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Which Are the 5 Best and Worst States for Sales Taxes?

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Chances are, if you’re living in one of America’s worst states for sales taxes, you already know because you feel it every time you shop. The Tax Foundation recently released its ranking of sales taxes in America for 2024, and the states with the five highest sales tax rates were:

  1. California: 7.25%
  2. Tennesee: 7.00%
  3. Rhode Island: 7.00%
  4. Mississippi: 7.00%
  5. Indiana: 7.00%

The five states with the lowest rates all have no state sales tax. Those include (in alphabetical order):

  • Alaska
  • Delaware
  • Montana
  • New Hampshire
  • Oregon

But what may surprise some readers is that municipalities in some states often have their own sales taxes, and they can be significant. The five states with the highest local tax rates are:

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  1. Alabama: 5.289%
  2. Louisiana: 5.113%
  3. Colorado: 4.907%
  4. New York: 4.532%
  5. Oklahoma: 4.489%

Action Line: If your state and local politicians are charging you extra just to buy what you need, it may be time to look for a better America. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West (RIP JB) and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.
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