The 10 Most Regressive State and Local Tax Systems

[RockaFowler]

http://www.itep.org/whopays/full_report.php

Ten states — Washington, Florida, Texas, South Dakota, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Arizona, Kansas, and Indiana — are particularly regressive. These “Terrible Ten” states tax their poorest residents — those in the bottom 20 percent of the income scale — at rates up to seven times higher than the wealthy. Middle-income families in these states pay a rate up to three times higher as a share of their income as the wealthiest families.



I think it's shocking to see Washington in there, but I could have told you about Florida just by the looks of the last Governors we have had. Oh and the fact that this state hates poor people

[hack89]

1. Washington has no income tax

Same for Florida. They depend on sales taxes which are very regressive

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Yep.

Sales taxes are the classic regressive taxation of the poor.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Ala. has income tax and sales tax.

Plus county taxes, part of sales tax.

Our county tax is 9.5%, on everything except prescriptions, and once a year for a week, on school clothes.

People over 65 pay no property taxes, but that sales tax on everything is a big hit, since food prices are about 10% higher in rural areas which is most of the state, so add in the 9.5% and the food bill gets up there.

still, house prices are about 1/3 less than most places.

[Major Nikon]

7. Same for Texas

[JonLP24]

3. Arizona doesn't surprise me

High excise taxes but I don't know why if I go in some mom-and-pop stores I can get a pack of Pyramids for $5.00 is is pretty universal, don't know if that is taxed or not.

I lived in Washington. Washington-Oregon combination and some of the most unusual tax policies and tax policies and some things in general like Oregon you used to (don't know now) not allowed to pump your own gas.

Arizona used to not have a state income tax but they do now.

[Flying Squirrel]

5. If you lived in Washington State, you'd be less surprised.

Those sales taxes just keep going up and up, there's tremendous resistance to a state income tax, and Republicans are often firmly in control of Congress - King County is the only really liberal county which manages to offset the rest of the state in Presidential elections and (usually) the governorship.

You see Oregon plates all the time parked in front of people's houses all year - yep, they jumped across the border and registered their cars there. Probably bought 'em there too.

[lpbk2713]

6. Floridians have been voting against their own interests for years.

I'll never be able to figure it out. You just can't fix that kind of stupid.



**Disclaimer: I'm a Floridian and I've been voting Dem since JFK.

[LittleBlue]

8. We compensate for the sales tax with the highest

minimum wage in the nation. And we have for some time.

It's a lot better than filling out those horrible state income tax forms. Nobody wants that here.

[AwakeAtLast]

9. I KNEW Indiana would be on the list

If anyone paid attention to Pence yesterday, he's gonna throw his hat in the ring and tout Indiana as a model of financial prosperity.