Comments on: Friday Question of the Day – DC Voting Rights Edition http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/ Welcome to the beautiful life Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:05:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Anon http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5305 Anon Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:25:28 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5305 Just to point out, Buffet didn't say he pays less in taxes than his secretary. He said he was taxed at a lower rate. Still distirbing, but hardly the same thing. Just to point out, Buffet didn’t say he pays less in taxes than his secretary. He said he was taxed at a lower rate. Still distirbing, but hardly the same thing.

]]> By: mapgirl http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5304 mapgirl Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:02:03 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5304 BTW, you can get a refund of the Philly City Wage Tax. You just have to file a separate petition form for it which is available online. And a lot of states have a line item where you enter in taxes you remitted to another state as a deduction. (Have you people not ever had to file taxes in other states? Me, I've lived in PA, CA, MD, VA and DC and filed as a resident and part-year/non-resident in every one at least once.) BTW, you can get a refund of the Philly City Wage Tax. You just have to file a separate petition form for it which is available online. And a lot of states have a line item where you enter in taxes you remitted to another state as a deduction. (Have you people not ever had to file taxes in other states? Me, I’ve lived in PA, CA, MD, VA and DC and filed as a resident and part-year/non-resident in every one at least once.)

]]> By: mapgirl http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5303 mapgirl Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:59:45 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5303 Having lived and worked in/around Philly around the time the city wage tax was introduced, let me explain something... Residents of DE who work in Phila are indirectly taxed. It's 40 minute drive in rush hour from Wilmington in downtown Philly. If you aren't paying for gas and auto maintenance, you are paying SEPTA or Amtrak for train rides. Either way, you are 'taxed'. (FWIW, it's only 3.5% which is .48% less than city residents pay. And the state income tax in PA is a flat 3%. I think the highest DC bracket is like 17%. In DC if you rent, there is a renter's tax credit, but I never found it to be enough to offset the income tax which is one reason I moved to NoVa. Believe me, I pay DC enough in parking tix staying overnight in DC at my bf's house, which is just another form of tax.) Now in terms of principled democracy, I'd rather have the vote than no taxes. Because the really rich wouldn't move to DC for a 'tax haven'. They'd just hire a better tax accountant, stay where they are and keep avoiding taxes in other ways. The rich already pay very little in taxes (Buffett pays less than his secretary. He's even said so.) While upper middle class folks will try to use DC as a tax dodge renting rooms from their DC-resident kids, most middle-class entrepreneurs/business-owners don't need the dodge as they monkey with their accounting to reduce their income and pay less. But high wage earners who are not making lots of Schedule C income might try to use the tax haven practice of Neener's parents, but if enforcement is truly an issue, then the home state of Neener's parents are going to pursue them even more heavily than the IRS, as suddenly their income earned as non-residents will start doing funny things and likely trigger a state audit. (Not quite as nasty, probably, but still not painless.) The point isn't about leverage in Congress so much as the entire point of living in America and having a voice in how taxes are levied albeit a whisper, as to no voice at all. After all if you don't pay in to Federal taxes, why should you get any of it back in benefits? Having lived and worked in/around Philly around the time the city wage tax was introduced, let me explain something… Residents of DE who work in Phila are indirectly taxed. It’s 40 minute drive in rush hour from Wilmington in downtown Philly. If you aren’t paying for gas and auto maintenance, you are paying SEPTA or Amtrak for train rides. Either way, you are ‘taxed’. (FWIW, it’s only 3.5% which is .48% less than city residents pay. And the state income tax in PA is a flat 3%. I think the highest DC bracket is like 17%. In DC if you rent, there is a renter’s tax credit, but I never found it to be enough to offset the income tax which is one reason I moved to NoVa. Believe me, I pay DC enough in parking tix staying overnight in DC at my bf’s house, which is just another form of tax.)

Now in terms of principled democracy, I’d rather have the vote than no taxes. Because the really rich wouldn’t move to DC for a ‘tax haven’. They’d just hire a better tax accountant, stay where they are and keep avoiding taxes in other ways. The rich already pay very little in taxes (Buffett pays less than his secretary. He’s even said so.)

While upper middle class folks will try to use DC as a tax dodge renting rooms from their DC-resident kids, most middle-class entrepreneurs/business-owners don’t need the dodge as they monkey with their accounting to reduce their income and pay less. But high wage earners who are not making lots of Schedule C income might try to use the tax haven practice of Neener’s parents, but if enforcement is truly an issue, then the home state of Neener’s parents are going to pursue them even more heavily than the IRS, as suddenly their income earned as non-residents will start doing funny things and likely trigger a state audit. (Not quite as nasty, probably, but still not painless.)

The point isn’t about leverage in Congress so much as the entire point of living in America and having a voice in how taxes are levied albeit a whisper, as to no voice at all. After all if you don’t pay in to Federal taxes, why should you get any of it back in benefits?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5302 Anonymous Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:46:46 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5302 Yea, the Delaware residents in Philly are sorta screwed (I would contend due to their decision to live in Delaware and work in Philly, but I digress), but the Jersey residents working in Philly get to deduct the Philly taxes from their state tax returns, so its a wash for them. Yea, the Delaware residents in Philly are sorta screwed (I would contend due to their decision to live in Delaware and work in Philly, but I digress), but the Jersey residents working in Philly get to deduct the Philly taxes from their state tax returns, so its a wash for them.

]]> By: Think Think About It http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5301 Think Think About It Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:44:07 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5301 ha ha, I will "let it be known". But we don't know the "letter" of the law, so just think of it from the prespective of Congress, and the IRS, and think about the dranconian residency requirements they would put into the law (possibly multiple year residency; an election for a House Rep is every two years and Senator every 6, so a multi-year residency requirement certainly makes sense) and forms of proof that would be required if something of this magnitude was ever enacted. Obviously it would have to be something a little more than registering to vote in the District (and the requirements for that) or else they would get hammered about people "selling" their right to vote for representatives in exchange for a tax break and move to DC (existing resident of DC, of course, wouldn't have anything to sell). ha ha, I will “let it be known”. But we don’t know the “letter” of the law, so just think of it from the prespective of Congress, and the IRS, and think about the dranconian residency requirements they would put into the law (possibly multiple year residency; an election for a House Rep is every two years and Senator every 6, so a multi-year residency requirement certainly makes sense) and forms of proof that would be required if something of this magnitude was ever enacted. Obviously it would have to be something a little more than registering to vote in the District (and the requirements for that) or else they would get hammered about people “selling” their right to vote for representatives in exchange for a tax break and move to DC (existing resident of DC, of course, wouldn’t have anything to sell).

]]> By: frankgindc http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5300 frankgindc Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:37:45 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5300 The problem is "a" vote in Congress. Every other American has THREE: two senators and one rep. Having one rep wouldn't give us much pull at all, especially after it was balanced with a vote from Utah. A better question: would you rather give up the Taxation Without Representation license plates in exchange for one vote that won't matter? The need to find a way to get us full representation. The lame one vote business will just act as a pressure release valve..... P.S. In Philly, non residents who work in the city pay a "commuter tax" that is only slightly less than the 5% or so that city residents pay. Technically, they only have to pay for the days they worked i the city so many of them file to reclaim that money. That was a big deal a few years ago when professional athletes from visiting teams starting doing this. Seriously. Not sure how they resolved it. The problem is “a” vote in Congress. Every other American has THREE: two senators and one rep. Having one rep wouldn’t give us much pull at all, especially after it was balanced with a vote from Utah.

A better question: would you rather give up the Taxation Without Representation license plates in exchange for one vote that won’t matter?

The need to find a way to get us full representation. The lame one vote business will just act as a pressure release valve…..

P.S. In Philly, non residents who work in the city pay a “commuter tax” that is only slightly less than the 5% or so that city residents pay. Technically, they only have to pay for the days they worked i the city so many of them file to reclaim that money. That was a big deal a few years ago when professional athletes from visiting teams starting doing this. Seriously. Not sure how they resolved it.

]]> By: Manner Park http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5299 Manner Park Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:22:33 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5299 Neener, I'm pretty sure that if you work in Philly you must pay the wage tax, regardless of where you reside, even in another locality within PA. And I'm also pretty sure that you don't get some kind of offset on any of your other taxes. Neener, I’m pretty sure that if you work in Philly you must pay the wage tax, regardless of where you reside, even in another locality within PA. And I’m also pretty sure that you don’t get some kind of offset on any of your other taxes.

]]> By: Neener http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5298 Neener Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:21:31 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5298 Let it be known that I disagree with Think About It and disagree that an audit could uncover this kind of "fraud" because it follows the letter of the law. How could the IRS claim that a person with a DC address, DC-registered car and paying DC taxes might not be considered a DC resident on paper? Both lifelong DC residents Al Gore and Bob Dole essentially do this but they have permission to due to their political status. Let it be known that I disagree with Think About It and disagree that an audit could uncover this kind of “fraud” because it follows the letter of the law.

How could the IRS claim that a person with a DC address, DC-registered car and paying DC taxes might not be considered a DC resident on paper?

Both lifelong DC residents Al Gore and Bob Dole essentially do this but they have permission to due to their political status.

]]> By: Odentex http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5297 Odentex Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:20:24 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5297 Neener: That makes sense. All of this brings up the most important question of all: Why would anyone ever wanna go to Philly? ;) Neener: That makes sense. All of this brings up the most important question of all:

Why would anyone ever wanna go to Philly? ;)

]]> By: Neener http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5296 Neener Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:10:39 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/01/friday-question-of-the-day-dc-voting-rights-edition/#comment-5296 Apparently in Philly if your office address is at such and such location you pay the tax. In PA the city tax is automatically withdrawn from your paycheck. You get some kind of partial refund when you file PA state tax form. People outside of PA can't file that. That's how it was described to me. Apparently in Philly if your office address is at such and such location you pay the tax. In PA the city tax is automatically withdrawn from your paycheck. You get some kind of partial refund when you file PA state tax form. People outside of PA can’t file that. That’s how it was described to me.

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