In states with the most regressive tax structures the poorest families pay almost six times as much of their earnings in taxes as do the wealthy. Middle income families pay up the 3.5 times more as a proportion of income than do the wealthiest.
Most regressive state tax systems are Washington, Florida, Tennessee, South Dakota, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Alabama, according a new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
Nine states have no personal income tax - Alaska, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, South Dakota, Nevada, New Hampshire, Washington and Wyoming. Not coincidentally, six of these are listed in the study as the states with the tax structures that shift most of the burden onto poor and middle income people.
Find out how the tax burden breaks out across income levels in these 10 states by checking out the slideshow below.
(A progressive tax rate increases as taxable amount increases. Regressive is opposite in that the tax rate decreases as the taxable income increases.)
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Comments
Progressives are ruining the country.
"Progressive" tax means that the tax rate increases as taxable income increases, so people with more income "Regressive" is the opposite. It means that the tax rate decreases as the taxable income increases, so putting more tax burden on people less able to pay. The states named have regressive or no income taxes, so poorer people pay more through sales taxes on things everyone needs to buy like groceries.
Of course the tax rates are "upside down," unfair and regressive. The Republicans have been in charge for over a generation now...
What a suprirse from "progressives": Tax those who are successful to subsidize those who don't work/can't adapt/can't manage their own finances, etc. Look at California for an example of "soak the rich". Texas has no income tax but much lower unemployment and no fiscal mess like CA.
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