming up with more revenue for the city.
brettrobinson
New Member
I agree 100%. I also with they would charge street parking based on the size of your vehicle. Using the current cost as a basis point (Yaris sized cars) then have a sliding scale based on vehicle length.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
^Have fun enforcing that.
Jdot
Active Member
Parking based on car size just seems too hard to enforce. Licensing makes much more sense. Want to drive a Hummer in Toronto? You should pay more for your plates/stickers than someone who is driving a Smartcar.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
But what if you drive your Hummer twice a week and your smart car seven days a week?
The purpose isn't to invent revenue generation for the sake of invention, but to come up with sustainable and reasonable taxation that is transparent as to why it exists.
The purpose isn't to invent revenue generation for the sake of invention, but to come up with sustainable and reasonable taxation that is transparent as to why it exists.
EnviroTO
Senior Member
Supposedly for the average home price this land transfer tax equates to $4200. I'm not sure how long the average property remains in the hands of one owner but if the average home changes hands every 10 years why not simply raise property tax $420/yr or $35/mo? This land transfer tax is the city passing a tax which is less transparent, duping land owners into believing their property tax didn't go up. However, land transfer taxes get charged to new owners of property. The whole thing is sneaky. At least the car registration tax is more transparent as an entirely new revenue source to the city that has nothing to do with property. I would prefer a minimal number of high taxes to a whole slew of small taxes all totalling up to the same sum just for transparency. Unfortunately the city knows that they can more easily pull the wool over us with a new tax people won't notice until later.
rbt
Senior Member
Then the Hummer will still likely use several times the resources of the smart car over its lifetime.
Manufacturing a vehicle takes significantly more energy than most vehicles use in the first 10 years on the street.
It is actually a damn good reason not to upgrade to a more fuel efficient model prematurely.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
I'd imagine that this depends on the driver and his/her driving needs. As for the cost of the resource, that is paid for at the pump.
An interesting notion, but I don't know how true that could because we run into the vagaries of individual usage.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
Can't you just wait! And the best part is that the province largely gets let off the hook for its downloading fun and games of days gone by.
Admiral Beez
Superstar
Is the city's financial reporting or status available on line in a simple to read format? In order to build a more informed opinion on these new taxes, I'd like a better idea of how much money is coming in currently and where it is being spent.
I'd also like to see exactly what was downloaded and uploaded from and to the Province and City. Any links would be great, thanks.
I'd also like to see exactly what was downloaded and uploaded from and to the Province and City. Any links would be great, thanks.
FutureMayor
Active Member
Vote On New Taxes Deferred Until October
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_12900.aspx
Well I got to give Miller some credit for having the balls for attempting to bullldoze this one through Council.
While City Council and taxpayers had the right to be upset about the process taken, city councillors who voted to defer the vote are all a bunch of chickens in my opinion. They failed to see the bigger picture on how this new tax would go a long way to help stablize the city's financial future and in turn the betterment of the entire City of Toronto for all. If it wasn't this new tax, the money still has to come from somewhere and that is still the same taxpayer at the end of the day.
Waiting until after the Provincial Election in October is the stupidest move. The Province already gave the City of Toronto the powers to raise these new taxes on their own and Council declared that they aren't ready to take such responsibility. Why did we even bother in developing a new Toronto Act? What a pathetic bunch of idiots.
Louroz
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_12900.aspx
Well I got to give Miller some credit for having the balls for attempting to bullldoze this one through Council.
While City Council and taxpayers had the right to be upset about the process taken, city councillors who voted to defer the vote are all a bunch of chickens in my opinion. They failed to see the bigger picture on how this new tax would go a long way to help stablize the city's financial future and in turn the betterment of the entire City of Toronto for all. If it wasn't this new tax, the money still has to come from somewhere and that is still the same taxpayer at the end of the day.
Waiting until after the Provincial Election in October is the stupidest move. The Province already gave the City of Toronto the powers to raise these new taxes on their own and Council declared that they aren't ready to take such responsibility. Why did we even bother in developing a new Toronto Act? What a pathetic bunch of idiots.
Louroz
Junglab
New Member
I agree - with a $575 million defict, even with the new taxes the city would still need another $115 million... an that's just to maintain current service levels. City councillors keep demonstrating why they never get treated seriously by upper levels of government - they defer and whine instead of making politically risky, but necessary, decisions.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
Not at all. That's when the mayor of the largest city - the central city and capital of Ontario - can put the Premier and the Premier wanna-be on the hotseat. If he starts to plan now, the mayor can do serious damage by stating his case for why the province ought to fund transit now with its billions in gasoline taxes, and why it ought to take up its responsibility with respect to social services that are being covered by municipal taxes, and force McGuinty, Tory and Hampton to answer. He could make the election if he is savy enough to do so.