1. A RE S OUTH C AROLINIANS O VER T AXED ? Ashley Brinson

2. S OUTH C AROLINA T AX C OMPARISON : South Carolina was compared to five states within the United States when making a determination of over taxation. Comparisons were based on states with similar populations, states discussed frequently in class, and one at random. Taxes analyzed in this comparison include; state sales tax, gasoline tax, cigarette tax, and property tax.

3. S TATE P OPULATIONS :

4. C OMPARISON OF GASOLINE TAX : STATEGasoline Tax Alabama20.9 cent/gal Arizona19 cent/ gal Louisiana20 cent/gal Michigan 36.1 cents/gal New York 44.4 cents/gal South Carolina 16.8 cents/gal * Based on 2011 taxes

5. G ASOLINE T AXES ; A PRIL 2010

6. C OMPARISON OF CIGARETTE TAX : STATECigarette Tax Alabama42.6 cent/20pk Arizona$2/ 20pk Louisiana36 cent/20pk Michigan$2.61/ 20pk New York$4.35/ 20pk South Carolina57 cents/ 20pk * Based on 2011 taxes

7. S TATE C IGARETTE E XCISE T AXES -- U NITED S TATES, 2009

8. C OMPARISON OF SALES TAX : STATESales Tax Alabama4% - 12% Arizona6.6% - 7.5% Louisiana4% - 10.75% Michigan6% New York4% - 8% South Carolina5% - 8% * Based on 2011 taxes

9. S ALES T AX ; S EPTEMBER 2009

10. P ROPERTY T AXES : Alabama – The state does not collect taxes on personal property such as boats and computers. Each city and county may levy has its own millage rate. Homeowners 65 and older are exempt from all state property taxes. Arizona – There is no state property tax. Tax jurisdictions set tax rates, which may vary considerable from one area to another. Property tax is administered by county assessors. Single homeowners 65 and older who earn less than $3,750 and married couples who earn less than $5,500 are eligible for a tax credit of up to $502. Louisiana – Taxes are assessed and collected at the local level -- 64 parishes and 7 municipal districts. The Louisiana State Tax Commission has a regulatory role regarding property assessments. Property assessments are based on 10% of the fair market value of the property. Homeowners receive a homestead exemption in the amount of $7,500

11. P ROPERTY T AXES C ONT ’ D : Michigan – Property in Michigan is generally assessed at 50% of its true cash value. Some seniors, disabled persons, veterans, surviving spouses of veterans and farmers may be able to delay paying property taxes. It depends on the county of residence and your income level. New York – Property taxation is limited to real property. New York State law gives local governments and public school districts the option of granting a reduction on the amount of property taxes paid by qualifying senior citizens. This is accomplished by reducing the assessed value of residential property owned by seniors by 50%.. If a person's income is more than $29,000 but less than $32,400, the exemption is 5%.

12. P ROPERTY T AXES C ONT ’ D : South Carolina – South Carolina imposes a casual excise tax of 5% on the fair market value of all motor vehicles, motorcycles, boats, motors and airplanes transferred between individuals. Property tax is assessed and collected by local governments. Both real and personal property are subject to tax. The market value of a legal residence and up to 5 acres of surrounding land is assessed at 4%. For homeowners 65 and older, the state's homestead exemption allows the first $50,000 of their property's fair market value to be exempt from local property taxes.

13. A VERAGE T EACHER S ALARIES STATE RANKING Alabama 43 rd Arizona 23 rd Louisiana 44 th Michigan 7 th New York 5 th South Carolina 30 th

14. F INDINGS OF T AX C OMPARISONS : Based on information from various sources it is concluded that South Carolinian’s are not over taxed. Many taxes implemented throughout the state are geared towards tourists and are not a direct imposition on residents. Residents of the state may feel over taxed, or unfairly taxed, however it is simply not the case.

15. R EFERENCES : en.wikipedia.org www.census.gov nces.ed.gov http://retirementliving.com/RLtaxes.html