Arizona Residents Pay Less Taxes Than Most

My mind is on taxes today, since next week is when estimated tax payments are due. While the per capita income level in Arizona is lower than the U.S. average, we are also taxed less. The taxes we pay to the State of Arizona rank 41st in 2008. Here's a case where low ranking is a positive thing. That means that 40 states in the U.S. charge their residents more taxes than Arizona taxes us.

The report by the Tax Foundation shows Arizonans paid $3,244, or 8.5%, per capita in 2008. The average U.S. taxpayer paid 9.7%. The ten states with the highest state tax burden during the same period were New Jersey (11.8%), New York (11.7%), Connecticut (11.1%), Maryland (10.8%), Hawaii (10.6%), California (10.5%), Ohio (10.4%), Vermont (10.3%), Wisconsin (10.2%) and Rhode Island (10.2%).