As with income taxes, several states choose not to impose sales taxes on their residents. Because there is no statewide sales tax in effect in these states, your purchase will not be subject to any additional cost. This can have a significant impact on your retail spending because rates in California can reach as high as 7.25%, thus according to Tax Foundation studies. Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wyoming, New Hemisphere, Delaware are the only states that do not impose a statewide sales tax. In this guide, we focus on those sales tax free states that are still tax free as of 2023.
What Are Sales Taxes?
Taxes on sales are applied to the price of goods and services at the time of purchase. The taxes are paid to the state and/or municipal government by the merchant after the point of sale.
The majority of the states are in the United States (45) and the District of Columbia (DC) (1%), but not all (9). While all nine do allow some level of local taxation, certain of those nine do permit sales taxes and excise tax.
Sales Tax free States In US 2023
The following are the 2023 sales tax free states in the US.
#1. Alaska
Alaska residents may expect to pay about 5.10 percent of their income to the federal government in taxes. Not only is there no sales tax in this state, but there is also no income tax. About 5.10 percent of your income will go to various state and local taxes in Alaska, most of which are levied on property income, sales, and excise. The tax rate is the lowest of any of the 50 states. Mineral lease rents and royalties are the primary sources of revenue for the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, which is a resident organization that accumulates earnings on investments each year.
The average dividend payout to citizens in 2021 was $1114. Despite the fact that living expenses are higher in Alaska due to the state’s remote location. Alaska also has the second-highest tax on beer in the US at $1.07 a gallon. Also, healthcare costs in Alaska are some of the highest and fastest-rising in the country.
#2. Florida
About 6.97% of income is lost to taxes. While Florida’s sales and excise taxes are higher than the median, the state nevertheless has the sixth lowest tax burden in the US. Florida is ranked 31st in the nation for affordability. Concerning the 2019 schooling institutions.
#3. Nevada
There is an 8.23% statewide sales tax, and the state relies heavily on that revenue. There are additional levies on vices like gambling and drinking. As a result, the state imposes a tax on individual income that is currently the second highest in the nation. However, the high cost of living also means that it is among the most expensive places in the world.
#4. South Dakota
South Dakota, like other tax-free states, brings in a lot of money through sales taxes on things like cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. One of the highest sales tax rates in the country is levied on Lakota homes, which is also higher than the property tax rate. A typical tax burden for a South Dakota resident is 7.3% of household income. The state is ranked 14th in terms of affordability.
#5. Texas
The overall rate of taxation in this region is about 8.19 percent. Texas residents are so opposed to paying their fair share of personal income tax that it was written into the state constitution that they cannot do so. For starters, sales and excise taxes provide the bulk of the revenue needed to pay for essential public infrastructure and services.
Some areas have a sales tax rate as high as 8.25%, which is quite expensive compared to others. The average state imposes a tax burden of 8.91% of disposable personal income, much of which goes toward property taxes. Even more so, tax burdens rank 22nd in terms of affordability across the country.
#6. Washington
The state of Washington has a large number of young people and is currently in its 44th year of affordable living. Since Washington does not impose a corporate income tax, most businesses choose to remain in the state. Gasoline is more costly in Washington than in other states, despite the fact that people wind up paying higher taxes overall due to sales and excise.
#7. Wyoming
At a rate of 0.6 inhabitants per square mile, it is the second least populous state in the country, behind only Alaska. No individual or business must pay state income tax in the United States in 2018, and neither do retirees.
Income real estate sales and excise taxes, which are calculated as a proportion of individual income, bring the overall Tax in the USA incidence here to roughly 6.14 percent, making it the third-lowest in the state behind only Alaska, Wyoming, Texas, natural resources, and crude oil.
#8. New Hemisphere
The overall rate of taxation in this area is close to 6.84%. Earned income is not taxed, but profits and interest are. Interest earned will be eliminated gradually over a period of five years (at a rate of one percent per year), with the final phase-out occurring in 2027. There is no sales tax in this state, however, there are several excise taxes in addition to the alcohol tax. The combined tax burden in the Western Hemisphere is the fifth highest in the United States.
#9. Delaware
Delaware, which is well-known for its business-friendly environment, does not impose a state sales tax in order to lure consumers from nearby states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, all of which do impose such a tax. Instead, corporate taxes paid by the many out-of-state businesses that opt to set up shop in Delaware account for more than 40 percent of the state’s total budget.
Many firms operating within Delaware are subject to a gross revenue tax of up to 1.92%, while consumers purchasing a vehicle in the state are hit with a registration fee of 3.75 %.
Why Do States Charge Some State Taxes?
After the adoption of the United States Constitution, the federal government was given the power to levy taxes. It is properly each state’s responsibility to determine the level and nature of taxation it finds appropriate.
Despite the difficulties in the tax-free state sector, some have struck a remarkable mix between low economic taxes and creating a better environment to live in. This demonstrates that a state’s low tax rate is not necessarily indicative of its overall cost of living. Before agreeing to work in or relocate to one of these states, you may want to have a look at the regulations.
Physical Presence in a State Will Give You an Obligation to Collect That State’s Sales Tax
Having a physical location in a state is a frequent approach for a company to demonstrate nexus there.
Sending personnel to a state for a trade fair or other reason, or delivering items into the state in your own car, can both establish a physical presence nexus. Having remote workers in a state with a sales tax can also create a nexus subject to that state’s sales tax.
An out-of-state company may be required to collect sales tax in another state if it has inventory there, even if the stock is held by a third party. Furthermore, according to Massachusetts law, a remote company’s physical presence nexus is established when cookies are placed on computers in the state. This has been contested; the outcome of the debate is currently unknown.
Now think about this: “It is our unpublished judgment with respect to services supplied via the Net, that the location of the server or mainframe from which such information was accessed,” said the Delaware Division of Revenue. Similar to Washington’s business and occupation (B&O) tax, Delaware may seek to collect revenue from out-of-state companies that sell specific types of online services to residents of the state.
Therefore, companies operating in the so-called “NOMAD” states must be familiar with, and if necessary, adhere to, the requirements of physical presence nexus legislation. However, there are additional ways for a company to establish sales tax nexus with another state outside mere physicality.
Why Is Delaware Among the Sales Tax Free States InUS 2023?
For tax purposes, Delaware is a popular haven for corporations and the wealthy. This loophole, known as the “Delaware Loophole,” allows businesses to avoid paying corporation tax in the state in which they generate revenue. Many major stores, like Home Depot and Toys R Us, have taken advantage of this provision.
Further, only nine states do not impose a sales tax, and Delaware is one of them. Shopping in states that offer tax and duty-free goods is therefore quite popular among travelers. And so they cross, and they shop, duty-free. Even though it’s technically illegal, the infraction is minor. As things are, it’s not a particularly serious infraction.
However, a wealthy person can avoid paying sales tax to the state of New York by having an item purchased at auction transported directly from New York to a storage facility in Delaware. The Delaware Loophole helps firms dodge corporate income tax, much like the art tax exemption helps individuals avoid state taxes.
Where Is the Cheapest Taxes In USA?
The overall tax burden in Alaska is the smallest of any state in the United States. It is one of nine states that do not have a state income tax at the present time. The sales tax is near the lowest in the nation at 1.42%, in contrast to the property tax which is significantly higher at 3.68%.
What Is the Highest Sales Tax In us?
In 2021, Lake Providence, Louisiana will have the highest combined state and local taxation rate in the United States, at 11.45%. Due to the severance tax it collects on oil and natural gas, Alaska also has no personal income tax. Sales taxes collected at the local level in 37 states (including Alaska and Montana) can add up to a significant amount.
What US Cities Are Sales Tax Free?
These are the list of cities inside states that are sales tax free in US as at 2023
#1. Cheyenne, Wyoming
Despite being an unlikely contender, Cheyenne, Wyoming, is home to the lowest tax rate of any major city in the United States. When compared to the national average, Cheyenne’s 9.7 percent rate for middle-income families is exceptionally low. Higher-income earners pay an average tax rate of 3.1%.
#2. Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a tax haven in many respects, as its citizens enjoy high salaries and a low rate of taxation. Income taxes are not collected in Anchorage, and neither is sales tax. The city also has one of the lowest car taxes of any major metropolis, which is a definite plus. There will be a total tax load of about 3.4% as a result.
#3. Houston, Texas
There are high rates of sales tax and property tax in Houston, but no income taxes at the state or local levels. Houston was one of eight cities with tax rates below 5% for a three-person family earning over $150,000.
#4. Fargo, North Dakota
At 5.2%, Fargo residents have one of the nation’s lowest effective tax rates. North Dakota has no income tax, so Fargo collects land, car, and sales taxes. While there has been an uptick in some areas, the overall rate is still quite low. Taxes from oil and gas production that the typical person in Fargo doesn’t have to pay for the city’s coffers.
#5. Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville residents don’t pay state or municipal income taxes. State and municipal taxes as a percentage of income for typical Jacksonville families making over $150,000 a year is only 4.3%, with the state’s 6% sales tax accounting for the vast majority of the state’s tax collection. City residents’ net taxes are wiped out by low- and middle-income households’ astounding 11.8 percent average.
#6. Billings, Montana
The Office of Economic Analysis found that Billings has the lowest income tax burden of any of the communities it studied. You won’t have to fork over any cash to the local or state governments as sales tax, either. Paying a higher-than-average gas tax is one of the few drawbacks of living in Billings. Taxes are only 7.4% of income on average, which is quite low.
Conclusion
Although tax payments are obligatory, there are legitimate strategies for minimizing your tax burden. And if you use the correct credit card, you can save money on tax preparation software that will help you claim all the deductions you are entitled to and pay as little in taxes as possible each year.
FAQs
Is Texas a tax-friendly state?
Texas is generally tax-friendly. According to the Tax Foundation, Texas is one of the lowest total state and local tax burdens in the nation.
How much is tax in California?
Statewide, the tax rate is 7.25%. Localities have introduced district taxes in most parts of California, increasing the tax owed by a seller. The district tax rates ranged from 0.10% to 1.00%. There may be more than one municipal tax in place in some regions.
How much is tax in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles, California’s lowest aggregate 2023 sales tax rate is 9.5%. This is the sum of the purchase tax rates in the state, district, and municipal.
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