Tennessee Sales Tax Rate Is Highest In U.S.

[Guest cjr]

I max out my SEP each year, I just hope it's worth something when I need to draw it out at a lesser tax bracket

[oldogy]

I max out my SEP each year, I just hope it's worth something when I need to draw it out at a lesser tax bracket

Good luck on this.

oldogy

Edited October 27, 2009 by oldogy
Poor original choice of words

[Guest 70below]

Alaska was great, no sales tax, no income tax, and the state paid you every year for living there as your share of the resources mined out of the state.

But.....I would rather have a sales tax than income tax.....I don't want to have to do more tax return paperwork. It would just be easier to swallow if I knew the state was doing more to limit/cut spending. It also kills me that you have to pay sales tax on a car.......no matter how many times the car sells. To me that's double taxation (or triple, or quadruple.....however many times a car sells).

As if people don't have enough problems being upside down on cars, then you drive off the lot and heap that on there (and most add interest to that tax total on your loan). Even if you buy off a used lot....oooops....here's your sales tax to add onto that good deal you just negotiated.

[Guest cjr]

Alaska was great, no sales tax, no income tax, and the state paid you every year for living there as your share of the resources mined out of the state.

But.....I would rather have a sales tax than income tax.....I don't want to have to do more tax return paperwork. It would just be easier to swallow if I knew the state was doing more to limit/cut spending. It also kills me that you have to pay sales tax on a car.......no matter how many times the car sells. To me that's double taxation (or triple, or quadruple.....however many times a car sells).

As if people don't have enough problems being upside down on cars, then you drive off the lot and heap that on there (and most add interest to that tax total on your loan). Even if you buy off a used lot....oooops....here's your sales tax to add onto that good deal you just negotiated.

+1

[Guest db99wj]

I pay that tax and over $2800 per year in property taxes, tax appraisal of $15300.

If you live in the city of memphis you pay the highest property tax rate in the state. The service I get for that sucks.

Taxes are fine where they are, no need to raise them at any level, goods, property, and don't add income. What they, the government needs to do is spend are money more wisely, that's what we do as citizens when money gets tight, that is what businesses do when money gets tight, why can't the government.....

Rant off.

[Bloodbought1]

The problem with so many wealthy people flocking to this state is, it has the unfortunate byproduct of bringing many who hold liberals views and have the money to donate to liberal politician's campaigns and get them elected.

Something we don't want or need, this state is already a bit messed up we don't need it getting any worse.

Oh so very true......

[Patrick Henry]

In a way this is a pointless discussion and a useless fact. What truely matters is the overall tax rate, i.e.... the total combined tax rate when comparing states.

Having moved to TN from a socialist NE border state I very much favor a sales tax vs. a sales tax plus an income tax. Most people, if they logically think about it, would much rather pay a tax on what they spend in state than a tax on all of their income.

I do not fully agree with the regressive tax view. Lower income people pay less in total sales tax because they spend less than people with higher incomes. Unless of course they get into excessive debt and that is their own fault.

There are a large # of people who would vote based on emotion for all kinds of taxes in exchange for some gov. service they percieve as free, this includes: "better" libraries to public healthcare.

[Guest 1817ak47]

I lived in wi and they have 5% sale tax and state income which was automatically taken out of your check then you file for your state return in a similiar manner to federal income tax. I like the system here, less coapermplicated and alot che

[Guest BoltAction]

I have no problem with the sales tax. Like others said, everyone has to pay. Now income tax and sales tax I do have a problem with.

[Guest GunTroll]

I'm new here to TN and I have to say that 9.5 is hard to swallow. I have lived in many states and the one that had it right was WY. I even lived in the richest county within the state. Most Liberal too but thats another story. NO income tax and only a 4% state sales tax with an added 2% that goes to the county 6% total!. I know its only 3.5% difference but it counts when the times are rough.

I liked the comment of putting your earnings into savings accounts! That was good. Sucks when I want to fill up my truck. Buy powder, or bullets, guns, scopes, food, a house full of appliances and furniture. Basically the kind of responsible spending that our fragile economy needs. I get taxed 9.5% for it. I think TN could work the rate better for its residents. Cut crappy programs (IE welfare!) and the such. Wasteful spending is the reason for your high tax rate.

Here is the tax info for Jackson WY..... Jackson Hole Financial Overview | Locale

[Semiauto]

I'm new here to TN and I have to say that 9.5 is hard to swallow. I have lived in many states and the one that had it right was WY. I even lived in the richest county within the state. Most Liberal too but thats another story. NO income tax and only a 4% state sales tax with an added 2% that goes to the county 6% total!. I know its only 3.5% difference but it counts when the times are rough.

I liked the comment of putting your earnings into savings accounts! That was good. Sucks when I want to fill up my truck. Buy powder, or bullets, guns, scopes, food, a house full of appliances and furniture. Basically the kind of responsible spending that our fragile economy needs. I get taxed 9.5% for it. I think TN could work the rate better for its residents. Cut crappy programs (IE welfare!) and the such. Wasteful spending is the reason for your high tax rate.

Here is the tax info for Jackson WY..... Jackson Hole Financial Overview | Locale

Wyoming gets substantial revenue from oil and gas. Same as Alaska. It offsets what is needed from sales/income taxes. Florida does it with tourism taxes.

[Guest GunTroll]

So TN has nothing better going on than to tax its residence?

[Guest H0TSH0T]

i moved form ca 9 years ago, i will take the 9.5 tax,

in ca i had to pay $300 just for a sticker for a license plate

state income tax, county tax, city tax, and state sales tax not to mention the other draw backs of living in ca,

here we have blue sky's good people, and values, if i had to gripe about it the only thing i would say is food should not be taxed everything else, i can live with it. or i can go to ga and do my shopping there and hop back across state lines. (they have no grocery tax or it is very low???)

[TNTitan]

In a way this is a pointless discussion and a useless fact. What truely matters is the overall tax rate, i.e.... the total combined tax rate when comparing states.

Having moved to TN from a socialist NE border state I very much favor a sales tax vs. a sales tax plus an income tax. Most people, if they logically think about it, would much rather pay a tax on what they spend in state than a tax on all of their income.

I do not fully agree with the regressive tax view. Lower income people pay less in total sales tax because they spend less than people with higher incomes. Unless of course they get into excessive debt and that is their own fault.

There are a large # of people who would vote based on emotion for all kinds of taxes in exchange for some gov. service they percieve as free, this includes: "better" libraries to public healthcare.

^This was addressed in the 5th post of this thread.

So TN has nothing better going on than to tax its residence?

Tennessee is 3rd LOWEST overall taxed state in the Country, bested by only NH and AK (2007 data). That is the bottom line. You go anywhere else, and for the most part, you will be taxed more. Period.

Edited October 28, 2009 by TNTitan

[Guest db99wj]

^This was addressed in the 5th post of this thread.

Tennessee is 3rd LOWEST overall taxed state in the Country, bested by only NH and AK (2007 data). That is the bottom line. You go anywhere else, and for the most part, you will be taxed more. Period.

Do you have a source for this? Not disputing, just wondering if they have a listing by counties, would love to see how Shelby County ranks. I believe we have the highest overall tax rate in the state.

[TNTitan]

check my post on the 1st page.

[molonlabetn]

Sales tax makes more sense than income tax... I welcome it. Overall, we spend less here on taxes than most other states, all things considered.