Wyoming Has Best Tax Climate, New York Worst: Report

Published June 1, 2006

Anyone thinking about starting a new business or relocating an existing business might want to consider Wyoming, which has the nation’s most business-friendly tax climate, according to the third edition of the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index.

The index, released in March, shows tax-heavy New York state as having the worst business tax climate in the nation.

Major Components of the State Business Tax Climate Index, 2006

State

Overall Rank

Business Tax Index Rank

Individual Income Tax Index Rank

Sales and Gross Receipts Tax Index Rank

Unemployment Insurance Tax Index Rank

Wealth and Property Tax Index Rank

Alabama

14

14

17

11

4

6

Alaska

3

48

4

1

43

18

Arizona

25

29

20

40

12

12

Arkansas

41

44

32

37

41

13

California

40

39

47

38

20

7

Colorado

12

6

14

26

21

14

Connecticut

39

16

19

33

26

50

Delaware

8

25

26

3

11

10

Florida

4

13

4

20

1

16

Georgia

21

8

27

7

32

27

Hawaii

33

26

44

43

22

3

Idaho

24

21

37

17

46

2

Illinois

23

15

13

41

37

44

Indiana

11

20

10

14

7

19

Iowa

42

46

45

13

28

29

Kansas

34

45

23

28

15

33

Kentucky

44

40

30

23

48

30

Louisiana

36

34

22

49

9

28

Maine

45

47

38

10

42

39

Maryland

22

7

39

8

17

37

Massachusetts

27

36

15

9

49

41

Michigan

26

49

11

32

40

20

Minnesota

38

41

36

34

35

15

Mississippi

29

33

16

46

2

26

Missouri

20

4

25

29

8

17

Montana

9

17

21

5

24

23

Nebraska

43

42

34

36

14

42

Nevada

5

1

7

47

38

11

New Hampshire

6

38

8

2

44

31

New Jersey

49

50

46

27

27

46

New Mexico

28

31

24

48

18

1

New York

50

30

50

39

47

43

North Carolina

37

22

43

35

5

40

North Dakota

31

35

42

18

36

4

Ohio

47

37

48

45

13

48

Oklahoma

17

8

28

15

3

21

Oregon

10

24

33

4

30

8

Pennsylvania

16

32

12

19

16

45

Rhode Island

48

27

40

30

50

49

South Carolina

30

12

29

12

45

32

South Dakota

2

1

1

42

31

9

Tennessee

15

11

9

44

33

38

Texas

7

18

4

21

6

34

Utah

18

5

31

24

23

5

Vermont

46

43

49

16

10

47

Virginia

19

8

18

6

25

36

Washington

13

19

2

50

39

24

West Virginia

35

28

41

31

34

22

Wisconsin

32

23

35

25

29

25

Wyoming

1

1

2

22

19

35

Note: Rankings do not average across to total. States without a given tax rank as number 1.

Joining Wyoming with the most business-friendly tax climates are South Dakota, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, Texas, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon. Joining New York with the most hostile tax climates are New Jersey, Rhode Island, Ohio, Vermont, Maine, Kentucky, Nebraska, Iowa, and Arkansas.

Tax Foundation economist Curtis S. Dubay and president Scott A. Hodge compiled the index.

Dubay noted in an interview for this article, “Every one of the best tax systems raises sufficient revenue without imposing at least one of the three major state taxes–sales taxes, personal income taxes, and corporate income taxes.”

Spending Is Concern

Tom Jones agrees Wyoming has an excellent business tax climate. He is a former Wyoming state representative who now serves as Wyoming state director of the National Federation of Independent Business.

“We have no income tax, corporate or personal,” Jones said. “Along with that, we have low property taxes, too. Our state sales tax is 4 percent. There are two more cents that can be imposed at the local level. So compared to other states, we are very reasonable.”

He warns, though, that Wyoming lawmakers have been spending money as fast as it comes in.

“Our tax structure is based on mineral production, and that’s a cyclical thing,” Jones said. “We are producing lots of coal and gas and oil. But when you have incurred a jillion obligations, it’s tough when the bust comes, and it will come. A bust hit in 1986, and I can’t convince [lawmakers] it’s going to happen again.”

NY Pol Defends Taxes

New York state Rep. Ivan LaFayette (D-Jackson Heights) said high taxes are no problem if citizens receive good value for the money they pay.

“In New York City the business climate must be good despite the taxes,” LaFayette said. “There isn’t an empty building or store. They can’t build office buildings fast enough. Where else do you get first-class cultural museums that are free, free parks, free pre-K education, public hospitals that are ranked among the best in the U.S., colleges at minimal tuition and high quality? You get what you pay for.”

LaFayette also pointed out New York has cut taxes in recent years.

“We have lowered the state income tax a number of times,” LaFayette said. “I was in California recently, and the [personal income] tax there is over 9 percent. New York’s income tax is 7-something percent. We’ve taken the sales tax off clothing under $100. We’re taking it off of other items, too.

“When people ask why are taxes so high, I say you can’t go just by how high they are,” LaFayette said. “If taxes bought what are your priorities–safety, cleanliness, a good environment, culturally something good–then you think your taxes are well spent.”

Index Stresses Fundamentals

Hodge said the goal of the index is to focus lawmakers on good tax fundamentals in their states, rather than short-term tax abatements and exemptions targeted to specific businesses or industries.

“States do not enact tax changes in a vacuum,” said Hodge. “Every tax change will affect a state’s competitive position relative to its neighbors, as well as globally. The temptation is for state lawmakers to lure high-profile companies with packages of tax bonuses, but that strategy can backfire.”

For example, in 2000, officials in Columbus, Ohio lured a moving company with a five-year package of tax goodies. In 2004, the company had not only failed to add 100 jobs as promised, but it had actually fired 98 employees, prompting lawmakers to yank the final year of tax breaks.

“Ohio’s experience shows preferential tax bonuses don’t guarantee jobs will stay permanently,” said Hodge. “Often they mask deeper flaws in state taxes.”

Flatness Essential

Generally the tax climate index rewards tax codes that have low, flat tax rates that apply to everyone. This makes tax law simpler and more transparent and avoids double taxation. The worst state tax codes, according to the study, tend to have:

  • complex, multi-rate corporate and individual income taxes;
  • above-average sales tax rates that don’t exempt business-to-business purchases;
  • complex, high-rate unemployment tax systems; and
  • high effective property tax rates, as well as a host of other wealth-based taxes.

“The ideal tax system, whether at the state, federal, or international level, should be neutral to business activity,” said Dubay. “In such a system, people would base their economic decisions on the merits of the transactions rather than the tax implications.”

Each state’s laws and tax collections were assessed as of the beginning of the 2006 fiscal year, which for the states was July 1, 2005. The rankings reflect the business tax climate at that time and do not consider legislative action since then.


William Ahern ([email protected]) is communications director at the Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C. Steve Stanek ([email protected]) is managing editor of Budget & Tax News.


For more information …

The Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index is available online at http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/78.html.