States Where People Pay the Most (and Least) in Taxes

[BishopM 114]

The name is Darius Felonius Hornblower. Pleased to meet, you Mr. Bishop.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

The name is Darius Felonius Hornblower. Pleased to meet, you Mr. Bishop.

and hear i was thinking it stood for: Dirty Freakin' Hippie!

[Darnell 8,479]

Waste is difficult to quantify (except when it's glaringly obvious).

My preference is to measure end-user satisfaction. If I pay $7,000 a year to my town (which I do) in property taxes, how satisfied am I with the quality of the services that money is paying for? The only time a taxpayer like myself is asked that question is at the ballot box and that too not directly.

Well, another time it might be asked, is after the firetruck rolls away from your house. A Percentage of taxes does go into the firestation, ya know. I guess the big question would be - how satisfied were you, with the work the firehouse did in putting out the fire at your house?

That's just one example, there are others for police, animal control, infectious disease prevention and control, wastewater treatment facilities (though only as a portion, monthly fees pay for the rest of it).

But I'm thinking I'm starting to see your point - how often are you asked? It has always been easier to file a complaint than actually relying on customer satisfaction surveys to facility personal, at yer address, change. Perhaps there are some open meetings you've missed out on, as well; held by town council or city services? Usually those meetings are great places for 'customer input' as well.

[Ban Hammer 13,722]

The pattern seems to be "the crappier the place, the lower the taxes".

then explain new jersey?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Tennessee has the eleventh lowest per capita income in the country. Residents of the state pay just $1,851 in taxes, the second lowest amount in the U.S. The state's business climate is average, but other taxes are relatively low. The sales tax of 7% is one of the highest in the country, but food purchases are exempt from all but 1.5% of that. Dividend and interest income is taxed in the state at a rate of 6%, but there is no other personal income tax levied. Tennessee collects no state-level property tax, one of just a few to do so.

That's inaccurate. TN sales tax is 7% but local sales taxes are tagged onto that which the above doesn't mention. I remember sales tax in Davidson county (Metro Nashville) being 9.25% total. That's true for the majority of counties. There are less than handful of counties that add less than 2% local sales tax but almost half add 2.5% or 2.75% bringing the total up to 9.5% or 9.75%. As well, food isn't exempt "from all but 1.5% of that" state sales tax either but rather the sales tax on food is reduced by 1.5% - i.e. state sales tax on food is 5.5% rather than 1.5% as suggested here.

Having lived in TN and in FL, I don't see how my tax burden in FL is higher than that in TN. In fact, I want to say that my tax burden is lower here than it was there. Granted, property taxes are lower in TN than in FL but not to the point where that compensates for the extra sales taxes. In the Tampa Bay area, I pay 7% sales tax with groceries being completely exempt.

This piece is sloppy work.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

then explain new jersey?

Mark should also explain NY, CT, RI & CA--which all match the Garbage State in being horrid with high taxes.

[mawilson 2,133]

then explain new jersey?

It has nice areas.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

It has nice areas.

And Dallas has Highland Park, Memphis has Germantown...!

LAME!

Edited July 22, 2011 by Saddle Bronc

[_Simpson_ 250]

Which services would those be and how do you measure them as wasteful? For example, public libraries. I think most people would agree that public libraries are a great resource made available to anyone, but I suppose you could question whether your local library's recent expenditure on initiating digital translations of books was worthwhile or not, but wouldn't that need to be measured by whether people have or will be using it or not?

Services once completed usually aren't that bad but the cost that goes into it is outrageous.

As far as libraries go I dont know how I feel about digital rentals, partly because I dont know enough about it. I do like that people who cant afford a computer have a place to go and do research or whatnot.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

...I do like that people who cant afford a computer have a place to go and do research or whatnot.

You Socialist, you.

[Glyn and Kathy 288]

I have to say the New Hampshire is fantastic with no income tax or sales tax...but property tax wise, its horrible. Its a beautiful place to live, but the services you receive for the property taxes you pay are just silly. Now, we're planning on moving back to the UK soon so I'll be shell shocked by VAT all over again

[SMR 368]

The pattern seems to be "the crappier the place, the lower the taxes".

Which parts of New York and New Jersey are the not crappy parts?

[_Simpson_ 250]

You Socialist, you.

[DEDixon 39]

6. California

Taxes paid by residents as pct. of income: 10.6%

Total state and local taxes collected: $354 billion

Pct. of total taxes paid by residents: 82.5%

Pct. of total taxes paid by non-residents: 17.5%

California is exceptional in many ways when it comes to taxing its residents. The state has the highest statewide sales tax in the country, currently 8.25%. It also has the highest tax on gas, charging 46.6 cents per gallon. The state collects among the lowest amount of taxes from non-residents and business out of all the states. But with the lowest credit rating in the nation, according to S&P, an ongoing budget problem, and a $10.8 billion deficit, one of the biggest in the country, the state may want to change its approach.

this is what you get when the unions own pols. when i say own, i really really mean own.

this is what you get from a legislature that has always been majority dem.... omg, imagine what they would do to the country at large if they were allowed.

also, in CA, unions made it so that employees are paid OT after 8 hours of work on any given day. this will never change either. at first glance it seems a great idea. cops, firefighters, nurses, gov't employees, teachers.... their unions love it. no lie, beat cops in CA, because of unions, can and do make over 200000 annual with OT.

here is who it hurts: the people at the bottom. restaurants and retail can't afford to pay OT so they limit all employees to 6 hours a day - try surviving on 6 hours a day minimum wage in high taxing and cost of living california. they can't survive so they get another job. jobs don't start back to back, people need to travel to their next job so it makes a work day very long. it isn't a good situation. this is the dems hurting the most poorest of all so the unions and their members are happy.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

with the exception being Texas on the lower list, but I see what you're saying..

Though when you include Wisconsin in the higher tax bracket? Jersey? There are some crappy high taxed places as well

#######? I have family in Wyoming and there's nothing wrong with that state. In fact it's the states that are taxed the highest that are screwed. Look at California...it's on it's way to bankruptcy. I believe it's all those liberal laws that screw states with the high taxes.

And what state is the richest ... why it's the state with the lowest taxes of course. Ya baby we be #1 !!!

No gay marrage laws here to screw kids heads up. Same with Wyoming. We don't take to kindly to a bunch of New England Yankee bs lib loven taxes up here. It's all about the MONEY!!!

Which parts of New York and New Jersey are the not crappy parts?

Do you know why birds fly upside down over Jersey and NY ? Because it aint worth sh*tten on.