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Show V: Middle Income Families Poy More Tux in Utdis Utah places a proportionately proportion-ately higher tax burden on persons and families in the middle income brackets than do most of the other states. This fact was brought out in a report by Utah Foundation, Founda-tion, the private tax research organization, and is1 based on analysis of interstate differences dif-ferences in family tax burdens bur-dens contained in a -recent issue is-sue of the National Tax Journal. The study shows that the average tax burden in Utah is slightly below the U. 5. average at 'the $3,523 and $5,000 family income levels. At the $7,500 through $25,000 income levels, however, the direct tax burden is anywhere any-where from 3 per cent to 11 per cent above the U. S. average. The analysis compares most cf the common direct taxes paid by a typical family. These include the individual' income tax, residential property pro-perty tax, general sales tax, motor vehicle taxes, and cigarette tax. Specifically ex-eluded ex-eluded from the comparison are business taxes, inheritance inheri-tance tax, hunting and fishing fish-ing license, oleomargarine tax, and liquor taxes. Foundation analysts point out that the study reported' in the National Tax Journal indicates that the state and local tax burden in every state is somewhat regressive. This means that taxes take a higher proportion of personal per-sonal income at the lower income levels than they do at the higher income levels. The report notes, however, that the regressiveness of state and local tax structures struc-tures is probably more than offset by the progressive Federal tax structure. According to the study. Utah is tied with Colorado for l?lh place among the fifty states in the level of direct tax burden for an average family of four with an income of $10,000 per year. Such a family would have paid $792 in direct state and local taxes in Utah during dur-ing 1968. Highest tax levels for a typical $10,000 a year family were found in Maryland Mary-land $1,122 and Wisconr sin $1,079. The lowest tax levels were reported for West Virginia - $151, vada $471, and ly- " $474. The study also shew.;: Utah and Colorado w among the eleven . .. states in the coitipi" r tax burden for a lte. j( year family. Arizona the highest direct las : den ($84,5) in the le I States for such a hi while Nevada reported lowest taxes (5471-. |
