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Minnesota's Snowbird Tax {Governor Mark "Class Envy" Dayton strikes again]
Wall Street Journal ^ | 2/1/13

Posted on 02/01/2013 3:39:49 PM PST by rhema

Spend most of the year in St. Pete, pay the government in St. Paul.

You may have heard it can get cold in Minnesota in January, or for that matter in April. Last week the temperature dropped to seven below zero in the Twin Cities, which is one reason many Midwesterners head to Florida or Arizona for the winter. But now Governor Mark Dayton wants to tax the snowbirds even if they are no longer legally state residents.

"There is a snowbird tax—absolutely," the Democratic Governor told reporters the other day. . . .

Details are sketchy, but the idea is to tax these nonresidents on their income from stocks, bonds, capital gains and dividends if they spend at least 60 days in Minnesota a year. Income earned in the state is already taxed regardless of residence status, but many retirees or vacationers own a home in the state and live there only for the summer.

The new tax would hit income not earned in Minnesota by those who don't currently spend the requisite six months and a day in the state to qualify as a taxable resident. So, for example, if you returned to the land of 10,000 taxes only for July and August, you'd suddenly have to pay the taxman in St. Paul on dividend checks sent to your main residence in St. Pete.

[ . . . ]

But then as the Governor's line about "unfairnesses" attests, raising revenue isn't the point of this exercise. The goal is to punish people for the sin of being able to afford to travel south for the winter.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: arizona; dayton; democrat; dfl; florida; marx; rich
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To: 2banana

They “cling to their taxes codes and their ice augers”.


21 posted on 02/01/2013 5:12:55 PM PST by LZ_Bayonet ( I AM THE TEA PARTY LEADER !)
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To: TurboZamboni

TurboZamboni ~:” 62% of growth in jobs is from 9 states with no income tax that have only 20% of the population .”

Well , the “snowbirds” are generally ‘retired ‘ folks , on a fixed income
so they have to watch their income and expenditures
They are not like ‘The Fed’ who can just print money to get out of debt .
Add to that the anticipated “Family Healthcare (OBAMACARE )tax “ of $20,000 for family coverage
and now you will have elderly, formerly independent folks having to declare bankruptcy just to stay alive.
Better to have to pay electric for air conditioning,
than to become a human ‘popsicle’ paying $800.oo permonth for heat plus pay MinnesSNOWTA state taxes.


22 posted on 02/01/2013 5:18:24 PM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: rhema; MplsSteve
I have an idea. Let's tax everyone's income who can spell Minnesota, since they benefit from knowing the name of Minnesota. Let's tax everyone's income for the period of time they spend driving through, or flying over Minnesota, since they benefit from the existence of Minnesota. Let's tax everyone's income for Minnesota continuing to be a part of the union since if they left the union, we wouldn't get the benefit of whatever it is that Minnesota contributes to the general welfare.

If we're going to go crazy, let's really GO!

Not picking particularly on Minnesota. I'm sure all the other states will find my ideas attractive as well.

23 posted on 02/01/2013 5:19:33 PM PST by Hardastarboard (The Liberal ruling class hates me. The feeling is mutual.)
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To: LUV W

Yes and the dummies will move to states like Florida and still vote for the rats


24 posted on 02/01/2013 5:34:19 PM PST by italianquaker
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To: rhema
That's insane!

But I remain conflicted about snowbirds, here in Florida.

Some of them are the very ones who foolishly “fouled their nests” in northern states, and then they move here and try their damndest to mess up ours!

OTOH, many of them are normal, sane people who have finally managed to partially escape from the places they were born. Those snowbirds are welcomed with open arms!

Personally, I refuse to travel north of I-10 ever again!

25 posted on 02/01/2013 5:40:45 PM PST by sarasmom
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To: American in Israel

Thanks for the new tag line!


26 posted on 02/01/2013 5:43:15 PM PST by sarasmom (The obvious takes longer to discover for the obtuse.)
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To: TurboZamboni
Fargo is looking better all the time.

If Fargo is looking better, Ho Chi Min must be da man. That town is a stink pool of socialist criminality.

27 posted on 02/01/2013 5:44:31 PM PST by Lion Den Dan
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To: TurboZamboni
Those places are what the theatre/arts/sportswriters here crowd here call “backwards”.

Speaking of New Hampshire,at least,the most heavily populated part of the state (the southeast or "Seacoast" as it's called) is a half hour drive from Fenway Park and Logan Airport.IOW,it's a suburb of Boston...hardly backward.My Dad lived there for a time to get away from Massachusetts taxes.

28 posted on 02/01/2013 5:47:47 PM PST by Gay State Conservative ("Progressives" toss the word "racist" around like chimps toss their feces)
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To: WorkingClassFilth
Old news...

And while I know "they've" talked about it....Just think, the Feds seize all retirement accounts...and then control billions of dollars worth of various companies???? Effectively controlling them... OR, they decide to convert it all to cash? They will crash all markets worldwide...with either move.

I figure they will just whittle us down and nickel and dime retirement account holders...with fee''s and taxes to no end.....until they crash the markets. Same result....just different speeds.

29 posted on 02/01/2013 6:15:49 PM PST by Osage Orange (MOLON LAVE)
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To: rhema

If I had a Wisconsin realestate brokers license I’d be going up in that Minnesota back country hustling land to weekenders to move to Wisconsin. Most of those weekend homes are either mobile or prefabs and can be transported across the state line easily. Those updere counties would have -——for a tax base once they split.


30 posted on 02/01/2013 6:47:49 PM PST by mosesdapoet (.Should this former Chicago "Mechanic" go out of retirement ?)
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To: FamiliarFace

And how would the state know if they lived there 59 days or 69 days?


31 posted on 02/01/2013 7:01:59 PM PST by tbw2
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To: rhema

Fixed income senior types who have ENDURED minnesota winters.


32 posted on 02/01/2013 7:08:06 PM PST by Finalapproach29er (God humbles and (if need be) destroys the false idols of the peoples. Be patient, folks...)
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To: FamiliarFace

“They could live there for 59 days or less and not have to pay the new fine. What a fool the governor is! Does he really think people won’t be able to figure out how to get around this?”

I saw a shelf full of 90w incandescent bulbs at Walmart this week. Looks like American ingenuity is on the rise.

I guess the next thing for the kleptocracy to do is go to the simplified tax system.

“How much did you make last year?”
“Send it in!”

About 10 years ago our daughter was in grad school in New York for the last half of the year, was a legal NC resident, had worked in one Ohio School District and lived in another during the first half of the year. They do local taxes by school district in OHIO, IIRC.

FOUR tax returns!

Snowbirds need to spend 60 days in each of several high tax blue states. Then set the Revenue Departments of those states on each other trying to collect the taxes.

“MINE”

“NO, they’re MINE!”


33 posted on 02/01/2013 7:17:35 PM PST by BwanaNdege ("To learn who rules over you simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize"- Voltaire)
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To: Vince Ferrer

If they own a home, they are already paying a year’s worth of property tax for 2 months of residence.

I wonder why Florida doesn’t try to drive away its seasonal residents. Oh...yeah...they spend, they spend, and they spend money that otherwise wouldn’t be in the state.

It’s almost as if they’re “tourist season ticket holders.”

I’m sure the restaurants and stores will all gather to thank the governor for his wisdom.


34 posted on 02/01/2013 7:30:37 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True supporters of our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: tbw2

They probably expect your neighbors to rat you out.


35 posted on 02/01/2013 7:38:14 PM PST by FamiliarFace
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To: rhema

Utah has a property tax premium for snowbirds. Full-time residents get a 45% property tax reduction, while part-time residents do not. Since property taxes fund schools and part-time residents do not use schools, this has always seemed unfair to me. But it has been upheld in court.


36 posted on 02/01/2013 7:44:49 PM PST by The people have spoken
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To: rhema
"Spread your tiny wings and fly away..."
37 posted on 02/01/2013 10:30:06 PM PST by To Hell With Poverty (Ephesians 6:12 becomes more real to me with each news cycle.)
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To: rhema

This brings to mind Phil Gramm’s favorite saying about taxes.

Don’t tax you, Don’t tax me. Tax that fellow behind the tree.


38 posted on 02/02/2013 7:52:28 AM PST by staytrue
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To: BwanaNdege

LOL...that would show them!


39 posted on 02/02/2013 3:35:03 PM PST by FamiliarFace
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To: NorthWoody; Manic_Episode; mikethevike; coder2; AmericanChef; Reaganesque; ER Doc; lesser_satan; ...

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151 MEMBERS AND GROWING...!

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40 posted on 02/02/2013 4:12:04 PM PST by MplsSteve (General Mills is pro-gay marriage! Boycott their products!)
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