Gas Prices
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,216
Likes: 535
From: Knoxville, TN
semantically, a tax credit isn't "paid for" by government as in money paid out, it means LESS TAX REVENUE for the government, which ultimately means more government DEBT, since governments don't seem to care about debt. (adding a trillion every quarter now... only a matter of time).h.
Why in god's name didn't the original owner of my LS430 which was an ULEV in 2001 get a $7500 write-off? It was one of the first ULEV cars and that was with a powerful V8.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,871
Likes: 4,114
From: Maryland
Why would they get a write off? The government wasn't trying to entice people to buy ULEVs.
We use tax crtedits to incentivize people all the time to make choices we want. Tax credits to have kids...tax credits to start businesses, tax credits to employ people, tax credits to choose energy efficient windows and appliances, tax credits to built LEED certified buildings...tax credits to buy electric cars. Right now we are offering tax deductible interest on American made cars to get people to buy American made cars...I think that was a great idea. It works very well.
We use tax crtedits to incentivize people all the time to make choices we want. Tax credits to have kids...tax credits to start businesses, tax credits to employ people, tax credits to choose energy efficient windows and appliances, tax credits to built LEED certified buildings...tax credits to buy electric cars. Right now we are offering tax deductible interest on American made cars to get people to buy American made cars...I think that was a great idea. It works very well.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,216
Likes: 535
From: Knoxville, TN
The government shouldn't be enticing anyone to do anything. Stay the hell out of our lives. Just saying, a luxury car with an amazing V8 in 2001 that was one of the first ULEVs even out is very impressive, it's my opinion that the first owners should have received a tax write-off as well if EVs used to get them for being so "clean".
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,216
Likes: 535
From: Knoxville, TN
That extrmely rich and cheap doctor I've mentioned before whom I said was the richest guy I knew, is now apparently broke and is living on his SS. He runs out of money in 4 years and will need assisted living bc he has bad Covid lung damage. I think there's something I don't know however. For example, my family doesn't have a $2.5m home that has a downstairs apartment and is 8k square feet (he did, years ago) and aren't nearly as rich as that guy was or said he was, but they will never, ever run out of money and still live pretty lavish lifestyles.
Sorry for the ramble, I'm just saying... there's a max SS pays out and it ain't much for high earners.
Last edited by AJT123; Apr 21, 2026 at 05:30 PM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,871
Likes: 4,114
From: Maryland
The government shouldn't be enticing anyone to do anything. Stay the hell out of our lives. Just saying, a luxury car with an amazing V8 in 2001 that was one of the first ULEVs even out is very impressive, it's my opinion that the first owners should have received a tax write-off as well if EVs used to get them for being so "clean".
There's a flip side to that--- there's also a max payout and it's somewhere above/near $3000 I believe. So it's not like someone who made 200k a year before retirement is gonna get anything special from social security.
The maximum payout in 2026 is $4,152 a month if someone took SS at their full retirement age, if they waited until 70 its $5,181 a month. In order to qualify for the maximum you have to have made $184,500 for 35 years.
Raising the cap for taxation is just another way to generate revenue and with that revenue you could raise payments or in the least keep SS solvent. I'll pay.
That extrmely rich and cheap doctor I've mentioned before whom I said was the richest guy I knew, is now apparently broke and is living on his SS. He runs out of money in 4 years and will need assisted living bc he has bad Covid lung damage. I think there's something I don't know however. For example, my family doesn't have a $2.5m home that has a downstairs apartment and is 8k square feet (he did, years ago) and aren't nearly as rich as that guy was or said he was, but they will never, ever run out of money and still live pretty lavish lifestyles. My Mother keeps bitching about spending too much money shopping in Vegas and I keep telling her to shut up (in a friendly way) because we all did, and **** it you only live once and can't take it with you, and she can afford it with her eyes closed. But she's not super rich like that guy I thought was. At one time he was worth over 10MM. Like I said there's got to be something I don't know. But he made clear he's living on his SS and it's obviously nothing compared to what he used to earn (600k at one time and this was 21 years ago, 2005 money). It just doesn't make sense that my family won't ever run out of money and they ain't worth 10mm. But he's 4 years away from Medicaid.
Its the old saying, it doesn't matter how much you make...its how much youm keep. I know lots and lots of people who made huge amounts of money in their lives and had nothing. My Dad was making $400k in the 90s and when he died he had $170,000 in a 401k and $68,000 in an IRA and that was it. He had serious heart problems and never thought he would live to see retirement but he did, and at the end his main concern was outliving his money.
Last edited by SW17LS; Apr 21, 2026 at 05:29 PM.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 5,477
Likes: 959
From: FL
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This is all how I can make 5 times what my office admin does and pay less than she does in taxes.
even if that's true i'm sure you pay WAAAAAY more in sales/property and other taxes.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,871
Likes: 4,114
From: Maryland
Yep, totally legal.
Obviously I don't know specifically what her actual tax liability is, but I know generally what her tax bracket is on her income...and my answer would be probably both % and $$. My effective tax rate is pretty low.
You would be amazed how many clients I have making several hundred thousand dollars a year and who have $100k in taxable income. In fact its so common there are many lenders who specialize in alternatice doc loans for buyers like that because their taxable income is so low they can't get home loans. I had to WAY overpay my taxes for a year to qualify for my home loan.
Probably in sales taxes because I spend a lot more money in general (she and her husband are pretty frugal....we are...ahem...not lol), but not sure thats true in property taxes. She lives in a house worth about the same as mine. She has a husband that works also.
you pay less $$ or less %%?
You would be amazed how many clients I have making several hundred thousand dollars a year and who have $100k in taxable income. In fact its so common there are many lenders who specialize in alternatice doc loans for buyers like that because their taxable income is so low they can't get home loans. I had to WAY overpay my taxes for a year to qualify for my home loan.
even if that's true i'm sure you pay WAAAAAY more in sales/property and other taxes.
Last edited by SW17LS; Apr 21, 2026 at 07:38 PM.
Wanted to see how the other side lives (non Costco members) and bought gas at a wawa. 91 4.69, 93 4.89. Checked the Costco app and 93 was 4.29.
Guess I'll be sticking to Costco. Fortunately, lines at my Costco is usually around a 5 min wait time at the time of day I go.
Guess I'll be sticking to Costco. Fortunately, lines at my Costco is usually around a 5 min wait time at the time of day I go.
Last edited by Blaze876; Apr 22, 2026 at 07:29 AM.
