The Destructive Nature of Property Taxes: Why a Consumption Tax Is a Fairer Alternative

Property taxes are one of the most aggressive forms of taxation we face. They operate like a never-ending rent on something you already own. Unlike sales taxes or income taxes, which are tied to what you buy or what you earn, property taxes keep coming—year after year—based solely on the government’s assessment of your land or home.

For many families in Mississippi, that means you never truly own your property free and clear. Pay off the mortgage, and the bank may be gone, but stop paying property taxes, and the government can still take your home. Chief Justice John Marshall’s old warning comes to mind: “The power to tax involves the power to destroy.”

Crushing Families on Fixed Incomes

This tax hits our most vulnerable neighbors the hardest—seniors living on fixed incomes, widows trying to hold on to the family home, or working families already stretched thin by inflation. When property values rise because of neighborhood changes or inflation, so do the taxes, even though the homeowner’s income hasn’t gone up a dime. Too often, people are forced to sell their homes just to escape the tax burden.

Inequality and Injustice

Property taxes don’t just strain families; they create inequality. Lower-value homes are often over-assessed compared to high-dollar properties. That means working- and middle-class families shoulder a bigger burden while wealthier property owners find ways to avoid paying their share.

And the horror stories are real. Across the country, families have lost homes they’ve owned for generations simply because they fell behind on taxes. In Washington, D.C., the Powell family’s home—worth more than $700,000—was seized after tax penalties piled up. The city handed their property to a private investor, and the family lost everything. Cases like these show just how destructive property taxes can be.

A Better Way Forward

There’s a better way. A tax system based on consumption—like a sales tax—makes more sense and is far fairer. You pay when you spend, not just for owning a home or land. That means taxpayers have more control over their burden. Everyone who buys something contributes—including tourists and out-of-state visitors. It’s broad, transparent, and it encourages saving and investing instead of punishing ownership.

Mississippi already relies heavily on sales taxes, but we can do more to shift the load away from property owners. Other states are finding ways to cap property taxes or tie them to inflation to protect homeowners on fixed incomes. Mississippi should do the same, with the goal of eventually moving away from property taxes altogether.

Protecting Liberty and Property

Property taxes don’t just take dollars—they chip away at liberty. Families deserve to pass their homes and farms on to the next generation without fearing that the government will one day take them away. If we want to keep Mississippi affordable, protect our seniors, and defend property rights, we must find the courage to reform this broken system.

It’s time we stop treating homeowners like tenants of the state and start looking for tax solutions that are fair, transparent, and that respect the right to truly own what is ours.