With tax revenues down sharply, most states face a grim choice: Hike taxes during a weak economy, slash spending, or do both. A few states have managed to hold taxes steady and a few have even cut taxes. But in most states, the tax burden has gone up.
[Read more about the states where taxes are rising the most.]
Here's a state-by-state breakdown of tax changes since the recession began, based on data from the National Association of State Budget Officers. The following numbers include the total amount of new taxes since 2009, including proposed tax increases or decreases for the upcoming year. The states are ranked by the change in tax burden per person:
| State | New and proposed taxes since 2009, millions of dollars | New taxes per person |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 8,179 | $419 |
| California | 11,545 | $312 |
| Delaware | 253 | $286 |
| Connecticut | 777 | $221 |
| Wisconsin | 900 | $159 |
| Arizona | 1,014 | $154 |
| Kansas | 425 | $151 |
| Washington | 982 | $147 |
| Oregon | 541 | $141 |
| Massachusetts | 890 | $135 |
| New Hampshire | 161 | $121 |
| Nevada | 296 | $112 |
| Colorado | 537 | $107 |
| North Carolina | 983 | $105 |
| Hawaii | 125 | $96 |
| Rhode Island | 96 | $91 |
| Minnesota | 439 | $83 |
| Maine | 93 | $71 |
| Michigan | 504 | $51 |
| Tennessee | 265 | $42 |
| Kentucky | 159 | $37 |
| Florida | 553 | $30 |
| Mississippi | 84 | $28 |
| Utah | 77 | $28 |
| Iowa | 70 | $23 |
| New Mexico | 44 | $22 |
| Illinois | 220 | $17 |
| Georgia | 150 | $15 |
| South Dakota | 6 | $7 |
| Maryland | 33 | $6 |
| New Jersey | 50 | $6 |
| Arkansas | 16 | $5 |
| Virginia | 9 | $1 |
| Texas | 16 | $1 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | $0 |
| Idaho | 0 | $0 |
| Montana | 0 | $0 |
| Oklahoma | 0 | $0 |
| South Carolina | 0 | $0 |
| Wyoming | 0 | $0 |
| Nebraska | -1 | -$1 |
| Missouri | -15 | -$2 |
| Alaska | -2 | -$3 |
| Alabama | -13 | -$3 |
| Louisiana | -73 | -$16 |
| West Virginia | -80 | -$44 |
| Indiana | -321 | -$50 |
| Ohio | -1,220 | -$106 |
| North Dakota | -195 | -$301 |
Note: The data are from the beginning of fiscal year 2009, which began July 1, 2008, in most states. The recession technically began in December 2007, which would not have started to affect state budget decisions until the following year.















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Ann Wilson Kingsley of TX 8:03PM July 08, 2010
WBOB of IN 8:46AM July 07, 2010
Jim R of VT 11:14AM July 06, 2010