The Tax Foundation

Tax Data

Alaska

The Facts on Alaska’s Tax Climate

Here are some basic facts on Alaska’s tax system and how it compares to other states:

Tax Freedom Day Arrives on March 29 in Alaska, Earliest in Nation
Tax Freedom Day is the day when Americans finally have earned enough money to pay off their total tax bill for the year. In 2008, Alaska taxpayers had to work until March 29 (50th nationally) to pay their total tax bill, 25 days before national Tax Freedom Day (April 23). The Tax Freedom Days of neighboring states were: Hawaii, April 26 (ranked 10th nationally); Oregon, April 16 (ranked 32nd highest nationally); Washington, April 29 (ranked 5th highest nationally); and California, April 30 (ranked 4th highest nationally).

Tax Freedom Day has been projected using the most up-to-date economic and budget projections from official government agencies. However, Tax Foundation estimates of average state and local tax rates for 2008 will not be released until later this spring as we await more up-to-date data from various government agencies.
Full study of Tax Freedom Day, nationwide and in each state

Alaska's State/Local Tax Burden Lowest in the Nation
Since 1990, Alaska's state and local tax burden has consistently been the nation's lowest. Estimated now at 6.4% of income, Alaska's state/local tax burden  is well below the national average of 9.7%. Alaskans pay $2,871 per capita in state and local taxes.

Before the Trans-Alaska pipeline was finished in1977, taxpayers in Alaska bore the second-highest tax burden in the country. By 1980, with oil tax revenue a certified bonanza, Alaska repealed its personal income tax and started sending out checks instead. The tax burden plummeted, and now Alaskans are the least taxed.
Alaska's State-Local Tax Burden, 1977-present
Other States' State/Local Tax Burdens
Historical Chart Comparing All States' State/Local Tax Burdens from 1977 to 2008

Alaska’s 2008 Business Tax Climate Ranks 4th
Alaska ranks 4th in the Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate Index. The Index compares the states in five areas of taxation that impact business: corporate taxes; individual income taxes; sales taxes; unemployment insurance taxes; and taxes on property, including residential and commercial property. The ranks of the nearest states were as follows: Hawaii (22nd), Oregon (10th), Washington (11th) and California (47th).
50-State Comparison of Business Tax Climates (data only)
2008 State Business Tax Climate Index, Fifth Edition (full study)

Alaska’s Individual Income Tax System
Alaska levies no individual income taxes, joining six other states with the same policy: Wyoming, Washington, Nevada, Florida, Texas and South Dakota.
50-State Table of Individual Income Tax Rates
50-State Table of State Individual Income Tax Collections
50-State Table of State and Local Individual Income Tax Collections Per Capita

Alaska’s Corporate Income Tax System
Alaska's corporate tax structure consists of ten separate brackets with a top rate of 9.4% kicking in at an income level of $90,000-the 5th highest rate in the nation. In 2006, Alaska's state-level corporate tax collections (excluding local taxes) reached $1,226.27 per capita, which ranked highest in the nation.
50-State Table of Corporate Income Tax Rates, 2000-2008
50-State Table of State and Local Corporate Income Tax Collections Per Capita and Per Household, 2005
50-State Table of State Corporate Income Tax Collections Per Capita, 2006

Alaska Levies No Statewide General Sales Tax; Gasoline Tax Second Lowest in the Nation
Alaska levies no general sales or use tax on consumers, joining Delaware, New Hampshire, Montana and Oregon as the only other states with no sales tax. However, Alaska does collect $598 per capita in general sales taxes at the local level. Alaska's gasoline tax stands at 8.0 cents per gallon (lowest nationally), while its cigarette tax stands at $2.00 per pack of twenty (4th highest nationally). The gasoline tax was adopted in 1946 and the cigarette tax in 1949.
50-State Table of Sales and Excise Tax Rates
50-State Table of State and Local General Sales and Gross Receipts Tax Collections Per Household and Per Capita, Fiscal Year 2005

Alaska Property Taxes: Comparatively High
Alaska is one of the 37 states that collect property taxes at both the state and local levels. As in most states, local governments collect far more. Alaska's localities collected $811,688,000 in property taxes in fiscal year 2004, the latest year for which the Census Bureau has published state-by-state data. At the state level, Alaska collected $47,368,000 in property taxes during FY 2004, making its combined state/local property taxes $859,056,000. That brings its per capita collection to $1,306(ranked 12th nationally).
State property tax collections per capita by state

Federal Tax Burdens and Expenditures: Alaska is a Beneficiary State
Alaska taxpayers receive more federal funding per dollar of federal taxes paid compared to the average state. Per dollar of Federal tax collected in 2005, Alaska citizens received approximately $1.84 in the way of federal spending. This ranks the state 3rd highest nationally and represents a large rise from 1995 when Alaska received $1.21 per dollar of taxes in federal spending (then ranked at 17th highest nationally). The nearest states and the amount of federal spending they received per dollar of federal taxes paid were: Hawaii ($1.44), Oregon ($0.93), Washington ($0.88) and California ($0.78).
Comparing the amount of federal taxes sent to Washington with the amount of federal spending coming back to the state

Tax Data from The Tax Foundation