Property Tax

A new year brings all sorts of new and exciting things here, like rain and holidays... Like taxes. And there are lots of them here, (taxes, I mean) most of them being due at the end of January. This is our first time having to sort through the assortment of business and personal taxes that are due. Let's just say it is a learning curve. 

I assumed that like most of the country, our property tax would also be due at the end of January. I have already learned not to fully trust the postal system, so when January came and went, and we had not yet received our property tax bill, I thought I'd better investigate. Property taxes fall under the municipal jurisdiction. So I started with their website, which I discovered is under maintenance right now. 

So with a deep sigh, I put on pants (as compared to shorts, that is. Gotta wear pants when going to government buildings. Refer to THIS post for another pants - or lack thereof - story), reminded myself to be patient (It was 6 days after I thought the bill was due, so I was expecting huge lineups of other tardy folks like myself), and made sure I arrived at 8:15 (the offices open at 8:00, but government employees have a 15 minute grace period for showing up to work). 

I walked into the (blissfully) air conditioned building and was pleasantly surprised at the very short line and abundant number of employees working. 

When my turn came up, I began by explaining that my property tax bill had not yet shown up in the mail, blah, blah, blah. The lady helping me cut me off, informing me that in our municipality property taxes are due in July, not January. (Yay, I am not tardy after all!) She reassured me that I was not in fact late, and encouraged me not to worry about it for another 6 months... In fact, I shouldn't worry about it at all! This government employee proceeded to advise me that really, I shouldn't bother paying my property taxes until for some reason (like selling the property), someone checked up on us! The punctual, law-abiding, rule-following Canadian in me gasped in horror. Not pay taxes!?!? Who would do such a thing? The ever-growing Brazilian in me smiled and said, 'Nice! An extra couple hundred bucks in my pocket!'

The punctual, law-abiding, rule-following Canadian in me would like to think that for the most part people pay their bills and pay them in a timely manner. The experienced side of me knows this is not the case. For example, I know someone who had not paid their property taxes in 13 years. And here's the best part: NO ONE CARES! I also know someone who had literally THOUSANDS of dollars of unpaid phone bills. First, I was amazed they weren't just cut off. Second, the phone company will offer you all sorts of low-interest payment plans in a very kind, solicitous manner. But I guess that getting some money out of people is better than getting nothing. 

Every single day I manage to be amazed by the differences that exist between my own culture and the culture I am living in. Some of them I love, and I feel so privileged to be a Canadian living in Brazil. Some of them frustrate me. Some I just don't understand, so I shrug and move on. Some make me laugh. Some make me go 'hmmm'. And every now and then (if I am perfectly honest), some of those differences just seem wrong to me. 

My hope is that through all this, I am becoming a more well-rounded, culturally sensitive global citizen. My fear is that I am becoming cynical and judgmental. What I suspect is happening is that I am taking a little of where I come from, combining it with a little of where I am now, and the result will be a quirky person who doesn't quite fit in no matter where she goes. 

So will I pay my property taxes? Ask me in July!