State
|
Per-Capita
Tax Burden
Current National
Ranking
Previous National Ranking
|
Tax
Burden as % of Income
Current
National Ranking
Previous National Ranking
|
|
|
|
|
North
Carolina
|
|
|
|
Florida
|
|
|
|
Georgia
|
|
|
|
South
Carolina
|
|
|
|
Tennessee
|
|
|
|
Virginia
|
|
|
|
U.S.
|
$2,992
|
10.76%
|
North
Carolina falls from 28th to 29th
in nation in state and local tax burden
Despite
the assertions of some that North Carolina has become a
high-tax state, citizens here pay a smaller portion of their
incomes on state and local taxes now than they did a few years
ago, according to the N.C. Budget and Tax Center, a Raleigh
think tank.
According to its analysis of Census Bureau data covering state
and local government finances for 1998 and 1999, the center
said North Carolina fell from 28th to 29th in the nation in
per-capita state and local tax burden and from 33rd to 35th in
tax burden as a share of income. See chart above.
“The census data also shows that Georgia has a higher
tax burden than North Carolina by any measure,” said Dan
Gerlach, director of the Budget and Tax Center. “Florida and
Virginia have higher per-capita tax burdens than North
Carolina. While some Southeastern states had increases in tax
burden, North Carolina experienced a decrease.”
The census data also shows that
North Carolina’s per-capita state and local tax burden is
$343 smaller than the national average and is 5 percent below
the national average as a share of personal income. “Those
who attempt to portray North Carolina as a high-tax state have
little evidence to support their position,” Gerlach added.
Gerlach also said the center estimates that the top 1 percent
of taxpayers in terms of income pay about 15.9 percent of
state and local taxes and have 16.7 percent of personal
income.
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