Press Release: Texas to Begin Collecting Taxes on Alcohol in Galveston

[north29]

If I'm misinformed. How would TBAC know if you bought alcohol abroad, with the exception of from the ships store(some how) unless you are caring it out in the open. Are they going to inspect every piece of luggage, have trained dogs to sniff it out? I can see a "smuggling is fun thing" developing

Another thing, is the tax on goods going to actually pay for the employees needed to collet it? Some how I doubt that, especially after most everyone deciders not to buy anything.

[galavant3]

States with no property taxes seem to have found other ways to deal with such issues.

 

I might be moving!! What states do not have property taxes???

[Ocean Boy]

I might be moving!! What states do not have property taxes???

 

New Hampshire and Florida for starters. I don't have time for a search right now.

[Ocean Boy]

:rolleyes::rolleyes:Sure, because you will be benefiting from the exceptional education that the state is providing to the kids, who will then be running things when you are older. See how well it's working in govenment now?:rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

Thank you for the laugh. It has been a bad day here for the family. I needed to smile.

[Clarea]

Thank you for the laugh. It has been a bad day here for the family. I needed to smile.

Sorry to hear that.

[TC1957]

Yes. Penalized depending on which side of the equation you fall on. Should a single person with no kids pay as much, or more, toward the schools as someone with five kids in the system? The debate goes far beyond a cruise message board. States with no property taxes seem to have found other ways to deal with such issues.

 

Hopefully you are aware that property taxes do not only go to school systems. They can go to hospital districts, county governments, city governments, etc. If you, as a single person, are living in a home that is large enough to comfortably accomodate a family of 6 or 7 I am happy for you...you are probably doing well. But since property taxes go to all those other places and you want the larger family to pay more tell me, are you OK with their water getting hot faster than yours, they getting priority on using the library, having first responders get to them faster than you because they are paying more, etc.

 

But again...the tax at the core of the original post is COMPLETELY avoidable.

[time4u2go]

New Hampshire and Florida for starters. I don't have time for a search right now.

Florida most definitely DOES have property tax.

[Ocean Boy]

florida most definitely does have property tax.

 

ok.

[Ocean Boy]

Hopefully you are aware that property taxes do not only go to school systems. They can go to hospital districts, county governments, city governments, etc. If you, as a single person, are living in a home that is large enough to comfortably accomodate a family of 6 or 7 I am happy for you...you are probably doing well. But since property taxes go to all those other places and you want the larger family to pay more tell me, are you OK with their water getting hot faster than yours, they getting priority on using the library, having first responders get to them faster than you because they are paying more, etc.

 

But again...the tax at the core of the original post is COMPLETELY avoidable.

 

No. I had no idea.

[galavant3]

Florida most definitely DOES have property tax.

 

But, I don't think they have state income tax, similar to Texas.

[jbond]

All US states have property taxes. Here are the top ten highest taxed states.

New Jersey - 1.89%

New Hampshire - 1.86%

Texas - 1.81%

Wisconsin - 1.76%

Nebraska - 1.70%

Illinois - 1.73%

Connecticut - 1.63%

Michigan - 1.62%

Vermont - 1.59%

North Dakota - 1.42%

[seaofwonder]

Florida does not have state income tax.

 

 

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[Cruzin-K]

All US states have property taxes. Here are the top ten highest taxed states.

New Jersey - 1.89%

New Hampshire - 1.86%

Texas - 1.81%

Wisconsin - 1.76%

Nebraska - 1.70%

Illinois - 1.73%

Connecticut - 1.63%

Michigan - 1.62%

Vermont - 1.59%

North Dakota - 1.42%

 

That must be the state's portion of the tax :confused: I know I was paying more than that in Texas, but it was probably county/city taxes on top of the state's portion. Not sure.

[markeb]

That must be the state's portion of the tax :confused: I know I was paying more than that in Texas, but it was probably county/city taxes on top of the state's portion. Not sure.

 

I thought San Antonio was like 30% :)

 

(We lived north of Cibolo Creek in Guadalupe County on purpose!)

[Cruzin-K]

I thought San Antonio was like 30% :)

 

(We lived north of Cibolo Creek in Guadalupe County on purpose!)

 

Me too :D I just sold my house in Cibolo last year. (the first house I ever owned was in Northern VA)

 

Thankfully, I don't drink much so taxing cruise ship liquor sales is pretty much a non-issue for me.

Edited January 9, 2014 by Cruzin-K

[markeb]

Me too :D I just sold my house in Cibolo last year. (the first house I ever owned was in Northern VA)

 

Thankfully, I don't drink much so taxing cruise ship liquor sales is pretty much a non-issue for me.

 

I could totally hijack this thread! There aren't many reasons for migration to/from NoVA and SATX. We lived off Schertz Parkway and I commuted to Fort Sam for 5 years. And now commute to the obvious Building in NoVA!

 

Oh, and just for the record: Go Spurs Go!

 

And now back to your regularly scheduled taxation of booze imported into Galveston discussion...

[Tucker in Texas]

Regarding property taxes. In Texas everyone gets a homestead exemption from the "get go" of $20K (I think). In Harris County (Houston) when you turn 65, you pay no property taxes IF you house is valued at less than $200K. If your house is valued over $200K, then you pay taxes on the excess but $200K would be exempted. It was a happy day when we reached 65 as our taxes went down considerably and we got Medicare!

 

If you are in the Clear Creek Independent District, when you turn 65. your school taxes are frozen. If they go down, you get them lowered. If they go up, no increase. I'm sure they do this because people that don't have children involved in the school system would not be really motivated to vote for school bond issues.

 

Our Harris County property taxes are paid separately from the school taxes so the property taxes do not go towards the school district. As others have pointed out, they cover infrastructure ranging from libraries to hospitals and beyond.

 

Tucker in Texas

Edited January 9, 2014 by Tucker in Texas

[seaofwonder]

We had to wait 1 year to file the homestead exemption (Tarrant County).

[Galveston Cruiser]

What does property tax have to do with this thread?

[lady_cruiser]

[QUOTE=overthehillcruiser;41018410]You should see what our property taxes are as well..:eek: What I do not understand about this forum is why someone wants to bad mouth our state when they have a choice whether to come here or not ?? Most Texas people are friendly, and do not state they dislike some other state for "various" reasons as someone above said. Hey, if you don't like us, don't come here..I am not really trying to start anything, and I am totally against the new tax deal as well, I just wish we could keep it friendly..:)

THANK YOU. I feel the same way. If you don't like cruising from a certain state then choose another state.

 

I love the saying "Don't Mess with Texas." I think that applies here.

Edited January 9, 2014 by lady_cruiser

[dkh1020]

I just returned from Cozumel on the Disney Wonder on the 8th. And yes, our friendly TABC agents were there waiting to reach into my pockets.

 

On previous cruises, I have always brought back my limit and claimed it accordingly. I am a Texas resident and do not appreciate any new taxes. This time, I brought back in excess of my limit and claimed NOTHING. A TABC agent approached me and said "alcohol or cigarettes?" I said No Thank You and walked right past the her. She had a very confused look on her face:D

 

The agents were very disorganized and were overrun by the number of people leaving the terminal. As a previous poster mentioned, there is no way the taxes they do collect can even begin to cover the salaries of the agents at the port. I suspect the attempt at enforcement will stop and things will continue as they have in the past. This law will end up being just one of many other unenforceable laws on the books.

 

One last thing to ponder about this law. Disney allows you to take on your own liquor. Who is to say that I wasn't simply returning with what I had originally brought on board? Going forward I will exceed my limit since I will no longer be claiming anything:p.

[time4u2go]

I just returned from Cozumel on the Disney Wonder on the 8th. And yes, our friendly TABC agents were there waiting to reach into my pockets.

 

On previous cruises, I have always brought back my limit and claimed it accordingly. I am a Texas resident and do not appreciate any new taxes. This time, I brought back in excess of my limit and claimed NOTHING. A TABC agent approached me and said "alcohol or cigarettes?" I said No Thank You and walked right past the her. She had a very confused look on her face:D

 

The agents were very disorganized and were overrun by the number of people leaving the terminal. As a previous poster mentioned, there is no way the taxes they do collect can even begin to cover the salaries of the agents at the port. I suspect the attempt at enforcement will stop and things will continue as they have in the past. This law will end up being just one of many other unenforceable laws on the books.

 

One last thing to ponder about this law. Disney allows you to take on your own liquor. Who is to say that I wasn't simply returning with what I had originally brought on board? Going forward I will exceed my limit since I will no longer be claiming anything:p.

Why are you not claiming anything?

[sblair]

Hopefully you are aware that property taxes do not only go to school systems. They can go to hospital districts, county governments, city governments, etc..

 

Yes, BUT the majority goes to the school district. I get billed separately each year for my property taxes from the School District and from the County. The majority of it is going to the school district.

[Tucker in Texas]

 

One last thing to ponder about this law. Disney allows you to take on your own liquor. Who is to say that I wasn't simply returning with what I had originally brought on board? Going forward I will exceed my limit since I will no longer be claiming anything:p.

 

If you brought it with you, it would have a Texas tax stamp on the bottle or cigarette pack. So, I guess, bring an empty bottle with you to refill (lol).

 

Tucker in Texas

[miccheck]

If you brought it with you, it would have a Texas tax stamp on the bottle or cigarette pack. So, I guess, bring an empty bottle with you to refill (lol).

 

Tucker in Texas

 

They'd have a hard time proving you didn't buy it in advance and bring it on. Unless something has changed, the last time I was in a Texas liquor store, there were no tax stamps on any bottles. There definitely aren't any on the liquor bottles I've got from Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma (just checked).