Tax Breaks

The Austin American Statesman did an article on generous tax breaks that are leaving the city with a loss of revenue that is unbearable. The City of Austin has many tax breaks that you can qualify for such as “historic landmark”. If you are looking to reduce your taxes and rip the city out of money to improve roads, among other things, then apply for this tax break. There are over five hundred “historic landmarks” in the City of Austin. Many of these landmarks are being questioned to whether they are historic or not. Some of the landmarks are only considered because of who the owner of the property is instead of being based off of historical value. Tax breaks can be a good idea but there are regulations that should be followed so that the tax break is given for the right reasons. The historic landmark tax breaks are being given to people just because the were a college professor or they own a car dealership. A car dealership isn't a historic landmark. The City of Austin is always saying how spending is in need of cut back due to the deficit. Budget cuts are taking away common goods from the community. Taxes are in place to create a revenue for the city. That revenue is used to fix roads, better the education of schools, improve water systems among many other things. The City of Austin is going to keep losing revenue unless they fix this problem.