As you can imagine, these states need to find other ways to fund state and local services. They often do this through sales taxes or property taxes. Keep in mind that a lack of income tax doesn't necessarily mean a lower overall tax burden.
More than two-thirds of revenue come from two taxes - sales and use tax and franchise and excise tax. The data provided summarizes monthly and year-to-date collections by tax type.
Tennessee's tax system relies heavily on regressive taxes.
Tennessee is one of only nine states without a broad-based income tax, limiting revenues instead to regressive sources. In 2021, 58% of tax revenues came from sales tax, compared to 42% in the Southeast and 33% nationally.
As Tennessee does not have an income tax, all forms of retirement income are untaxed at the state level. This includes Social Security and income from retirement accounts. Additionally, property taxes in Tennessee are quite low, with an average effective rate of just 0.58%.
The minimum combined 2025 sales tax rate for Memphis, Tennessee is 9.75%. This is the total of state, county, and city sales tax rates. The Tennessee sales tax rate is currently 7.0%.
In July 2007, the State of Tennessee adopted a Property Tax Freeze Program for certain homeowners 65 years of age or older with a total combined annual income that does not exceed an amount set by the State each year. The Blount County Board of Commissioners approved this program for Blount County in December 2007.
Tennessee derives 58% of its tax revenue from sales taxes, a far higher proportion than other states. Tennessee is a low-tax state; however, working families are paying more than their fair share. Tennessee's tax system relies heavily on regressive sales taxes.
While there is no state in the U.S. that doesn't have property taxes on real estate, some have much lower property tax rates than others. Here's how property taxes are calculated. The effective property tax rate is used to determine the places with the lowest and highest property taxes in the nation.
Tennessee is a tax-friendly state for retirees. Tennessee does not levy a state income tax on earned income including wages, salaries. This also includes retirement incomes such as public and private pensions, Social Security, 401(k) distributions, and withdrawals from retirement accounts, all of which are not taxed.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the national poverty rate was 12.7% in 2023, up from 12.4% in 2022. These states and territory have the highest percentages of poverty in the country: Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New York and Tennessee.
Tennessee's largest spending areas per capita were public welfare ($1,968) and elementary and secondary education ($1,551). The Census Bureau includes most Medicaid spending in public welfare but also allocates some of it to public hospitals.
It's no secret that Tennessee is a popular location for retirees. According to Retire Tennessee, one of the biggest draws is that there's no state income tax or state property tax, and Tennessee also offers the eighth lowest cost of living — 10.3 percent under the U.S. average.
Living in states without income tax can significantly reduce an individual's overall tax burden, benefiting primarily high-income earners during tax season. Higher sales and property taxes often compensate for the lack of income tax, potentially placing a heavier burden on lower-income residents in these states.
Four pie charts comparing states show Florida and Washington state, both with no personal income tax, getting about 80% of their revenue from sales tax. New York relies on sales tax for 26% of its revenue in comparison.
As a senior citizen, you probably will end up paying property taxes for as long as you are a homeowner. However, depending on the state you live in and often once you hit your 60s (usually around the ages of 61 to 65), you may be eligible for a property tax exemption.
1. Hawaii. Hawaii has the lowest property tax rate in the U.S. at 0.27%. The Aloha state has a home median value of $764,800.
States with lower income or property taxes may rely more heavily on sales taxes to balance their budgets. This is why states like Tennessee and Louisiana have high sales tax rates, while others with high income taxes, such as New York, may have lower state-level sales tax rates.
Taxes aren't determined by age, so you will never age out of paying taxes. People who are 65 or older at the end of 2024 have to file a return for tax year 2024 (which is due in 2025) if their gross income is $16,550 or higher. If you're married filing jointly and both 65 or older, that amount is $32,300.
So, if you earn an income or live in Tennessee, do you have to pay Tennessee income taxes? Because Tennessee taxes do not include personal income, individuals are not subject to income tax on earnings.
The owner of the property must be a qualifying religious, charitable, scientific, or nonprofit educational organization eligible to receive a property tax exemption.
For all tax sales, including county tax sales, the opening bid will include all delinquent taxes owing on the property (City and County). The entire amount of the winning bid is due on the day of the sale. The successful bidder must make payment to the Clerk and Master's office.
The seller, or at least one title holder, had to be 55 or older on the day the home was sold to qualify. Following the passage of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, the exemption was replaced. As of 1997, there are new per-sale exclusion amounts for all homeowners regardless of age.