STOP Tax

STOPTAX.ORG

Board of Directors

Wendy Bremer
Director
Greenville
STOPTAX.org
(864) 444-2595

Timothy Moultrie
Media Liaison
STOPTAX.org
(803) 894-6470

David Whetsell
President
STOPTAX.org
(803) 957-8694

STOP TAXING OUR PROPERTY

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Proposal to Remove ALL Property Taxes

We need a Bill to remove all SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS. We take these funds, plus tier 1, 2 & 3 (state paid funds for tax relief), close ALL assessors' offices and add $30.00 per thousand to the deed stamp. These would totally offset ALL Property Taxes (all houses, all businesses and all other property that is taxed). This would also save the taxpayers between 50 million and 100 million dollars by doing away with assessors and their offices. This would be TOTAL FREEDOM where the government can not take your property because you can not afford to pay the taxes. The deed stamp increase would be to keep newcomers from reaping the benefits of no taxes, it would be like an impact fee to pay off the bonds and pay for new construction. IT WOULD BE A TAX SWAP not a tax increase. They can only spend what they collect. We could also put caps on sales tax increases and part of the funds are used for Capital investments.

David Whetsell
803-957-8694
Lexington,SC
www.stoptax.org

HOW IT IS DONE SHOWN BELOW

Page 4 of the 2009 Local Government Finance Report Fiscal Years 03 To 09 (Office of Research & Statistics, South Carolina Budget & Control Board) gives you tier 1, 2, 3 relief from the State.

Page 5 gives you total property taxes collected from all properties.

You start with $4,357,972,789 on top right of page 5.

You subtract $2,753,712,595 sales tax exemptions from above found on the B&CB report Sales & Use Tax Exemptions Fiscal Year 2008-2009.

Then you subtract tier 1, 2, 3 from page 4.

You subtract $50,000,000 from shutting down all the assessors' offices. Each county gives their cost in their budgets (between $50 and $100 million; Lexington was $2.05 million last year).

You make up the rest from the deed stamp increase for each $1.00 per thousand = $21,033,585 from South Carolina Department of Revenue Annual Report 2007-2008 (page 33 is total deed stamp collected).

Figure up how much is needed to make an even swap. The deed stamp is a one time impact fee.

This would gives us total freedom from the government by not having property tax.

If we put a cap on the 6 cents of sales tax it would control spending. Only increase spending if collections increase.

$4,358,000,000	Total property taxes collected (schools, counties and cities). All figures are rounded off.
- $2,754,000,000	Sales tax exemptions
- $925,000,000	Tier 1,2 & 3 state reimbursement (Act 388, 1994 $100,000 relief & over 65 relief)
- $50,000,000	By shutting down all assessors' offices state-wide
- $629,000,000	Deed stamp collections (about $30.00 per thousand)
______________
ZERO PROPERTY TAXES	Complete freedom from government confiscation of our property with no tax increase, just a swap.

House Prices Going Down

We need to get started on forcing reassessment next year, as home prices are going down.

The Lexington County Assessor's Office states on their website:

"Q. Am I supposed to be told about changes in market value determined for my property?

A. Yes. The Assessor must mail a property assessment notice to all property owners whose real propertys fair market value increases by $1,000 or more. Assessment notices must be sent to the person listed as property owner as of December 31 of the prior year.

The assessment notice includes the market value, the new assessment value, the assessment ratio, number of acres or lots, location of property, tax map number and the appeals procedure.

When a reassessment program is completed, the Assessor must mail the assessment notices by February 1 of the year the reassessment program will be implemented."

But the Assessor's Office is not telling the public the whole truth as shown below from South Carolina code of laws, Title 12 - Taxation, Section 12-37-90, sub-section C. I wonder how many of the other county assessor's offices are telling half-truths.

Title 12 - Taxation CHAPTER 37. ASSESSMENT OF PROPERTY TAXES ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 12-37-90. Assessors to be full-time; responsibilities and duties.

All counties shall have a full-time assessor, whose responsibility is appraising and listing all real property, whether exempted or not, except real property required by law to be assessed by the department and property owned by the federal government, state government, county government, or any of its political subdivisions and which is exempt from property taxation. If the assessor discovers that any real property required by law to be assessed by the department has been omitted, he shall notify the department that the property has been omitted and the department is required to appraise and assess the omitted property.

The assessor is responsible for the operations of his office and shall:

(a) maintain a continuous record of recorded deed sales transactions, building permits, tax maps, and other records necessary for a continuing reassessment program;

(b) diligently search for and discover all real property not previously returned by the owners or their agents or not listed for taxation by the county auditor, and list such property for taxation in the name of the owner or person to whom it is taxable;

(c) when values change, reappraise and reassess real property so as to reflect its proper valuation in light of changed conditions, except for exempt property and real property required by law to be appraised and assessed by the department, and furnish a list of these assessments to the county auditor;

(d) determine assessments and reassessments of real property in a manner that the ratio of assessed value to fair market value is uniform throughout the county;

(e) appear as necessary before an appellate board to give testimony and present evidence as to the justification of an appraisal;

(f) have the right of appeal from a disapproval of or modification of an appraisal made by him;

(g) perform duties relating to the office of tax assessor required by the laws of this State;

(h) be the sole person responsible for the valuation of real property, except that required by law to be appraised and assessed by the department, and the values set by the assessor may be altered only by the assessor or by legally constituted appellate boards, the department, or the courts;

(i) have the right to enter and examine all new nonresidential buildings and structures and those portions of an existing nonresidential building or structure covered by a building permit for renovations or additions.

What You Can Do to Help!!!

Join stoptax.org today.
Please make a donation of $10, $50, $100 or more so we can contact more people to join us in the fight to save our homes. We have to let them know you support the elimination of personal property taxes on homes. We want to spread the word and build membership as a grassroots organization to pressure the legislators to pass the bill and amendments to make owning your HOME a reality. With every $10 given we will send you a STOPTAX bumper sticker. No one in STOPTAX makes any money as all of it is spent on getting the word out.

You can donate by sending a check to:
StopTax
P.O. Box 84102
Lexington, SC 29073

Then, call your neighbors, friends, family members, children, classmates, and business associates and ask them to do the same! (Keep the money for yourselves and your family. If you don't, they will add the 2% for something else anyway, and we will be paying exorbitant property taxes and the 2% sales tax at some point.)

We need your support! Email us at info@stoptax.org or contact us by phone to find out how you can help.

Spokesperson: David R. Whetsell
Phone: (803) 957-8694

Media Liaison: Timothy Moultrie
Phone: (803) 312-5167