Comment on Could a tax against empty homes help end Australia's housing crisis?

• RustyRaven@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Why does being a house they live in mean it is not also an asset? If someone prefers to rent and save up more money towards their retirement instead of buying a house why should they be penalised? If someone wants to buy an inner city appartment that is worth less and have more money put aside to pay the body corporate fees why should they get less pension than if they have a freestanding house? If someone wants to sell their house, put that money aside while they travel in a van around Australia for a few years and then buy something suitable when it is time to settle down again, why should they lose their pension compared to someone who leaves the house mostly empty while they travel so it doesn’t count as an asset?

  We definitely should have some consideration for the fact that this is someone’s house and they shouldn’t lose it because of unrealised capital gains, but we also shouldn’t be creating a two-tier system which also ties people in to keeping a house which may not be suitable for them any more.

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  • Taleya@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Because the value is not immediately and readily accessible without uprooting their entire life.

    Tax the shit outta the sale, sure but basically penalising someone for living in their own house opens up a lot of very bad doors.

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    • RustyRaven@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      That’s exacty what I’m arguing. A land tax which is able to be put off until the sale where people have low incomes. That would not penalise anyone, it just means some of the windfall gains from rising property prices go towards paying taxes rather than being a freebie to be passed on to the next generation as inheretance.

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      • abhibeckert@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        … so now instead of paying $10k per year, my kids will need to pay $500k when I die?

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      • Taleya@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        You’re still playing the same issue - penalisation.

        Ok, you have person A. Been living in their house for yonks, now getting taxed because real estate turned into a batshit ponzi scheme outside their window.

        Low income for an pensioner? Well now the can has just been kicked on to penalise the next generation if they sell or want to move into the property.

        It’s going to hurt people it shouldn’t, because the ones who aren’t paying their dues will just find a way to skae this as well

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