Posted by: admin : Category: Property Tax is a tax levied on the value of a property. In many developed countries, property taxes are levied by the local government and used to pay for the local government’s operating expenses while other major taxes, such as income tax, are levied by the central government.
This form of taxation usually requires a system of inspection whereby local government officials grade the property according to its presumed value, so that the property owner can then be charged at the appropriate rate.
Property taxes have been politically controversial for the simple reason that not everyone owns property. Since local governments are elected democratically and since the great bulk of local government expenditures are often financed by property taxes, it is therefore theoretically possible for a non-property owning majority to elect a government which would engage in lavish spending projects financed only by a minority. There is a potential for exploitation here which has been recognized by politicians of some countries, who have moved towards a local government household tax rather than a property tax per se.
Property taxes can also create tension when an area experiences dramatic rises in property values generally. In that case, households which may not be particularly wealthy, and who may have acquired a house when it was inexpensive, may find themselves being charged a very high rate for their home which is now worth much more. In extreme cases, households can find themselves driven out of their own home because of their inability to afford the higher property taxes.