Utah families at all income levels pay one of the highest levels of state and local taxes, according to a study by the Utah Foundation. The non-profit, private tax research organization studied the common taxes paid by a family of four.
The overall family tax burden in Salt Lake City was 16-22 percent above the U.S. median at all income levels, according to the foundation. For incomes between $20,000 and $100,000, the city ranked either 15th or 17th.The direct state and local tax burden for a family of four with an income of $35,000 was $3,304 - about 22 percent above the national median. The highest tax burden was in Newark, N.J., at $4,711 and the low was $1,223 in Anchorage, Alaska.
The study was based on four major taxes: individual income tax, real property tax, sales and use tax and automobile taxes.
Of the four, only Utah's property tax rate is below the national average. The income tax at the $35,000 income level is 47 percent above the U.S. median.
Sales tax is 29 percent above and automobile taxes are 23 percent above. The property tax rate is 19 percent below the median.