The Surprising Regressivity of Grocery Tax Exemptions
Exempting groceries from the sales tax base reduces economic efficiency without achieving its objective of enhancing tax progressivity.
19 min readHow does Tennessee’s tax code compare? Tennessee does not have an individual income tax. Tennessee has a flat 6.50 percent corporate income tax rate and levies a gross receipts tax. Tennessee has a 7.00 percent state sales tax rate, a max local sales tax rate of 2.75 percent, and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 9.55 percent. Tennessee’s tax system ranks 14th overall on our 2023 State Business Tax Climate Index.
Each state’s tax code is a multifaceted system with many moving parts, and Tennessee is no exception. The first step towards understanding Tennessee’s tax code is knowing the basics. How does Tennessee 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: How Does Your State Compare?
Exempting groceries from the sales tax base reduces economic efficiency without achieving its objective of enhancing tax progressivity.
19 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 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 readIndividual income taxes are a major source of state government revenue, accounting for more than a third of state tax collections:
28 min readWhile many factors influence business location and investment decisions, sales taxes are something within policymakers’ control that can have immediate impacts.
12 min readWhile Tennessee now boasts no individual income tax, there is still more work to be done for businesses—Tennessee is in a good position to get the job done.
7 min read