CLT News Release
Tuesday, April 14, 2015

---

Happy Tax Day in Massachusetts

---

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Barbara Anderson

Just checking in with our annual reminder that we ordinary Massachusetts taxpayers are not undertaxed. We know you get some “relative to personal income” data showing the commonwealth has a very high number of very rich people who probably could pay higher taxes if they can’t find a more productive use of their money. But we’re here to remind you about the rest of us, who are covered by “per capita” data.

According to the Washington-based Tax Foundation on state and local per capita tax burdens, ours was the fifth-highest burden in the nation (behind CT, NJ, NY, MD). We pay $5,586 for every man, woman and child in the commonwealth, 32.4 percent above the national average. So, don’t let anyone tell you we don’t pay enough for essential services, if they are ever effectively provided by a well-managed state.

Awaiting this better management under new Gov. Charlie Baker, we appreciate his oft-assurances that he won’t raise our taxes because that would be counter-productive: every time our taxes are raised, the management has gotten worse. If some of the above-mentioned rich want to voluntarily pay more taxes, or even host the Olympics, we wish them well, and thank them for their generosity.

 

###

 

---

Citizens for Limited Taxation  ▪  PO Box 1147  ▪  Marblehead, MA 01945  ▪  508-915-3665