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12 states started 2024 with lower income taxes

January 6, 2024
United States lights at night_NASA-1lfI7wkGWZ4-unsplash

Things are brighter for residents of 12 states where taxes were lowered this year. (Photo by NASA on Unsplash)

Most states operate on a fiscal year that starts on July 1, so many of their law changes take effect in the summer.

But in some cases, state lawmakers set the start of a new year as enactments day for new laws. That makes things easier for resident, especially when the changes are tax-related, since tax years typically align with the January-to-December calendar.

That's the new tax law case in 34 states, according to research from the Tax Foundation.

Lower state taxes in 2024: The changes are particularly notable by residents in the dozen states that now have lower individual income tax rates, according to a recent article by the Washington, D.C.-based tax policy nonprofit.

The 12 states where 2024 starts with lower personal tax rates are Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina.

A quick note about New Hampshire. The Granite State only taxes individuals who get interest and dividends income, and is phasing out that tax collection. It scheduled for full repeal scheduled on Jan. 1, 2025.

Other notable state income tax changes are the consolidation of some tax brackets in Ohio and Montana, and Georgia's new flat tax.

Older Missouri taxpayers get a new break. The Show Me state is showing them a tax change that effectively exempts Social Security benefits from taxation.

Michigan taxpayers, however, now have a higher individual income tax than they did in 2023.

Wide array of other state tax changes: The Tax Foundation's review of state tax systems also looks at changes to the full spectrum of state taxes. They include sales and use taxes; property taxes; excise taxes; and corporate income tax rates and other business taxes.

Texas, which doesn't have a personal income tax, gets coverage in the business tax area. Lone Star State lawmakers doubled the "no tax due" threshold for the state's franchise tax, meaning more of my fellow Texas business owners now will just have to file an informational return.

All these changes earn the Tax Foundation's article by Manish Bhatt, a Senior Policy Analyst with the organization's Center for State Tax Policy, and Center intern Benjamin Jaros this weekend's Saturday Shout Out, the first of the new year.

In addition to the breakouts by tax categories, the Tax Foundation piece lets us look at the 2024 tax changes by state.

Check it out so you won't be surprised by what your state's taxes have in store for you this new tax year.

You also might find these items of interest:

 

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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