Nine U.S. states have no state income tax, making them the primary locations to avoid paying taxes on earned income: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming, and New Hampshire. While they do not tax wages, many of these states may tax interest, dividends, or other types of income.
Nine U.S. states have no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, though Washington does tax long-term capital gains, and New Hampshire is phasing out its interest/dividend tax. However, a lack of income tax doesn't mean lower overall taxes, as these states often rely on higher sales, property, or other specific taxes, like Florida's high homeowners' insurance or Texas's property taxes, to fund services, so consider the total tax burden, not just income tax.
Yes, it is illegal to intentionally not pay federal taxes, as the U.S. tax system requires compliance, and failing to pay can lead to severe civil penalties (fines, interest, wage garnishment) and criminal charges (tax evasion, imprisonment), even if the system is described as "voluntary" due to self-assessment. While simple failure to file due to oversight might result in penalties, deliberate evasion, underreporting income, or making frivolous legal arguments against paying are criminal offenses.
Nevada, Washington, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Wyoming, Alaska, South Dakota and New Hampshire.
Do States With No Income Tax Save Residents Money? States with no income taxes save residents money — on their income taxes. However, many states without income taxes can be expensive in other ways. They might have a higher sales tax, higher property taxes, and/or a higher cost of living.
There are several ways to reduce tax bills and pay no taxes legally, and one of the easiest ways is to take full advantage of a self-employment tax deduction scheme. In the US, this deduction allows you to deduct a portion of your self-employed income from your taxable profit, provided there are allowable expenses.
The IRS 7-year rule primarily applies to keeping records for claiming a deduction for bad debts or losses from worthless securities, allowing a longer period to file for a credit or refund, but it's not a universal audit limit; it's often a recommended safe buffer for general record-keeping, with the standard IRS audit period usually being 3 years, extending to 6 years for substantial income omission (over 25%) or foreign income issues, and indefinitely for fraud.
The IRS $600 rule refers to a change in reporting requirements for third-party payment apps (like Venmo, PayPal) for taxable income from goods and services, where platforms must send a Form 1099-K if you receive over $600 in a year, intended to capture gig economy/side hustle income, though delays and phased implementation have adjusted the timeline, with current rules for 2024 using a higher threshold ($5,000) before fully phasing to $600 for future years, but remember all taxable income, regardless of form, must always be reported.
One-time forgiveness, officially known as First-Time Penalty Abatement (FTA), is an IRS program that allows qualified taxpayers to have certain penalties removed from their tax accounts.
As far as which states have no income tax, here is the current list of tax haven states in the U.S.:
Living in a state with no income tax isn't automatically cheaper; it often means higher costs in other areas like sales, property taxes, or insurance, as states must raise revenue from other sources, making the overall affordability dependent on your income level, spending habits, and the specific state's overall cost of living. High-income earners often benefit more, while lower-income individuals might pay a larger overall percentage in other taxes, balancing out the savings.
States With the Highest Income Taxes
The states with the highest marginal tax rates include California, Hawaii, New York and the District of Columbia. Here are the states with the top 10 marginal tax rates in the U.S. in 2025: California (13.3%) Hawaii (11%)
The top 10 low-tax countries in 2025
Nine U.S. states have 0% personal income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, though Washington does have a capital gains tax, and New Hampshire recently phased out its interest/dividend tax. These states offset the lost revenue through other taxes like sales or property taxes, meaning a lower income tax doesn't always mean a lower overall tax burden.
The best U.S. "tax haven" states, known for low overall tax burdens, are generally Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, as these states lack a personal income tax, with some also avoiding sales or other major taxes. However, no income tax often means higher reliance on sales or property taxes, so the overall tax burden depends on individual spending and property ownership, with Wyoming, South Dakota, and New Hampshire often ranking highest for overall tax competitiveness.