State Sales Tax Breadth and Reliance, Fiscal Year 2021
The sales tax is too important a part of states’ revenue toolkits to be permitted further erosion, making sales tax modernization a vital project of the 2020s.
17 min readHow does Kentucky’s tax code compare? Kentucky has a flat 4.00 percent individual income tax rate. There are also jurisdictions that collect local income taxes. Kentucky has a 5.0 percent corporate income tax rate. Kentucky also has a 6.00 percent state sales tax rate and does not have local sales taxes. Kentucky has a 0.74 percent effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing value.
Kentucky has an inheritance tax. Kentucky has a 30 cents per gallon gas tax rate and a $1.10 cigarette excise tax rate. The State of Kentucky collects $5,945 in state and local tax collections per capita. Kentucky has $12,020 in state and local debt per capita and has a 50 percent funded ratio of public pension plans. Overall, Kentucky’s tax system ranks 18th on our 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index.
Each state’s tax code is a multifaceted system with many moving parts, and Kentucky is no exception. The first step towards understanding Kentucky’s tax code is knowing the basics. How does Kentucky collect tax revenue? Click the tabs below to learn more! You can also explore our state tax maps, which are compiled from our annual publication, Facts & Figures 2024: How Does Your State Compare?
The sales tax is too important a part of states’ revenue toolkits to be permitted further erosion, making sales tax modernization a vital project of the 2020s.
17 min readRanking unemployment insurance tax codes on the 2022 State Business Tax Climate Index. Learn more about state unemployment insurance tax code and systems.
4 min readKentucky is making commendable progress toward a more modern and competitive tax code, but more work on comprehensive tax reform should be prioritized next session.
7 min readTax burdens rose across the country as pandemic-era economic changes caused taxable income, activities, and property values to rise faster than net national product. Tax burdens in 2020, 2021, and 2022 are all higher than in any other year since 1978.
24 min readAfter a whirlwind of cuts and reforms in 2021, it looks like 2022 might be an even bigger year for state tax codes. Republican and Democratic governors alike used their annual State of the State addresses to call for tax reform, and there is already serious momentum from state lawmakers nationwide to get the job done.
3 min readFacts & Figures serves as a one-stop state tax data resource that compares all 50 states on over 40 measures of tax rates, collections, burdens, and more.
2 min readAs Kentucky policymakers make final decisions on tax relief this year, they should make the most of this opportunity to return excess tax collections in a manner that would also enhance the Bluegrass State’s prospects for long-term economic growth.
5 min readThe FDA’s expected announcement of a national ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes and cigars with a characterizing flavor would carry significant revenue implications for both the federal government and state governments, with likely limited benefits in smoking cessation.
6 min readUnlike other studies that look solely at tax burdens, the State Business Tax Climate Index measures how well or poorly each state structures its tax system. It is concerned with the how, not the how much, of state revenue, because there are better and worse ways to levy taxes.
4 min read