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Show State Tax Burden Sets New Record Of $60.72 a Person The state tax burden for the fiscal fis-cal year 1949-50 reached a record average of $60.72 per capita in the 48 states, according to a report just issued by Commerce Clearing House of Chicago in its state tax review. This averages $3.21 more per individual than was collected in 1948-49. The report shows extreme variations varia-tions In per capita collections by states. Washington was highest with $97.76, Louisiana followed with $96.22, and California collected $91.41. New Jersey had the lowest with $39.23. Four southern states ranked next; Georgia collected $41.16, Kentucky and Alabama $42.80 and Mississippi $43.81. Eleven states were in the middle mid-dle classification: Massachusetts $63.57, South Dakota $63.27, Wisconsin Wis-consin $62.06, Iowa $60.48, Maryland Mary-land $59.48, Vermont $59.09, West Virginia $58.75, Idaho $58.58, Connecticut Con-necticut $58.55 and North Carolina $58.53. Total Revenue Increases Five states reported startling increases: Delaware 58.7 per cent, South Dakota 26.2 per cent, Florida 25.9 per cent and New York 22.3 per cent, while Nebraska, which the previous year had shared the low mark in collections with New Jersey, raised its collection by 23.1 per cent. The per capita tax load was raised by $10 or more in Kansas and Oklahoma and was hiked by $5 or more in ten other states. Eight states lowered their levies. West Virginia cut its per capita tax revenue by 3 per cent. South Carolina 2.6 per cent, Pennsylvania 2.2 per cent and Mississippi 1.9 per cent. Illinois and New Jersey reduced re-duced by 0.9 per cent. North Carolina Caro-lina by 0.6 per cent. Total state tax revenues reached nearly $9 billion for the year, the report said. This was 7.4 per cent more than the previous yur's total, another record year, and set a new record of continued and un interrupted climb for 17 years. The report based on U.S bureau of census figures, shows the states collected $4,687 million, or 52.3 per cent of this revenue from genera and selective sales and gross receipts re-ceipts taxes. Beverage Tax Declines Consistent consumer demand, rising prices and a high level of spending is credited for raising rais-ing the general sales and gross receipts tax by 7.4 per cent or $322 million. The only specific taxes to show a decline for the year were alcoholic alco-holic beverage sales, off 1 per cent, and death and gift taxes, off 3.4 per cent. |
