Dear editor:
I recently received an email from the Wyoming Freedom Caucus PAC in which they once again talk about the “crushing” tax burden placed upon the good people of our state.
A headline in the November 4 issue of the Casper Star Tribune reads “Wyoming Freedom Caucus calls for more tax cuts."
I cannot remain silent and let these misconceptions go unchallenged. Their intentions may be good, but their facts and underlying assumptions are not.
The fact is, by any measure, the average taxpayer in Wyoming pays at or near the lowest effective tax rate of any state in the nation.
Nationwide, the three main sources of revenue for state and local governments are income tax, sales tax, and property tax.
We are one of only a handful of states that has no individual or corporate state income tax. The National Tax Foundation ranks Wyoming as having the fifth lowest sales and use tax rate. And remember we pay no sales tax on food. Tax Rates.org ranks Wyoming as having the ninth lowest property tax rate both as a percentage of income and as a percentage of property value.
When these three major sources of state taxes are combined, Wyoming is certainly at or near the bottom when comparing total state tax burden.
I invite everyone to go to the Wyoming Taxpayers Association website (wyotax.org).
They have put together a very thorough and detailed study of all Wyoming taxes.
One especially enlightening analysis involves what they call the “Cowboy Family” which is a typical family of four living in Wyoming. This average Wyoming family pays a total of $4,429 in state and local taxes, while receiving a total of $61,263 in state and local services.
Here is one paragraph from their report.
“Comparing the Cowboy Family’s total state taxes paid to the total services received shows the disparity between the two. For the Cowboy Family, the difference between the two is $56,834.36. This means that for every $1.00 the Cowboy Family pays, they receive $13.83 in services. The Cowboy Family receives $56,834.36 of state and local government services they do not pay for, which is supported by mineral and non-mineral sources of revenue.”
When you consider these numbers, the notion that Wyoming citizens are overtaxed is absurd. We need to realize how fortunate we are to live in Wyoming. The fact is our tax burden is light.
And if we continue to use the myth of over taxation as justification to slash the budgets of our state agencies, our counties, our towns, and our school districts the results will be disastrous for our state.
Sincerely,
Danny Eyre, Lyman
