The Federal Property Tax Relief Petition

Do you agree with Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. John Hall, and Co. Leg. Fred Bunnell that Congress should pass H.R. 3562, The Property Tax Relief Act of 2007?

If you do, sign on to this petition, call Congress toll-free at (800) 828-0498, and pass it on.

Joel Tyner
County Legislator
Clinton/Rhinebeck
324 Browns Pond Road
Staatsburg, NY 12580
[email protected]
(845) 876-2488

[also see: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/in09_hill/091807a.shtml]

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"Hall Pushes Property Tax Relief Bill: Non-Itemizers Would Benefit"
by John Davis [Poughkeepsie Journal 9/25/07]
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070925/NEWS01/709250326/1006/NEWS01
[excerpt here below]

U.S. Rep. John Hall, D-Dover, wants the federal government to ease the mounting local tax burden.

He has introduced in Congress the Property Tax Relief Act of 2007, which would allow homeowners, who take the standard deduction on their income taxes, to deduct the property taxes on their primary residence.

Most people who deduct property taxes do so by itemizing them on their tax forms.

Hall said Dutchess County has been hit particularly hard by property taxes. The median property tax of $4,217 is almost three times the national average.

Within the last decade, property taxes in Dutchess County have increased 64 percent and they show little sign of abating, Hall said in unveiling his bill Monday morning at Peach Hill Park in the Town of Poughkeepsie. That means that middle-class homeowners are taking on a larger and larger burden at the same time they are stretched by spiking energy costs and rising health-care expenses.

The legislation does not have a companion bill in the U.S. Senate yet...

Hall said his bill, which he is co-sponsoring, would benefit many retired homeowners who don't itemize their deductions.

Everyone will be able to lower their gross income, he said.

Saugerties school board, said rising property taxes have created between local school boards and taxpayers a confrontational attitude that is not good for education.

Hall said he was uncertain of how much federal revenue would be lost if his bill becomes law. The Congressional Budget Office will determine soon what that might be.

It's probably less than the $600 billion we've spent in Iraq so far, he said.

The imposition by the federal and state governments of unfunded programs led Hall to introduce the tax relief bill.

The deduction, he said, will provide some relief until the state decides they will fund school taxes differently.

Thompsett said she supports legislation introduced by Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston. That bill would eliminate school property taxes and make the state responsible for funding public education through a progressive income tax...

The Dutchess County Legislature unanimously called on the state Assembly recently to consider both Saland and Cahill bills.

I'm glad we got bipartisan support to kick them in the tail, said county Legislator Fred Bunnell, D-Poughkeepsie, who attended Hall's park announcement.

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From Congress' Thomas bill register...

[see http://thomas.loc.gov]

Property Tax Relief Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)

HR 3562 IH

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3562

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the deduction for real property taxes on the principal residences to all individuals whether or not they itemize other deductions.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 18, 2007

Mr. HILL (for himself, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mr. PENCE, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. HALL of New York, Mr. ELLSWORTH, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. DONNELLY, and Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] - 9/24/2007
Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] - 9/18/2007
Rep Donnelly, Joe [IN-2] - 9/18/2007
Rep Ellsworth, Brad [IN-8] - 9/18/2007
Rep Fossella, Vito [NY-13] - 9/18/2007
Rep Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY-20] - 9/18/2007
Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] - 9/18/2007
Rep Murphy, Patrick J. [PA-8] - 9/18/2007
Rep Pence, Mike [IN-6] - 9/18/2007

A BILL

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the deduction for real property taxes on the principal residences to all individuals whether or not they itemize other deductions.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

The Act may be cited as the `Property Tax Relief Act of 2007 '.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds the following:

(1) Healthcare costs have grown on average 2.5 percentage points faster than the United States gross domestic product since 1970.

(2) The Secretary of Energy estimates that energy costs will continue to dramatically rise for at least the next 3 years.

(3) The national average for property taxes is over $900, placing a large burden on middle class families.

(4) Indiana property owners pay 3.4 percent of their income in property taxes, which is the 14th highest percentage in the Nation.

(5) Indiana property taxes are predicted to jump another 25 percent in 2008.

SEC. 3. DEDUCTION FOR REAL PROPERTY TAXES ON PRINCIPAL RESIDENCES ALLOWED TO ALL INDIVIDUALS WHETHER OR NOT THEY ITEMIZE OTHER DEDUCTIONS.

(a) In General- Subsection (a) of section 62 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (defining adjusted gross income) is amended by inserting after paragraph (21) the following new paragraph:

`(22) PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE REAL PROPERTY TAXES- The deduction allowed by section 164(a)(1) for State and local real property taxes on any residence allocable to the period during the taxable year that the residence is owned and used by the taxpayer as the taxpayer's principal residence (within the meaning of section 121).'.

(b) Effective Date- The amendment made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act .