Download or read book Assessing the Theory and Practice of Land Value Taxation written by Richard F. Dye and published by Lincoln Inst of Land Policy. This book was released on 2010 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The land value tax is the focus of this Policy Focus Report, Assessing the Theory and Practice of Land Value Taxation. A concept dating back to Henry George, the land value tax is a variant of the property tax that imposes a higher tax rate on land than on improvements, or taxes only the land value. Many other types of changes in property tax policy, such as assessment freezes or limitations, have undesirable side effects, including unequal treatment of similarly situated taxpayers and distortion of economic incentives. The land value tax can enhance both the fairness and the efficiency of property tax collection, with few undesirable effects; land is effectively in fixed supply, so an increase in the tax rate on land value will raise revenue without distorting the incentives for owners to invest in and use their land. A land value tax has also been seen as a way to combat urban sprawl by encouraging density and infill development. Authors Richard F. Dye and Richard W. England examine the experience of those who have implemented the land value tax -- more than 30 countries around the world, and in the United States, several municipalities dating back to 1913, when the Pennsylvania legislature permitted Pittsburgh and Scranton to tax land values at a higher rate than building values. A 1951 statute gave smaller Pennsylvania cities the same option to enact a two-rate property tax, a variation of the land value tax. About 15 communities currently use this type of tax program, while others tried and rescinded it. Hawaii also has experience with two-rate taxation, and Virginia and Connecticut have authorized municipalities to choose a two-rate property tax. The land value tax has been subjected to studies comparing jurisdictions with and without it, and to legal challenges. A land value tax also raises administrative issues, particularly in the area of property tax assessments. Land value taxation is an attractive alternative to the traditional property tax, especially to much more problematic types of property tax measures such as assessment limitations, the authors conclude. A land value tax is best implemented if local officials use best assessing practices to keep land and improvement values up to date; phase in dual tax rates over several years; and include a tax credit feature in those communities where land-rich but income-poor citizens might suffer from land value taxation.

Download or read book Land Value Taxation written by Richard F. Dye and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Provides historical, economic, political and legal perspectives for understanding the many issues surrounding land taxation." - cover.

Download or read book Land Value Taxation written by K.C. Wenzer and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-07-01 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A distinguished interdisciplinary group of scholars examines the merits and shortcomings of Land-Value taxation, and how it compares and contrasts with the conventional property tax. The latter is shown as deterring enterprise to the detriment of employment and as pushing up the cost of improving property with inflationary consequences. The former, with evidence from places where it is already in use, is shown to encourage optimum land use, foster employment, and prevent urban sprawl.

Download or read book The Essential Reform written by Charles Henry Chomley and published by . This book was released on 1909 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Use value Assessment of Rural Land in the United States written by John Edwin Anderson and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: State and local governments in this country have adopted a number of policies to regulate the conversion of rural land to developed uses. One of the most significant and least understood is preferential assessment of rural land under the real property tax, often called use-value assessment (UVA) or current-use assessment. This book explains and analyzes the critical questions raised by this fiscal tool for farmland preservation. Under UVA, the assessments of various parcels of land within a given state may vary tremendously from property to property. A tract that is zoned residential with access to a turnpike might be assessed at $7,865 per acre. In the very same neighborhood, though, an even larger tract of vacant land might be assessed at a mere $127 per acre, which is far below the market value. How can there be such dramatic differences in the assessment of land values within the same community or neighborhood? Has the town assessor failed to treat property owners fairly and equally, as required by state law? Not at all. Nearly all states across the country permit, and even require, local assessors to value some parcels of undeveloped land far below their fair market values for the purpose of levying local property taxes. Despite their stated purpose of preserving rural lands from urban development, UVA programs can have unintended negative consequences. One is erosion of the legal and constitutional principle of uniformity of taxation; another is shifting of the local tax burden to other property owners, perhaps in a regressive manner. Occasionally UVA programs generate political controversy and even legislative action concerning "fake farmers" who enjoy low property tax bills, but whose land might only be used to sell firewood or Christmas trees to a few friends and neighbors. This volume explains the origins, key features, impacts, and flaws of use-value assessment programs across the United States. It describes in detail the process and characteristics of UVA programs in 44 states and recommends reforms. This book serves as a road map for public officials, scholars, and journalists concerned with agricultural taxation and land use issues.

Download or read book Making the Property Tax Work written by Roy W. Bahl and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Students of public finance and fiscal decentralization in developing and transitional countries have long argued for more intensive use of the property tax. It would seem the ideal choice for financing local government services. Based on a Lincoln Institute conference held in October 2006, the chapters in this book take this argument one step further in drawing on recent experience with property tax policy and administration. Two main sets of issues are addressed. First, why hasn't the property tax worked well in most developing and transitional countries? Second, what can be done to make the property tax a more relevant source for local governments in those countries? The numerous advantages of the property tax as a local government revenue source are analyzed and discussed in detail as are the many perceived disadvantages.

Download or read book Use value Farmland Assessments written by Robert J. Gloudemans and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Strong Towns written by Charles L. Marohn, Jr. and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2019-10-01 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new way forward for sustainable quality of life in cities of all sizes Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Build American Prosperity is a book of forward-thinking ideas that breaks with modern wisdom to present a new vision of urban development in the United States. Presenting the foundational ideas of the Strong Towns movement he co-founded, Charles Marohn explains why cities of all sizes continue to struggle to meet their basic needs, and reveals the new paradigm that can solve this longstanding problem. Inside, you’ll learn why inducing growth and development has been the conventional response to urban financial struggles—and why it just doesn’t work. New development and high-risk investing don’t generate enough wealth to support itself, and cities continue to struggle. Read this book to find out how cities large and small can focus on bottom-up investments to minimize risk and maximize their ability to strengthen the community financially and improve citizens’ quality of life. Develop in-depth knowledge of the underlying logic behind the “traditional” search for never-ending urban growth Learn practical solutions for ameliorating financial struggles through low-risk investment and a grassroots focus Gain insights and tools that can stop the vicious cycle of budget shortfalls and unexpected downturns Become a part of the Strong Towns revolution by shifting the focus away from top-down growth toward rebuilding American prosperity Strong Towns acknowledges that there is a problem with the American approach to growth and shows community leaders a new way forward. The Strong Towns response is a revolution in how we assemble the places we live.

Download or read book Implementing Value Capture in Latin America written by Martim Oscar Smolka and published by Lincoln Inst of Land Policy. This book was released on 2013 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The report examines a variety of specific instruments and applications in municipalities throughout the region under three categories: property taxation and betterment contributions; exactions and other direct negotiations for charges for building rights or the transfer of development rights; and large-scale approaches such as development of public land through privatization or acquisition, land readjustment, and public auctions of bonds for purchasing building rights. It concludes with a summary of lessons learned and recommends steps that can be taken in three spheres: Learn from Implementation Experiences Increase Knowledge about Theory and Practice Promote Greater Public Understanding and Participation

Download or read book A Good Tax written by Joan Youngman and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In A Good Tax, tax expert Joan Youngman skillfully considers how to improve the operation of the property tax and supply the information that is often missing in public debate. She analyzes the legal, administrative, and political challenges to the property tax in the United States and offers recommendations for its improvement. The book is accessibly written for policy analysts and public officials who are dealing with specific property tax issues and for those concerned with property tax issues in general.

Download or read book Rethinking Property Tax Incentives for Business written by Daphne A. Kenyon and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The use of property tax incentives for business by local governments throughout the United States has escalated over the last 50 years. While there is little evidence that these tax incentives are an effective instrument to promote economic development, they cost state and local governments $5 to $10 billion each year in forgone revenue. Three major obstacles can impede the success of property tax incentives as an economic development tool. First, incentives are unlikely to have a significant impact on a firm's profitability since property taxes are a small part of the total costs for most businesses--averaging much less than 1 percent of total costs for the U.S. manufacturing sector. Second, tax breaks are sometimes given to businesses that would have chosen the same location even without the incentives. When this happens, property tax incentives merely deplete the tax base without promoting economic development. Third, widespread use of incentives within a metropolitan area reduces their effectiveness, because when firms can obtain similar tax breaks in most jurisdictions, incentives are less likely to affect business location decisions. This report reviews five types of property tax incentives and examines their characteristics, costs, and effectiveness: property tax abatement programs; tax increment finance; enterprise zones; firm-specific property tax incentives; and property tax exemptions in connection with issuance of industrial development bonds. Alternatives to tax incentives should be considered by policy makers, such as customized job training, labor market intermediaries, and business support services. State and local governments also can pursue a policy of broad-based taxes with low tax rates or adopt split-rate property taxation with lower taxes on buildings than land.State policy makers are in a good position to increase the effectiveness of property tax incentives since they control how local governments use them. For example, states can restrict the use of incentives to certain geographic areas or certain types of facilities; publish information on the use of property tax incentives; conduct studies on their effectiveness; and reduce destructive local tax competition by not reimbursing local governments for revenue they forgo when they award property tax incentives.Local government officials can make wiser use of property tax incentives for business and avoid such incentives when their costs exceed their benefits. Localities should set clear criteria for the types of projects eligible for incentives; limit tax breaks to mobile facilities that export goods or services out of the region; involve tax administrators and other stakeholders in decisions to grant incentives; cooperate on economic development with other jurisdictions in the area; and be clear from the outset that not all businesses that ask for an incentive will receive one.Despite a generally poor record in promoting economic development, property tax incentives continue to be used. The goal is laudable: attracting new businesses to a jurisdiction can increase income or employment, expand the tax base, and revitalize distressed urban areas. In a best case scenario, attracting a large facility can increase worker productivity and draw related firms to the area, creating a positive feedback loop. This report offers recommendations to improve the odds of achieving these economic development goals.

Download or read book Land Value Taxation written by William J. McCluskey and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-03-02 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study of the strategic, policy and operational characteristics of Land Value Taxation is a unique and original contribution to Elston knowledge. McCluskey and Franzsen provide a clear and detailed synthesis of existing Land Value Taxation systems and address the perceived advantages and disadvantages of such systems. The implications of this work, based on a two-tier analysis of selected countries, will be critical in terms of informing policy makers when contemplating reviews of existing Land Value Taxation systems or its possible introduction. The empirical research underpinning this work has attempted to concisely provide the role of land value systems within the selected case study countries. The work has clearly identified a number of challenges being faced by those countries and jurisdictions that currently utilise land value tax systems. Given these challenges this book is timely in that it provides detailed expositions of property tax systems that are undergoing significant change and reform.

Download or read book The Assessment of Land Value written by Daniel Mark Holland and published by . This book was released on 1970 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Land Value Taxation in Britain written by Owen Connellan and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Attempts at introducing land value taxation in the United Kingdom demonstrate a long and varied history. This book considers this history and how the tax is particularly relevant today. It explores past debates over different forms of the tax, its role in generating government revenue, its practical operation, and its future prospects in Britain and elsewhere.

Download or read book Property Tax Assessment Limits written by Mark Haveman and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This policy focus report examines options that exist for timely and efficient aid to needy taxpayers, including circuit breaker programs that reduce taxes based on income level; truth in taxation measures; deferral options on property tax payments; partial exemptions on owner-occupied or homestead properties; and classified tax rates.

Download or read book Land Value Taxation Around the World written by Robert V. Andelson and published by Wiley-Blackwell. This book was released on 2001-03-05 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Andelson has provided an interdisciplinary, international collection of essays, which has been in the making for twenty years. This is not a book on the history of economic thought but rather a book about the theory and practice of land reform and an historical summary of efforts to apply land value taxation in different countries around the world.

Download or read book Use value Assessment of Rural Land in the United States written by John Edwin Anderson and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Explains the origins, key features, and implementation of use-value assessment (UVA) programs in property taxation in the United States during the last half-century. Intended audience consists of academics who study public finance, agricultural and land economics, urban economics and regional planning, and environmental economics; and state tax and conservation. Covers theory, practice, criticism, and reform recommendations"--