If you make any money, the government shoves you in the creek once a year with it in your pockets, and all that don't get wet you can keep.  ~Will Rogers

Comparison of County Tax Rates

August 14, 2008

         County          Real Estate Personal Property  Mach & Tools  Mer Capital

Bland

0.690

2.290

0.890

0.730

Carrol

0.710

1.300

1.300

2.300

Craig

0.520

3.000

2.200

3.500

Floyd

0.520

2.700

1.550

3.500

*Giles

0.630

1.890

0.990

0.790

Grayson

0.290

1.500

1.500

6.700

Montgomery

0.740

2.450

1.820

3.050

Pulaski

0.620

2.000

1.500

4.800

Russell

0.650

1.650

1.650

0.650

Scott

0.690

1.400

0.720

0.720

Smyth

0.630

2.250

1.200

0.400

Tazewell

0.580

2.000

2.000

4.300

Washington

0.570

1.550

1.550

-

Wise

0.570

1.490

1.150

2.850

Wythe

0.540

2.080

1.500

0.560

*NOTE:

1. Giles real estate tax is higher than 8 of 14 other southwest Virginia counties in this comparison.

2. Giles personal property tax is higher than 6 of 14 other southwest Virginia counties in this comparison.

3. Giles machinery and tools tax is lower than 12 of 14 other southwest Virginia counties in this comparison.

4. Giles merchants capital tax is lower than 8 of 14 other southwest Virginia counties in this comparison.

These statistics indicate that our county leaders and administration have a strong preference for imposition of higher taxes on individuals than on businesses in Giles County. Machinery and Tools and Merchants Capital taxes should be increased to fund critical county needs, such as schools, in lieu of the continuing practice of overly burdening county citizens with increased real estate taxes.

The above statistics were extracted from the following web site:

http://www.tax.virginia.gov/site.cfm?alias=LocalTaxRates