How Much You Pay In State Taxes

[jeffrey]

New Yorkers pay the highest state and local taxes in the nation, shelling out nearly $131 for every $1,000 of income in 2002, according to a new study.

Tennessee taxed its citizens the least, with residents paying just under $84 for every $1,000 of income, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

Massachusetts, ridiculed in the 1980s as "Taxachusetts," fell to 40th in 2002, as its residents only paid $96 in taxes for every $1,000 of income.

The Boston-based business group assessed states' competitiveness using the most recent data available, as taxes often play a big role in a company's decision to expand or relocate to a state. For years, New York business groups have argued that high taxes have hurt job growth.

"For Joe Blow, I think (the study) provides him with some context for his own feelings about what the tax burden feels like," said Cam Huff, senior research associate with the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation... [read more at money.cnn.com]

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