A report from the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance found that the total state and local taxes collected in Wisconsin rose for the third consecutive year in 2012. Collections grew 3.2% to $26.8 billion, while the state-local tax burden as a share of personal income decreased slightly. State taxes (4.8%) rose higher than local taxes (0.5%).
When adding the amount of federal taxes paid by Wisconsinites to the state-local total, the combined tax burden reaches 29.5% of income.
Wisconsin taxpayers paid an estimated $39.9 billion in federal taxes, compared to $39 billion in 2011, marking the second consecutive year that federal revenues grew more than 2%.
The state’s three largest state taxes all increased: individual income (5.1%) totaled $7 billion; sales tax (4.4%) totaled $4.3 billion; and unemployment insurance (17%) generated $1.2 billion. Corporate income taxes paid increased for the third consecutive year, rising 6.3%.
