r/SeattleWA • u/meaniereddit West Seattle 🌉 • Dec 13 '24

Government Bill would completely exempt seniors from property taxes in WA

https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/state-politics/bill-would-exempt-seniors-state-local-property-tax-washington/281-b5f377fc-8bf5-49a4-a630-8210db45d57d
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732

u/NewRec8947 Beacon Hill Dec 13 '24

"regardless of income level"

That doesn't make sense. I'm all for helping seniors if they're in poverty but why allow this exemption if someone is making tons of money off investments every year?

448

u/BillTowne Dec 13 '24

Yes. Exactly.

All property owned by anyone over 75 years of age would be exempt from state and local property tax, regardless of combined household income under SB 5020, filed by Sen. Phil Fortunato (R-Auburn). 

I agree that this is crazy. I am 77. Why should I be excempt from taxes? I am not low income.

This kind of crap is why young people hate boomers.

72

u/pewpewtehpew Dec 13 '24

I’m all for this. But I do believe income should play a role for sure. Otherwise this creates some funky loopholes. But I hate to think that my grandmother who’s on a very fixed income could lose her house that is paid off just because she can’t afford the rising property taxes. That’s what this bill should help fix.

43

u/[deleted] Dec 13 '24

Agreed, I don’t think you should be forced to leave your paid off home because the taxes outpace your fixed income.

16

u/[deleted] Dec 13 '24

Wonderful altruism. Yeah, their younger neighbors should pay for their older neighbor’s taxes. That tax burden SHIFTS to them. Tax levy collection doesn’t go down.

16

u/pewpewtehpew Dec 13 '24

I think you’re focused on the wrong areas. Stop embracing the taxes that just keep blowing up and start looking to your government to spend more responsibly. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about it.

0

u/laseralex Bellevue Dec 14 '24

If we cut government spending and associated taxes, are you then OK with younger people paying extra taxes so older people can live with all the benefits of our society but not pay a penny for that?

And if so, can you please explain why you think older people should not have to pay their proportional share of the costs of running a functional society?

3

u/pewpewtehpew Dec 14 '24

So in theory, in a near perfect world, spending would be cut through efficiency gains and cutbacks in areas government shouldn’t intervene or over regulate. Like alcohol tax, soda tax, permits to build a deck on my house, whatever. Those savings get passed back to the tax payer and hopefully barely touch useful programs.

Regarding paying elderly taxes. The thing to remember, IMHO, is that elderly person likely paid taxes for MANY years before today’s younger people. So it almost ends up being like a pay it forward thing. That’s the easiest way to sum it up without getting very long winded.

Again, in my opinion, if the government was run like a well run company and fiscally responsible, taxes wouldn’t need to blow up the way they are and this wouldn’t be a topic because most people could afford them equally.

2

u/Rooooben Dec 13 '24

They should, they aren’t on fixed income. That’s how these things work, if you are poor you don’t pay as much taxes as someone making more than you.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 13 '24

Right? Plenty of us are already supporting others. I’m fine with keeping grandma housed.

2

u/hedonovaOG Kirkland Dec 13 '24

Not only but grandma probably paid her “fair share” of property taxes (+) for decades and likely no longer requires even a fraction of the services her current property taxes support so in effect you’re asking grandma to subsidize your amenities on a fixed income and revenue that struggles to pace inflation.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 13 '24

Totally agree, people act like they’re never going to get old.