Tax experts from KSE Partners spent five years monitoring the taxes imposed on wireless consumers. According to the report, cell phone users pay an average of 16% on wireless taxes and fees, compared to about 7% for other taxable goods.
The report lists a couple reasons why the taxes could be so high. It states that legislators are generally targeting the wireless industry to "relieve the burden for more recession-starved industries."
State and local fees can vary greatly depending on the level of power given to local governments. Many states also "double tax" consumers by imposing an additional tax on top of the general sales tax.
So how much are you paying?
* If you live in Florida, you have the fourth highest wireless tax in the country with 21.62%
* If you live in Mississippi, your total wireless tax could reach 14.13%
* Alabama comes in 39th of all states with a 12.5% wireless tax.
The number one highest tax goes to Nebraska, with a 23% wireless tax. Additionally, wireless taxes grew three times faster than the retail sales rate from 2007 to 2010.
Numbers following each state separated by:
State-Local Wireless Rate
State-Local Sales Tax Rate
Federal USF Rate
Combined Federal-State
U.S. Simple Average 9.87% 6.38% 5.05% 14.92%
U.S. Weighted Average 11.21% 7.42% 5.05% 16.26%
State by State:
1 Nebraska 18.64% 7.00% 5.05% 23.69%
2 Washington 17.95% 9.00% 5.05% 23.00%
3 New York 17.78% 8.25% 5.05% 22.83%
4 Florida 16.57% 7.25% 5.05% Total: 21.62%
5 Illinois 15.85% 9.00% 5.05% 20.90%
6 Rhode Island 14.62% 7.00% 5.05% 19.67%
7 Missouri 14.23% 7.23% 5.05% 19.28%
8 Pennsylvania 14.08% 7.00% 5.05% 19.13%
9 Kansas 13.34% 8.13% 5.05% 18.39%
10 Texas 12.43% 8.25% 5.05% 17.48%
11 Maryland 12.23% 6.00% 5.05% 17.28%
12 Utah 12.16% 6.80% 5.05% 17.21%
13 South Dakota 12.02% 5.96% 5.05% 17.07%
14 Arizona 11.97% 7.20% 5.05% 17.02%
15 D.C. 11.58% 5.75% 5.05% 16.63%
16 Tennessee 11.58% 9.25% 5.05% 16.63%
17 Arkansas 11.07% 8.38% 5.05% 16.12%
18 Oklahoma 10.74% 8.45% 5.05% 15.79%
19 North Dakota 10.68% 6.00% 5.05% 15.73%
20 California 10.67% 9.25% 5.05% 15.72%
21 New Mexico 10.52% 7.60% 5.05% 15.57%
22 Kentucky 10.42% 6.00% 5.05% 15.47%
23 Colorado 10.40% 7.56% 5.05% 15.45%
24 Indiana 9.84% 7.00% 5.05% 14.89%
25 South Carolina 9.52% 7.25% 5.05% 14.57%
26 North Carolina 9.43% 7.75% 5.05% 14.48%
27 Minnesota 9.38% 7.71% 5.05% 14.43%
28 Mississippi 9.08% 7.00% 5.05% Total:14.13%
29 New Jersey 8.87% 7.00% 5.05% 13.92%
30 Georgia 8.57% 7.50% 5.05% 13.62%
31 Vermont 8.50% 6.50% 5.05% 13.55%
32 Wisconsin 8.34% 5.55% 5.05% 13.39%
33 New Hampshire 8.18% 0.00% 5.05% 13.23%
34 Ohio 7.95% 7.13% 5.05% 13.00%
35 Wyoming 7.94% 5.50% 5.05% 12.99%
36 Iowa 7.91% 6.50% 5.05% 12.96%
37 Massachusetts 7.81% 6.25% 5.05% 12.86%
38 Hawaii 7.75% 4.00% 5.05% 12.80%
39 Alabama 7.45% 7.25% 5.05% Total:12.50%
40 Michigan 7.27% 6.00% 5.05% 12.32%
41 Maine 7.16% 5.00% 5.05% 12.21%
42 Connecticut 6.96% 6.00% 5.05% 12.01%
43 Alaska 6.69% 2.50% 5.05% 11.74%
44 Virginia 6.56% 5.00% 5.05% 11.61%
45 Louisiana 6.28% 9.00% 5.05% 11.33%
46 Delaware 6.25% 0.00% 5.05% 11.30%
47 West Virginia 6.23% 6.00% 5.05% 11.28%
48 Montana 6.03% 0.00% 5.05% 11.08%
49 Idaho 2.20% 6.00% 5.05% 7.25%
50 Nevada 2.08% 7.91% 5.05% 7.13%
51 Oregon 1.81% 0.00% 5.05% 6.86%
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