Where are the Highest Combined State & Local Sales Tax Rates?

The nonpartisan Tax Foundation recently released its updated report on state and local sales tax rates. (Fiscal Fact No. 196, October 2009, found here), opening eloquently, “Sales taxes are paradoxically transparent and non-transparent. A taxpayer can easily see how high the tax is by looking at the receipt for any purchase. It’s hard to imagine [...]

Back-to-school sales tax holiday season is here

While the back-to-school shopping sales tax holidays season is upon us, and I’m about to list the jurisdictions granting such gifts, it’s important to remember that these sales tax holidays are probably not going to be the panacea, the proverbial shot in the arm, that the retail industry needs to demonstrate any sort of real [...]

Fiscal 2010 Looking Ugly

As discussed in an April Sales Tax Buzz post, sales tax receipts generally outpace income taxes as the primary food source for state budgets. Noting the dismal Q2 receipts that came off a disastrous Q1 2009, while considering that June closes the fiscal year in a majority of states, fiscal 2010 does not look pretty [...]

Sales Tax Receipts Show Worst Decline in Half a Century

Sales tax receipts make up one of the best indicators of how a consumer-driven economy is faring. We’re not faring well. And sales tax receipts are the primary source, outpacing income tax, for the majority of state budgets. Based on the numbers you’re about to read, you can easily understand why so many state budgets [...]