Taxes in Massachusetts

Each state’s tax code is a multifaceted system with many moving parts, and Massachusetts is no exception. The first step towards understanding Massachusetts’s tax code is knowing the basics.

How does Massachusetts rank?  Below, we have highlighted a number of tax rates, ranks, and measures detailing Massachusetts’s income tax, business tax, sales tax, and property tax systems. Click the tabs below to explore!

Top Individual Income Tax Rate

5.05%

See Full Study

State and Local Individual Income Tax Collections per Capita

$2115

Click for a comparative tax map!

State and Local Tax Burden

10.3%

Click for a comparative tax map!
See Full Study

Tax Freedom Day

April 23

Click for a comparative tax map!
See Full Study

Top Corporate Income Tax Rate

8.00%

See Full Study

State Business Tax Climate Index Ranking

29

See Full Study

State Sales Tax Rate

6.25%

Click for a comparative tax map!
See Full Study

Combined State and Average Local Sales Tax Rate

6.25%

Click for a comparative tax map!
See Full Study

State and Local General Sales Tax Collections per Capita

$910

State Gasoline Tax Rate (cents per gallon)

26.54¢

Click for a comparative tax map!

State Cigarette Tax Rate (dollars per 20-pack)

$3.51

Click for a comparative tax map!

Property Taxes Paid as a Percentage of Owner-Occupied Housing Value

1.10%

Click for a comparative tax map!

State and Local Property Tax Collections Per Capita

$2357

Featured Articles

Sales Tax Holidays: Politically Expedient but Poor Tax Policy, 2019

July 24, 2019

State Tax Changes as of July 1, 2019

July 11, 2019

2019 State Business Tax Climate Index

September 26, 2018

Related Articles

Massachusetts State House Vote to Tax and Ban

November 18, 2019

Testimony: Massachusetts Options for Corporate Tax Reform

October 16, 2019

Sales Tax Holidays: Politically Expedient but Poor Tax Policy, 2019

July 24, 2019

State Tax Changes as of July 1, 2019

July 11, 2019

Millionaires’ Tax Take Two: Massachusetts legislature moves forward Millionaires’ Tax

June 24, 2019

Facts and Figures 2019: How Does Your State Compare?

March 19, 2019

Massachusetts Income Tax Increase Not on November Ballot

October 1, 2018

2019 State Business Tax Climate Index

September 26, 2018

State Tax Changes Taking Effect July 1, 2018

June 26, 2018

Massachusetts “Millionaires” Tax Would Tie Legislature’s Hands and Violate Anti-Logrolling Provision: Anderson v. Healey

January 22, 2018

Massachusetts Increases Marijuana Tax Rate

August 1, 2017

Ten States Begin FY2018 Without Budget In Place

July 3, 2017

Statewide Soda Tax Stirs Debate in Massachusetts

June 19, 2017

Millionaire’s Tax Would Revive “Taxachusetts”

June 13, 2017

Lunch Links: Mnuchin Promises Tax Reform within First 90 Days of Trump Administration; Chopping Itemized Deductions Not Panacea in Trump Tax Plan; Massachusetts Latest State to Consider Soda Tax

December 1, 2016

Lunch Links: Sen. Blumenthal Calls for Simplifying Tax on Business Travelers; Massachusetts Girding for 2018 Income Tax Boost; Maryland Legislators Warned about Revenue Gap

October 27, 2016

Lunch Links: Britain Hints at Cutting Corporate Tax Rate Over EU Trade Impasse; Former Oregon Governor Against Gross Receipts Tax Measure; Voting to Legalize Marijuana in Massachusetts Could Lead to Higher Tax

October 26, 2016

Top State Tax Ballot Initiatives to Watch in 2016

October 18, 2016

Five States to Vote on Legalizing and Taxing Marijuana

October 18, 2016

Lunch Links: Speaker Ryan Contemplates Procedural Tool to Push Tax Agenda and Repeal Obamacare; Nevada Governor Not Giving Up on Tax to Fund NFL-Ready Stadium; Massachusetts Legislators Say Marijuana Excise Tax Too Low

October 6, 2016