Estate and Inheritance Taxes by State, 2024
In addition to the federal estate tax, with a top rate of 40 percent, 12 states and DC impose additional estate taxes, while six states levy inheritance taxes.
7 min readAlaska‘s tax system ranks 3rd overall on the 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index. Alaska, which forgoes an individual income tax and a state-level sales tax, ranks well on the Index due to the absence of major taxes, but has room to reform the taxes it does impose. Cities and boroughs can impose their own sales taxes, resulting in a lack of base uniformity, though local governments have agreed to adopt a uniform code with central administration for remote sellers, lessening compliance burdens.
The state’s corporate income tax has a 20 percent global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) inclusion, making it a national outlier. Alaska also imposes a throwback rule, exposing some out-of-state activity of Alaska-based corporations to the state’s corporate taxes, and it only partially conforms to federal depletion allowances. Property taxes are somewhat high, and the state taxes some inventory, but with no individual income tax, state sales tax, capital stock tax, or inheritance or estate tax, Alaska keeps taxes low for most residents and for some businesses, particularly those not subject to production taxes (e.g., oil and natural gas).
Category | Rank | Rank Change | Score |
---|---|---|---|
Overall | 3 | 0 | 7.05 |
Corporate Taxes | 34 | 2 | 4.93 |
Individual Income Taxes | 1 | 0 | 10.00 |
Sales Taxes | 5 | 0 | 7.86 |
Property Taxes | 30 | -1 | 4.92 |
Unemployment Insurance Taxes | 45 | 1 | 4.00 |
In addition to the federal estate tax, with a top rate of 40 percent, 12 states and DC impose additional estate taxes, while six states levy inheritance taxes.
7 min readOver 500 million premium cigars were sold in the United States in 2023. With each sale comes a complex tax landscape.
4 min readPolicymakers can and should address taxpayers’ legitimate grievances about out-of-control property tax bills, but they should do so without upending a system of taxation that is more efficient, fair, and pro-growth, and better suited to municipal finance, than any of the alternatives.
39 min read