Tax policy in North Carolina

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Tax policy in North Carolina
Budget Policy Logo on Ballotpedia.png
Tax rates in 2017
Personal income tax:
5.499%
State sales tax:
4.75%
Corporate income tax:
4.00%
Tax revenues in 2016
Total tax collections:
$26.20 billion
Tax collections per capita:
$2,582
Public Policy Logo-one line.png
Total state expendituresState debtNorth Carolina state budget and finances

North Carolina generates the bulk of its tax revenue by levying a personal income tax and a sales tax. The state derives its constitutional authority to tax from Article V of the state constitution.[1][2]

Tax policy can vary from state to state. States levy taxes to help fund the variety of services provided by state governments. Tax collections comprise approximately 40 percent of the states' total revenues. The rest comes from non-tax sources, such as intergovernmental aid (e.g., federal funds), lottery revenues and fees. The primary types of taxes levied by state governments include personal income tax, general sales tax, excise (or special sales) taxes and corporate income tax.[3]

HIGHLIGHTS
  • According to the United States Census Bureau, North Carolina collected $26.20 billion in tax revenue in 2016. The state's tax revenue per capita was $2,582.
  • Tax rates[edit]

    Personal income tax[edit]

    See also: Personal income tax

    North Carolina utilized a flat personal income tax rate of 5.499 percent in 2017.[4]

    The table below summarizes personal income tax rates for North Carolina and neighboring states in 2017.[4]

    Personal income tax rates, 2017
    State Tax rates Number of brackets Brackets
    Lowest Highest Lowest Highest
    North Carolina 5.499% 1 Flat rate
    Georgia 1% 6% 6 $750 $7,001
    South Carolina 0% 7% 6 $2,930 $14,600
    Virginia 2% 5.75% 4 $3,000 $17,001
    Note: For complete notes and annotations, please see the source below.
    Source: Tax Policy Center, "Individual State Income Tax Rates 2000-2017," accessed October 26, 2017

    Personal exemptions[edit]

    States that collect a personal income tax allow individuals to claim personal exemptions on income taxes each year. The personal exemption indicates that only a person's income above a certain level is subject to taxation. [5]

    Exemptions work by reducing the amount of an individual's taxable income. Both state and federal taxes allow exemptions. The state exemptions for North Carolina and its neighboring states as reported by the Tax Policy Center are reported in the chart below.[6]

    Personal exemptions, 2017
    State Single Married Dependents
    North Carolina $00 $00 $00
    Georgia $2,700 $5,400 $3,000
    South Carolina $4,050 $8,100 $4,050
    Virginia $930 $1,860 $930
    Note: For complete notes and annotations, please see the source below.
    Source: Tax Policy Center, "Individual State Income Tax Rates 2000-2017," accessed October 26, 2017

    Capital gains tax[edit]

    See also: Capital gains tax

    A capital gains tax is a tax levied on the profit gleaned from the sale of a capital asset. Examples of capital assets include stocks, businesses, land parcels, homes, personal items and more. Capital gains are taxable at both the federal and state levels. While the federal government taxes capital gains at a lower rate than regular personal income, states usually tax capital gains at the same rates as regular income. [7][8][9]

    The table below summarizes uppermost capital gains tax rates for North Carolina and neighboring states in 2015.

    Uppermost capital gains tax rates by state, 2015
    State State uppermost rate Combined uppermost rate
    North Carolina 5.8% 28.5%
    Georgia 6% 28.6%
    South Carolina 7% 27.3%
    Virginia 5.8% 28.5%
    Note: For complete notes and annotations, please see the source below.
    Source: Tax Foundation, "The High Burden of State and Federal Capital Gains Tax Rates," accessed October 26, 2017

    Sales tax[edit]

    See also: Sales tax

    Almost all states employ a statewide sales tax, which ranges from 2.9 percent in Colorado to 7.25 percent in California. Additionally, many states allow the levying of local sales taxes, which are then added to the state's tax.

    North Carolina's state sales tax was 4.75% percent in 2017. The average local tax was about 2.15% percent, meaning that the average combined sales tax was about 6.90% percent. The table below displays the state tax rates, average local tax rates, and average combined tax rates for North Carolina and its neighboring states.[10]

    Combined sales tax rates, 2015
    State State sales tax Average local sales tax Combined
    North Carolina 4.75% 2.15% 6.90%
    Georgia 4.00% 3.00% 7.00%
    South Carolina 6.00% 1.22% 7.22%
    Virginia 5.30% 0.33% 5.63%
    Note: For full annotations, see the source below.
    Source: The Tax Foundation, "State and local sales tax rates, 2017," accessed October 26, 2017

    The table below summarizes sales tax rates for North Carolina and neighboring states in 2017 as well as the state's policy with respect to types of items commonly exempted from sales tax (i.e., food, prescription drugs and nonprescription drugs).[11]

    Sales tax rates, 2017
    State Sales tax rate Exemption status
    Food Prescription drugs Nonprescription drugs
    North Carolina 4.8% Exempt Exempt Taxable
    Georgia 4.0% Exempt Exempt Taxable
    South Carolina 6.0% Exempt Exempt Taxable
    Virginia 5.3% 2.5 Exempt Exempt
    Source: Tax Policy Center, "Sales Tax Rates 2000-2017," accessed October 26, 2017

    Excise taxes[edit]

    See also: Excise taxes

    Excise taxes, also known as selective sales or differential commodity taxes, are levied for the sales of specific goods or services. Excise taxes are considered indirect taxes because they are not charged directly to individuals. In most cases, the excise tax is paid by the producer or seller of an item. The cost of the tax is then included in the sale price of the item and passed on to the consumer. The tables below provide excise tax rates for motor fuel, alcohol and cigarettes in North Carolina and neighboring states.[12][13][14][15]

    Fuel excise tax rates, 2017 (in cents per gallon)
    State Gasoline Diesel Gasohol
    Excise tax Other taxes Total tax Excise tax Other taxes Total tax Excise tax Other taxes Total tax
    North Carolina 34.3¢ 0.25¢ 34.55¢ 34.3¢ 0.25¢ 34.55¢ 34.3¢ 0.25¢ 34.55¢
    Georgia 26.3¢ 26.3¢ 29.4¢ 29.4¢ 26.3¢ 26.3¢
    South Carolina 16¢ 0.75¢ 16.75¢ 16¢ 0.75¢ 16.75¢ 16¢ 0.75¢ 16.75¢
    Virginia 16.2¢ 16.2¢ 20.2¢ 20.2¢ 16.2¢ ¢ 16.2¢
    Note: For full annotations, see the source below.
    Source: Tax Policy Center, "State Motor Fuels Tax Rates 2000-2011, 2013-2017," accessed October 26, 2017
    Alcohol excise tax rates, 2017 (in dollars per gallon)
    State Liquor Wine Beer
    Tax rate Does general sales tax apply? Tax rate Does general sales tax apply? Tax rate Does general sales tax apply?
    North Carolina See footnote 1 Yes (on-premises sales only) $1.0 Yes (2) $0.6 Yes
    Georgia $3.8 Yes $1.5 Yes $0.3 Yes
    South Carolina $2.7 Yes $0.9 Yes $0.8 Yes
    Virginia See footnote 1 Yes $1.5 Yes $0.3 Yes
    Note: For full annotations, see the source below.
    1"In 17 states, the government directly controls the sales of distilled spirits. Revenue in these states is generated from various taxes, fees, price mark-ups, and net liquor profits."
    2"General sales tax applies to on-premise sales only."
    Source: Tax Policy Center, "Alcohol Rates 2000-2010, 2013-2017," accessed October 26, 2017
    State cigarette taxes, 2017 (in cents per pack)
    State Tax rate National ranking
    North Carolina 45¢ 47
    Georgia 37¢ 49
    South Carolina 57¢ 45
    Virginia 30¢ 50
    Note: For full annotations, see the source below.
    Source: Tax Policy Center, "State Cigarette Taxes, 2017," accessed October 26, 2017

    Corporate income tax[edit]

    See also: Corporate income tax

    North Carolina levies a corporate income tax rate of 4 percent. The table below compares the corporate income tax rates of some of its neighboring states.[16][17]

    Corporate income tax rates, 2016
    State Tax rate Brackets Number of brackets
    Lowest Highest
    North Carolina 4.00% Flat Rate 1
    Georgia 6.00% Flat Rate 1
    South Carolina 5.00% Flat Rate 1
    Virginia 6.00% Flat Rate 1
    Note: For complete notes and annotations, please see the source below.
    Source: Tax Foundation, "State Corporate Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2015," accessed October 26, 2017

    Property tax[edit]

    See also: Property tax

    Most often, property tax applies to real estate, although some states levy property taxes on other types of personal property, such as automobiles. Generally speaking, an individual's property tax liability is determined by the tax rate and the tax base, which is "determined by both the assessed value of the property and ... the share of the assessed value that is subject to tax." To learn more about property taxes, including tabulation methods, see this page. Property tax rates can vary substantially from locality to locality within a state.[18][19][20] [18][19]

    The table below provides the mean amount of property taxes paid in 2012, as well as property tax as a mean percentage of home value for 2014, in North Carolina and neighboring states.[18]

    Mean property taxes paid per state, 2012 and 2014
    State Mean property taxes paid (2012) Property tax as a percent of home value (2014)
    North Carolina $1,464 0.84%
    Georgia $1,698 0.91%
    South Carolina $858 0.55%
    Virginia $2,860 0.81%
    Source: Tax Policy Center, "Residential Property Taxes in the United States," November 18, 2013
    Source: Tax Foundation, "Facts & Figures 2016: How Does Your State Compare?", accessed October 27, 2017

    The table below lists per capita state and local property tax collections for North Carolina and neighboring states for fiscal year 2013.[21]

    State and local property tax collections per capita, 2013
    State Collections per capita
    North Carolina $903
    Georgia $1,011
    South Carolina $1,077
    Virginia $1,430
    Source: Tax Foundation, "Facts and Figures 2016: How Does Your State Compare?" accessed October 26, 2017

    Estate and inheritance taxes[edit]

    See also: Estate and inheritance taxes

    Estate and inheritance taxes are levied on the property of deceased individuals (decedents). Generally speaking, an estate tax is applied to the value of a decedent's property and is paid from the estate before distribution to any heirs. By contrast, an inheritance tax is paid by the heir or heirs of a decedent's assets.[22][23][24]

    North Carolina does not levy an estate tax, although residents are liable for the federal estate tax. The table below summarizes the estate tax rates for North Carolina and neighboring states in 2016.[24]

    Estate taxes, 2016
    State Exemption threshold Minimum rate Maximum rate
    North Carolina N/A
    Georgia N/A
    South Carolina N/A
    Virginia N/A
    Note: For complete notes and annotations, please see the source below.
    Source: Tax Foundation, "Facts and Figures 2015: How Does Your State Compare?" accessed October 5, 2015

    Tax revenues[edit]

    See also: North Carolina state budget and finances

    The table below breaks down state government tax collections by source in 2016 (comparable figures from surrounding states are also provided to give additional context). Figures for all columns except "2016 population" and "Per capita collections" are rendered in thousands of dollars (for example, $2,448 translates to $2,448,000). Figures in the columns labeled "2016 population" and "Per capita collections" have not been abbreviated.[25]

    State tax collections by source ($ in thousands), 2016
    State Property taxes Sales and gross receipts Licenses Income taxes Other taxes Total 2016 population Per capita collections
    North Carolina N/A $11,149,110 $1,869,060 $13,109,468 $73,938 $26,201,576 10,146,788 $2,582
    Georgia $961,780 $8,408,456 $663,946 $11,420,536 -$272 $21,454,446 10,310,371 $2,081
    South Carolina $32,670 $4,620,807 $499,053 $4,309,831 $88,691 $9,551,052 4,961,119 $1,925
    Virginia $30,367 $6,886,378 $826,306 $12,990,685 $486,021 $21,219,757 8,411,808 $2,523
    United States $18,364,298 $442,909,995 $52,164,396 $392,286,910 $24,538,146 $930,263,745 322,762,018 $2,882.20
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "2016 annual survey of state government tax collections by category," accessed June 26, 2017

    The table below lists 2016 tax collections by source as percentages of total collections. About 50 percent of North Carolina's total state tax collections came from income taxes.[25]

    State tax collections by source (as percentages), 2016
    State Property taxes Sales and gross receipts Licenses Income taxes Other taxes
    North Carolina N/A 42.6% 7.1% 50.0% 0.3%
    Georgia 4.5% 39.2% 3.1% 53.2% 0.0%
    South Carolina 0.3% 48.4% 5.2% 45.1% 0.9%
    Virginia 0.1% 32.5% 3.9% 61.2% 2.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "2016 annual survey of state government tax collections by category," accessed April 4, 2016


    Tax ballot measures[edit]

    Voting on taxes
    Taxes.jpg
    Ballot measures
    By state
    By year
    Not on ballot
    See also: Taxes on the ballot and List of North Carolina ballot measures

    Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to taxes in North Carolina.

    1. North Carolina Amendment 7, Taxation System Revision Amendment (1914)
    2. North Carolina Amendment 1, Tax Exemptions for Homesteads Amendment (1918)
    3. North Carolina Tax Limitations and Income Tax Amendment (1920)
    4. North Carolina Tax Exemptions for Homesteads and Mortgages Amendment (1924)
    5. North Carolina Classification of Property for Taxes Amendment (1928)
    6. North Carolina Classification of Property for Taxes Amendment (1930)
    7. North Carolina Uniform Property Taxes Amendment (1936)
    8. North Carolina Increase on Income Tax Limits Amendment (1936)
    9. North Carolina Homestead Tax Exemption Amendment (1936)
    10. North Carolina Property Tax Limits Amendment (1948)
    11. North Carolina Debt Limitations Amendment (1948)
    12. North Carolina Property Tax Limitation Amendment (1952)
    13. North Carolina Property Classification for Taxes Amendment (1962)
    14. North Carolina Local Option Sales Tax Amendment (1969)
    15. North Carolina Income Tax Exemptions Amendment (1970)
    16. North Carolina Tax Increment Bonds Amendment (1993)

    Recent news[edit]

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms North Carolina taxes. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    See also[edit]

    External links[edit]

    Footnotes[edit]

    1. North Carolina Constitution, "Article V," accessed October 17, 2014
    2. Tax Policy Center, "State Tax Collection Shares by Type 2000-2013," June 20, 2014
    3. Brunori, D. (2011). State Tax Policy: A Political Perspective. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute Press
    4. 4.0 4.1 Tax Policy Center, "Individual State Income Tax Rates 2000-2017," accessed October 26, 2017
    5. Tax Policy Center, "What is the personal exemption?" accessed December 14, 2015
    6. Internal Revenue Service, "3. Personal Exemptions and Dependents," accessed December 14, 2015
    7. Internal Revenue Service, "Topic 409 - Capital Gains and Losses," August 19, 2014
    8. Tax Foundation, "The High Burden of State and Federal Capital Gains Tax Rates," February 11, 2014
    9. Tax Policy Center, "Capital Gains and Dividends: How are capital gains taxed?" June 22, 2011
    10. The Tax Foundation, "State and local sales tax rates, 2017," accessed October 26, 2017
    11. Tax Policy Center, "Sales Tax Rates 2000-2017," accessed October 26, 2017
    12. Tax Policy Center, "Excise taxes," accessed October 20, 2014
    13. Investopedia, "Excise Tax," accessed October 20, 2014
    14. Tax Foundation, "Excise Taxes," accessed October 20, 2014
    15. Internal Revenue Service, "Excise Tax," accessed October 20, 2014
    16. Investopedia, "Corporate Tax," accessed September 24, 2014
    17. Tax Foundation, "State Corporate Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2015," accessed October 7, 2015
    18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Tax Policy Center, "Residential Property Taxes in the United States," November 18, 2013
    19. 19.0 19.1 Bankrate, "Property taxes explained," February 3, 2000
    20. Investopedia, "Property Tax," accessed September 26, 2014
    21. Tax Foundation, "Facts and Figures 2015: How Does Your State Compare?" accessed October 5, 2015
    22. About.com, "What's the Difference Between an Estate Tax and an Inheritance Tax?" accessed October 16, 2014
    23. Internal Revenue Service, "Estate Tax," updated September 29, 2014
    24. 24.0 24.1 Tax Foundation, "Facts and Figures, 2015," accessed October 6, 2015
    25. 25.0 25.1 U.S. Census Bureau, "2016 annual survey of state government tax collections by category," accessed June 26, 2017

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