The money that we use to provide police and fire protection, to maintain our roads and transit systems, to support the one million kids in our public schools, and to provide other vital services throughout our communities comes largely from state and local taxes.
According to 2011 data recently released by the census bureau, state and local taxes in Massachusetts amount to 10.4% of our total income, which is slightly below the national average of 10.6%.
Compared with other states, Massachusetts ranks 21st, meaning there are 20 states with a higher level of taxation and 29 with lower rates.
Measuring taxes in this way (as a percentage of personal income) provides the most accurate comparisons. It involves looking at the total amount of money collected through state and local taxes and then seeing what share that is of the total income earned in the state.
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