Taxachusetts is out of hand.

KCW

They just passed a new tax hike here in Mass. Among other things (like a $.03 per gal gas tax hike) they upped cigarettes $1.00 and cigars went from 30% to 40% (all on otp of a 6.25% sales tax). This is all supposed to go to our broken Public Trans. system. Unreal.

stephen_hannibal

KCW:

They just passed a new tax hike here in Mass. Among other things (like a $.03 per gal gas tax hike) they upped cigarettes $1.00 and cigars went from 30% to 40% (all on otp of a 6.25% sales tax). This is all supposed to go to our broken Public Trans. system. Unreal.

I feel ya mang... I live in MD all they do is tax. Except none of it goes towards anything.
Place is pretty much a soviet empire.

Rail_Jockey

Same here in Illinois. Used to be "land of Lincoln" now it is "land of tax'n"

Cigary

When I lived in Framingham I could see the local Gov't zeroing in on tobacco and started buying all of my cigars online. It is much like California in that they are going to break the back of tobacco sales and it will be followed up by the other "progressive states" where Big Brother wants to keep us healthy so we don't use the new healthcare coming in 2014. The ban on soft drinks in NY didn't go as well as anticipated but it won't keep them from trying again with tobacco, soft drinks, diabetes, over eating....just another way of control over our personal lives.

scarlin

This is why I can't complain about Pennsylvania. There is no tax on cigars here due to tobacco being grown here and they don't want to hurt the economy and I think this is part of the reason CCOM and CI are based in PA (though it is on that weird east side of the state). I know PA really needs to address the whole road and bridge situation. The roads are terrible plus when you live in the City of Bridges upon which some astronomical percentage are in need are safety repairs (or w/e that one random report I read clssified it as). That Mass. tax is unreal. Was there a cigar tax before or just a sales tax?

raisindot

Well, as a lifetime MA resident I have absolutely no problem with increasing the gas tax by 3 cents AS LONG AS the money goes toward improving the hundreds of roads and bridges here that are either closed (such as one of the main bridges in my town) or in terrible shape (as most roads are) and that improves our crappy public transportation system (which, in spite of a lack of real oversight of labor and pension costs, is still underfunded) without increasing tolls and subway/commuter fares.

As for increasing 'sin taxes' on cigarettes and cigars I'm fine with this as well. These hobbies are luxuries and I have no problem with luxury taxes, again, as long as they are spent on improving infrastructure.

And the whole "Taxachusetts" thing is largely a myth when you compare our tax rates to other states that have income taxes and sales taxes. Our flat state income tax rate--5.25%--is among the lowest among the states that have income taxes and our personal exemptions are among the highest (now, we do charge 12% on capital gains--a problem if you're a day trader or house flipper!). Our sales tax--6.25%--is less than that of 9 other states. We're one of the few states with no county or local sales taxes. Our real estate taxes are ranked 21st in terms of tax rate as a percentage of home value.

The problem with MA isn't that our taxes are excessively high--it's that it's too damned expensive to live here in terms of housing prices and the general cost of living. And that our state government is totally corrupt and wasteful and owned by special interests. But then again, that could describe just about any state government in America.

In terms of cigars, I only buy them online because our local B&Ms are pretty useless. Once the Internet sales tax become a reality I'll have to pay MA sales taxes on top of shipping--that might either make me go back to B&Ms for certain things or give up the hobby altogether. I can live without cigars. I can die if the roads aren't fixed.

kuzi16

raisindot:

I can live without cigars.

i dont know you anymore.

jadelt

raisindot:

Our sales tax--6.25%--is less than that of 9 other states..

Now that there is a true "Glass is half full guy" Another way to say that is that MA is in the top ten highest sales tax rate states. (from a glass is half empty guy)

raisindot

jadelt:

raisindot:

Our sales tax--6.25%--is less than that of 9 other states..

Now that there is a true "Glass is half full guy" Another way to say that is that MA is in the top ten highest sales tax rate states. (from a glass is half empty guy)

Hee hee! And, actually, I was mistaken. Most states charge both state sales taxes and local state taxes. When you add those together, MA--which does not charge local taxes--is actually ranked 31st--with lower overall state sales taxes than, for example, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, both Carolinas, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa.

But it's still damned expensive to live here, nevertheless.

jthanatos

raisindot:

jadelt:

raisindot:

Our sales tax--6.25%--is less than that of 9 other states..

Now that there is a true "Glass is half full guy" Another way to say that is that MA is in the top ten highest sales tax rate states. (from a glass is half empty guy)

Hee hee! And, actually, I was mistaken. Most states charge both state sales taxes and local state taxes. When you add those together, MA--which does not charge local taxes--is actually ranked 31st--with lower overall state sales taxes than, for example, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, both Carolinas, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa.

But it's still damned expensive to live here, nevertheless.

Damn, my state's taxes suck so much you had to name it twice.

Guess we have to support our state's "Gubernatorial Carceral Retirement Plan".