Pennsylvania Income Tax rate is this….

Pennsylvania has a flat tax rate of 3.07 percent on individual income, with no personal exemptions.

County, municipal and school district taxes also are collected. Those rates can be found at the Department of Community and Economic Development Web site.

Pennsylvanians who live on a modest income may qualify for the state’s Tax Forgiveness Credit.

New York State Income Tax is this….

New York collects state income taxes using a progressive, five-bracket system.

For single taxpayers:
— 4% on the first $8,000 of taxable income
— 4.5% on taxable income between $8,001 and $11,000
— 5.25% on taxable income between $11,001 and $13,000
— 5.9% on taxable income between $13,001 and $20,000
— 6.85% on taxable income of $20,001 and above.

For married persons filing joint returns, the rates remain the same but the income brackets are doubled.

New York City has its own tax rates and brackets. The state’s earned income credit has increased to 30 percent of the federal credit. The credit helps taxpayers offset increases in living expenses and Social Security taxes, reduces taxes owed and in some cases can even provide a refund to filers who do not owe any tax. File Form IT-215, Claim for Earned Income Credit.

Obviously, Pennsylvanian income taxes are far lower then they are in New York. But the really disgusting thing is how ridicules the income brackets are in New York State. I mean, I can see making below 20, 000 a different tax bracket. But making between $8 grand and 11 grand a separate tax bracket? Simply absurd.

Information taken from this site.

According to this comment over at Calculated Risk, they were charging $17,500 just for the permits to build a house out in an unnamed small city in California. If a new home sold for $200,000 the permit costs would still make up almost 10% of the cost. And that does not count the cost of the labor necessary to obtain those permits (I don’t mean building to code, I mean filling out all the paperwork). Nor does this count all the other tax’s that the builders pay, including a capital gains tax if applicable.

It must be admitted that most new houses in California sell for far more then $200,000. In fact, I would be surprised to hear of new house in California that did not sell for at least $400,000. So permit costs are a far smaller as percentage of total cost then the above example makes it seem.

But the fact that the government puts up such high barriers to entry means that you will never see a builder make a cheap house.

I have my share of disagreements with Martin Hutchinson. For one thing, I don’t share his fondness for the gold standard. But I do share his convection that the recent fed action was fundamentally unjust.

Progess is always much slower than desired. I don’t feel I have much to report on when I say that we have used the new process for checking claims this week. None of the pickers liked it at all. Some were obviously rebellious. Technically, they have every right to be; I am not anyone’s supervisor. Click Here to continue reading.