Massachusetts ranked among worst states for property taxes

A new report ranks Massachusetts among the worst states in the nation when it comes to property taxes.
The index is designed to help business leaders, taxpayers, and government officials assess how their states’ tax systems compare to others in structure and improvement.
Although it was neither in the top 10 nor in the bottom 10, the Tax Foundation 2022 State Business Tax Climate Index ranked the Bay State 34th on its list. Wyoming was the best state in the country, while New Jersey was the worst.
The States were compared on more than 120 variables in the five main areas of taxation. Each state’s overall ranking was based on its ranking in several categories: corporation tax, personal income tax, sales tax, property tax, and unemployment insurance tax.
Massachusetts fared well, ranking just outside the top 10 in personal income tax (11th) and ranking 12th in sales tax. However, in corporate taxes, it ranked 36th, 45th in property taxes, and became the worst state in the nation for unemployment insurance tax.
The states in the top 10 of the index share a common factor: the absence of a major tax. While property taxes and unemployment insurance are levied in all states, several have no corporate income tax, personal income tax, or sales tax, and some have only one of these last three taxes.
Nevada, South Dakota and Wyoming, which rank seventh, second and first respectively, have no corporate or personal income tax. No. 3-ranked Alaska has no personal income tax or state-level sales tax, while No. 4-ranked Florida and No. 8-ranked Tennessee have no personal income tax. New Hampshire, which ranked sixth, and Montana, which ranked fifth, have no sales tax.