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1 Gerald Prante, Where Do State and Local Governments Get Their Tax Revenue 1 (2009)

handle is hein.taxfoundation/ffbjexz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: OUNDATION October 9, 2009 No. 194 FISCAL FACT Where Do State and Local Governments Get Their Tax Revenue? By Gerald Prante Introduction Newly released Census data show how different the 50 states' fiscal systems are. Their reliance on various sources of tax revenue differs widely because they have different endowed resources and policy priorities. These differences are reflected in state-local tax collections no matter how large or small a fraction of the residents' income state and local governments have decided to take in taxes. States heavily endowed with valuable natural resources, such as Alaska and Wyoming, will usually exploit those tax revenue sources, which they can do without too much fear of driving the activity out of state, given that those natural resources are largely immobile. States seeking a steeply progressive tax code tend to rely heavily on individual income taxes, all else equal. Tables 1-4 are top ten tables, highlighting the states that rely heavily on each of four major categories: property taxes, individual income taxes, general and selective sales taxes,1 and licenses and other taxes.,,2 The data are the latest available for states and localities, fiscal year 2007, which stretched from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007. Combined state-local data is best for interstate comparison because what some states accomplish with local taxes is accomplished in other states with state-level taxes. 1 The major selective sales taxes are levied on motor fuel, tobacco, insurance premiums, public utilities (power, telephone service, etc.), amusements and alcoholic beverages. 2 Major fees are imposed on motor vehicle licenses, business or corporation licenses, and hunting or fishing licenses. Major tax sources are severance taxes (natural resources), stock transfer taxes, and estate/gift taxes. Gerald Prante is a senior economist at the Tax Foundation.