States Taxing Social Security

Dear Daytonian,

Way back in 1984, the federal government began taxing Social Security benefits, but did you know that thirteen states, not including Ohio thank goodness, also tax those benefits to varying degrees.  The worst offenders are the eclectic combination of Minnesota, North Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia, which mirror the federal tax rules.  Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Connecticut and Rhode Island have their own individual rules, all different of course.

I guess some states just want to tax you twice on the same money.

https://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/09/17/these-13-states-tax-social-security-benefits.aspx

Driving On The Left

Dear Daytonian,

I'm happy to say that every state in the United States drives on the right side of the road.  Lucky us.

Did you know that 31% of the countries in the world drive on the left side, including England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan and South Africa, 75 countries in all.  Normally, but not always, the steering wheel, as shown below, is located on the right side of the car.  The stick shift, for those brave enough, is on your left-hand, but shifts in the familiar pattern, and the pedals are also the same, accelerator in the right, clutch on the left.  Thank goodness.

Left turns are easy, just like our right turns.  The slow lane is the left lane and entrance and exit ramps are left.  You drive slightly right-of-center, instead of slightly left-of-center, to keep even between the lane lines.  And to make things really fun, roads tend to be much narrower than here at home.

If you decide to give it a try, I strongly recommend buying the rental car agency's insurance protection and packing some anti-anxiety medication.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2018/09/06/driving-left-side-road/1207633002/

Downtown Parking

Dear Daytonian,

We all know that parking is plentiful in downtown Dayton with over 13,000 spaces between garages, surface lots and parking meters.  We pay in the $4 range for two hours of parking during weekdays and love that meters are free on weekends and after 6 p.m. weekdays.  Don't expect that love to follow you everywhere.

According to Parkopedia (full report at the link below), New York City leads the world in costly parking, coming in at $32.97 for two hours and $606.37 for monthly privileges.  Other U.S. cities that will cost you more than $10 for two hours are Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Detroit and Los Angeles.

Maybe I'm crazy, but having a car payment and a monthly parking bill for about the same amount of money just seems wrong.

https://www.parkopedia.com/static/reports/global_parking_index2017-parkopedia.pdf

Express Toll Lanes

Dear Daytonian,

Another traffic-related, government gotcha that you don't see anywhere around here, because our worst traffic is not that bad, are Express Toll Lanes.  They cater to the well-off traveller or business person on a friendly expense account that doesn't want to wait in traffic like the rest of us.  Unlike your regular toll road, these managed lanes use variable pricing, getting more expensive as demand increases to keep those lanes flowing well while everyone else fumes as they inch along to their destination.  The rules vary from route to route, so read up at the link below to carefully plan your next driving vacation.  Or just suck it up and drive at night.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_toll_roads_in_the_United_States

Illinois Candy Tax

Dear Daytonian,

Computers have made many improvements in daily lives, but it's also allowed governments to get very granular when it comes to choosing what products to sock you for an extra tax bite.  For example, candy in Ohio follows the same rule as other foods; no tax unless consumed on premises.  Other states, as you can read at the link below, either tax or don't tax, and some have goofy rules, but the Prairie State takes the cake (pun intended). 

Illinois defines candy as a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces. Candy does not include any preparation that contains flour or requires refrigeration.  So if you purchase a Twix bar in Illinois you pay 1% in sales tax, but if buy a Snickers bar, you get jacked with a tax rate of 6.25%.  But I suppose when you're already a very highly taxed state, you have to find more revenue as stealthily as possible.

https://blog.taxjar.com/sales-tax-state-candy-taxable

State Tax Return Pages

Dear Daytonian,

Don't like filling out state tax returns?  Try doing it in our neighboring Hoosier state.

Back in 2016 I filled out very simple state tax returns for my stepson for both Ohio and Indiana.  Being neighboring Midwest states, how different could they be?  Night and day different.  The Ohio return consisted of four pages, two each for the IT-1040 and the Schedule of Credits, and was straight-forward.  The Indiana return totaled nine pages with two pages each for the IT-40PNR, Schedule A and Schedule H, single pages for Schedule D&E, Schedule CT-40PNR and Schedule F and had me triple-checking everything to make sure I didn't mess it up.

We even got dinged for a second stamp for proper postage.  And a couple aspirins.

https://www.in.gov/dor/6281.htm

U.D. Arena

Dear Daytonian,

You know Dayton is a big basketball city, but did you know that U. D. Arena is the largest venue in the Atlantic 10 conference?  Did you know that Trent Arena at Kettering Fairmont high-school, with its 3,650 seat capacity, is larger than two of those stadiums?  We're big fans with big stadiums.

In case getting tickets at the perpetually sold out U. D. Arena is proving a challenge, the table below can assist you in planning a road trip.  Don't worry, there will be plenty of U. D. fans to keep you company, as the Flyer Faithful travel well.

http://www.atlantic10.com

School and Venue	Capacity	City, State	Distance From U.D.
University of Dayton U. D. Arena	13,435	Dayton, OH
Saint Louis University Chaifetz Arena	10,600	St. Louis, MO	363 miles
George Mason University EagleBank Arena	10,000	Fairfax, VA	479 miles
University of Massachusetts William D. Mullins Memorial Center	9,493	Amherst, MA	779 miles
University of Rhode Island Ryan Center	7,657	Kingston, RI	775 miles
Virginia Commonwealth University E. J. Wade Arena	7,637	Richmond, VA	510 miles
University of Richmond Robins Center	7,201	Richmond, VA	505 miles
St. Bonaventure University Reilly Center	5,480	St. Bonaventure, NY	401 miles
Davidson College John M. Belk Arena	5,295	Davidson, NC	440 miles
George Washington Charles E. Smith Center	5,000	Washington, D.C.	473 miles
Duquesne University A. J. Palumbo Center	4,406	Pittsburgh, PA	258 miles
Saint Joseph's University Michael J. Hagan Arena	4,200	Philadelphia, PA	537 miles
La Salle University Tom Gola Arena	3,400	Philadelphia, PA	540 miles
Fordham University Rose Hill Gymnasium	3,200	Bronx, NY	641 miles