this post was submitted on 17 Apr 2026
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Explain Like I'm Five

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Explain Like I am a child ... taxes. I get you pay taxes on goods you buy everyday. And you get said goods by paying a one time fee. But how come on a home after being paid off I still pay taxes...... (lemmy.world)
submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by Patnou@lemmy.world to c/explainlikeimfive@lemmy.world
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I mean I paid for it like I would anything else I wanted. They charge a tax at checkout. So if I buy a house and pay the whole thing off, why do I still have to pay taxes on said house when I paid the whole agreed on price in full? It would be like me buying a six pack of beer I pay for it and tax at checkout. But then timely I have to keep paying taxes on the beer even though paid in full?

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[โ€“] mech@feddit.org 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Mostly due to racism and classism, and I'm not even kidding.
In the US, property taxes fund public infrastructure and schools for the community you live in.
This was set up so rich white communities (who pay more taxes) benefit from better infrastructure and schools, while poor black communities and schools crumble under a lack of funds.
This isn't a natural law, and other countries do it differently. Funding all the nation's schools from everyone's income taxes would mean that rich people pay their fair share into the system and everyone profits equally.

[โ€“] Artisian@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

well, note that property taxes are present in plenty of other countries. They just don't get spent the same way.