Posted on 05/07/2005 5:25:06 AM PDT by An American Patriot
Residents of Hawaii, Wyoming and Connecticut shoulder the heaviest state tax burdens in the nation. The least state taxes per person are paid by those living in Texas, South Dakota or Colorado, U.S. Census figures for 2004 show. The tax burden is important because it helps determine a state's business climate, carves a hole into taxpayers' wallets and influences individual decisions on where to live. The tax burden weighs so heavily in some states that people have called the moving van to escape to a lower-tax state.
(Excerpt) Read more at stateline.org ...
Not for long in Texas. The Texas Republican Party is creeping to the left. New taxes, fees, and fines. The elected officials in session at the Enchanted Rock, in Austin, are spending like drunk sailors.
The stats are bogus. They have $2600 for Massachusetts and $1600 for Georgia, however, as a percentage of per capita income the Tax Foundation says that the two states pay roughly the same rate. In fact, Georgia's tax burden is slightly heavier.
Massachusetts pays more in taxes because we make more as individuals. Our tax rates are in the middle of the pack.
What area did you decide to live in North Carolina?
We are also thinking about a retirement move.
Michigan is trying real hard to become the worst state in the union.
The state has the highest corporate tax burden in the nation, said the Tax Foundation. And in spite of the high taxes, Michigan lost tax revenue in 2004, only one or two states to do so.
Michigan ranked dead last in creating new jobs in 2004, losing 45,000, and is near the bottom in income growth, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Our socialist loving governor, Jennifer Granholm, is pressing ahead with a European style tax boondoggle that will heap huge tax breaks on the big three automakers, while passing extra taxes onto retailers, professional services, wholesalers and thousands of small businesses.
Granholm, whos punished the state with the nations highest unemployment rate, is following the playbook of European socialist leaders by picking tax winners and losers.
BTW, she's good buddies with hillary.
I see Ohio is the number 9 tax hell. Not surprising. Still wondering what we get for all the money this throwback to a depression-era economy hoovers out of our wallets.
Awful schools (unless you live in a very wealthy enclave), poorly educated low-tech workforce, business-hostile climate with businesses leaving or dropping like flies, antiquated tax code with "city" taxes that amount to taxation without representation, lousy roads given the high gasoline taxes, RINOs running the Statehouse, DeWine, Taft, Voinovich, etc, etc.
And the icing on the cake is you get to see the sun 3 days per year. Yippee.
At one time the license plates said, "Ohio. The Heart Of It All". More like, "The Horror Of It All".
A few more years until my tour of duty is up and then outta here...
This thread is a good argument for states rights, as originally intended. Let the majority of the local people choose the kind and amount of government they want and those who don't like it can move to someplace they like better. Like Social Security, it eventually becomes self-adjusting as fewer and fewer support more and more.
"The least state taxes per person are paid by those living in Texas, South Dakota or Colorado . . ."
Unless you're a property owner in Texas. In that case, prepare to shoulder more than your share of the cost for schools and government services. A redistribution of the tax burden here is long overdue.
Fed cutbacks combined with rising costs and a repub legislature that has attemped to control the growth in spending has led to the point where our infrastructure is falling apart. I like lower taxes too but its a trade off.
I live in a rural area (no prop taxes) but own property in matsu (pay prop taxes). After experiencing both places, I don't mind paying prop taxes one bit. You might not think that there's a direct correlation between revenue and quality of life but you're mistaken. When schools, medical services, roads, and just services everyone takes for granted come to a screeching halt, you ask yourself is it worth this? No joke.
We moved from Michigan in 1996 to Florida. Once in awhile my husband mentions moving back but I keep telling him we can't afford the state tax, property taxes etc. Florida is ok but has high food prices & we have to deal with loads of Democrat judges & hurricanes.
If it wasn't for my husband I would move to Missouri where at least I could have a big garden & real low property taxes. Even with a state tax it would be lower than here. Our property taxes have jumped $300 since we have been here. Everytime there is an increase in Social Security benefits all the electricity, cable, water etc. companies increase their rates which ends up more expense than the dang SS increase. I think people will continue to move from state to state to find lower costs & taxes.
We have a modest 4% sales tax which is calculated to 4.167% since retailers remit to the state 4% of the total sale, i.e. sale plus tax.
Food, drugs and periodicals are taxable. Collected taxes are taxable.
There's talk of raising the state sales tax.
The Hawaii state motto is "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina ika pono" or "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness". I am sponsoring submission of a bill to change the motto to "Ka ching!"
You need to add in county, local, and school taxes, and then normalize for per capita income before making sweeping generalizations. When that is done, I think that total non-federal tax burden is around 10 % of income for all states.
First of all, it wasnt I making sweeping generalizations; I was merely posting what I thought was an interesting article and would (as expected) get people to begin looking at the differences in tax burdens between states.
Apparently, from your reply, you disagree and posit the inference that there is NO discernible difference between states and we "ALL" end paying approx. 10%?
You are not alone in taking exception as to the numbers reported.
What I suggest you (and others who disagree and are inclined to want to impute myriad of other factors that may or may not, be considered by this organization) do is communicate directly with Statelinel.org and make your case with themnot me.
I have a Masters in Business. However, Economics was never my forte, nor did I/do I have any interest in this field
Likewise, I always hated (and still do) statistics, but at the same time, know enough about this discipline to realize it is possible to manipulate an outcome based upon the variables inputted and types of formulas applied to the equation.
Furthermore, I seriously doubt your hypothesis is anyhwere close to being accurate, for while you want to include county, local and school taxes, (and I am assuming you are referring to property taxes) you omit so many others which necessarily would have to be considered as part of the mix.
Just to name a few factors which impact on the equation, are: (1) income tax rates (2) alcohol, tobacco and gasoline tax rates (3) corporate tax rates (4) general sales and use tax ratesif applicableas well as what goods and services that are applicable (5) Workmens Comp rates (6) licensing fees, i.e., hunting, fishing, motor vehicle registration and drivers license fees, etc (7) gasoline taxes, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum.
As you can see, there are too many other factors/variables to make this issue simple.
Moreover, I dont have the time (much less any inclination) to do an in depth analysis of every little tax (hiddensuch as phone, gas, electric, cable, etc.or otherwise) which we are subjected to, but I am more than willing to wager, that regardless of WHEREVER you (meaning everyone) reside, the average tax rate for the working middle class (PER STATE) is CLOSER to 25% (added to an approx 25% Fed Tax Burden, bringing it close to and overall tax burden of 50%) and if you could prove your 10% theory, (wherever it is you live) I would venture to guess, there would be a mass stampede and imigration, the likes of which I doubt your area/state could withstand.
Hell, no!
My property taxes jumped $300 a month. In January.
We moved to Winston-Salem (Triad area- WS, Greensboro, and High Point) after studying the politics of the entire state. Asheville and Wilmington made the final three but were too liberal.
Michigan is ok to visit. In fact we have been talking about a trip to Frankenmuth for chicken dinner. I'm suprised they haven't been increasing the taxes even more. Now Detroit is trying to put a 2 cents tax on fast food. What idiots. Looks like the Democrats are really sinking the state fast in jobs, high taxes etc.
notice why I have my tagline? #4 per capita.
#12 overall.
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