Letters to the Editor: Stop with the canard that California is the highest-tax state
To the editor: In the recent discussion of people emigrating from California, it has been suggested that this is because taxes are high in California. One letter writer went so far as to say that California has the "highest taxes in the country."
It is past time to put that canard to rest.
Far from having the highest taxes, California's overall taxes do not rank in the top 10, according to WalletHub. California ranked 13th, and that was in large part due to the high income tax rate for those earning more than $600,000 a year.
When you look at the more significant figure of the actual tax burden on middle-class payers, California is rated as one of the 10 best states in which to live. As personal finance publisher Kiplinger states: "If you're a rich person, California taxes will cut deep into your earnings. But for other people, the Golden State's tax hit isn't really all that bad."
Let's stop calling California a "high tax" state. For the vast majority of taxpayers, it is not.
John Hamilton Scott, Sherman Oaks
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
