Which states’ taxpayers owe the most come tax day
Erik S. Lesser/Newsmakers // Getty Images
Which states’ taxpayers owe the most come tax day
A woman deposits her tax return into a mailbox.
Filing your taxes can be anxiety-inducing—especially if you’re not sure whether you’re going to owe the government money or receive a nice tax refund. Overpaying your tax obligation throughout the year by having extra money withheld from your paychecks is an interest-free loan to the government, but finding out you’re getting one can give you a pleasant boost when you file your taxes. It’s a popular option: 74% of taxpayers received a refund in the 2020 tax year.
If you have self-employment income, changed jobs, made profits by selling stock, or chose not to give the federal government additional money throughout the year, you may owe taxes instead of receiving a refund. Nationwide, 1 in 5 people who filed taxes owe money on their returns, according to Stacker’s analysis of 2020 tax year data from the IRS, the most recent year available.
The average amount owed was more than $6,500—a few thousand dollars more than the average tax refund. To find out which states’ taxpayers had the highest balances, Stacker used Internal Revenue Service data to rank states by the average amount taxpayers owed on tax day.
Only tax filers who owed money on their return were included; in other words, those who received refunds don’t factor into the averages. The number and share of tax filers who owed money on their return are also shown in the analysis but didn’t factor into the ranking. Scroll through the list to see where your home state landed in the rankings.
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#51. West Virginia
An aerial view of homes in Wheeling.
– Average tax payment: $4,215
– Number of returns with tax due: 104,050 (12.7%)
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#50. Mississippi
An aerial view of the Capitol in Jackson at dusk.
– Average tax payment: $4,714
– Number of returns with tax due: 216,240 (16.3%)
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#49. Hawaii
Buildings on the ocean in Honolulu with mountains in the background.
– Average tax payment: $4,929
– Number of returns with tax due: 158,960 (22.5%)
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#48. New Mexico
Stucco buildings in Santa Fe.
– Average tax payment: $4,946
– Number of returns with tax due: 171,890 (17.3%)
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#47. Kentucky
Buildings in downtown Lexington.
– Average tax payment: $4,987
– Number of returns with tax due: 323,550 (15.6%)
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#46. Iowa
The Des Moines skyline.
– Average tax payment: $5,029
– Number of returns with tax due: 289,660 (18.7%)
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#45. Ohio
The Columbus skyline.
– Average tax payment: $5,051
– Number of returns with tax due: 1,015,640 (17.2%)
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#44. Wisconsin
The Capitol building in Madison.
– Average tax payment: $5,251
– Number of returns with tax due: 564,230 (18.8%)
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#43. Maryland
An aerial view of Annapolis on the water.
– Average tax payment: $5,260
– Number of returns with tax due: 728,060 (23.2%)
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#42. Arkansas
An aerial view of Fayetteville in Autumn.
– Average tax payment: $5,312
– Number of returns with tax due: 237,220 (17.6%)
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#41. Louisiana
An aerial view of downtown Baton Rouge on the water.
– Average tax payment: $5,332
– Number of returns with tax due: 328,790 (15.8%)
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#40. Delaware
A walking path on the water with Wilmington in the background.
– Average tax payment: $5,349
– Number of returns with tax due: 102,040 (20.0%)
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#39. South Carolina
An aerial view of the state house in Columbia.
– Average tax payment: $5,352
– Number of returns with tax due: 530,170 (21.0%)
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#38. Alaska
Colorful businesses on the water.
– Average tax payment: $5,440
– Number of returns with tax due: 70,540 (19.6%)
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#37. Alabama
An aerial view of downtown Birmingham.
– Average tax payment: $5,450
– Number of returns with tax due: 410,720 (18.3%)
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#36. Oklahoma
An aerial view of downtown Oklahoma City.
– Average tax payment: $5,455
– Number of returns with tax due: 308,800 (17.3%)
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#35. Michigan
An aerial view of Traverse City on the water.
– Average tax payment: $5,471
– Number of returns with tax due: 833,650 (16.6%)
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#34. Rhode Island
The Providence skyline.
– Average tax payment: $5,489
– Number of returns with tax due: 103,320 (17.9%)
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#33. Minnesota
The downtown Minneapolis skyline.
– Average tax payment: $5,522
– Number of returns with tax due: 642,560 (22.2%)
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#32. Missouri
An aerial view of Springfield.
– Average tax payment: $5,544
– Number of returns with tax due: 527,480 (17.5%)
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#31. Indiana
Downtown Evansville.
– Average tax payment: $5,609
– Number of returns with tax due: 495,600 (14.8%)
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#30. North Carolina
The downtown Charlotte skyline.
– Average tax payment: $5,664
– Number of returns with tax due: 1,005,740 (19.8%)
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#29. Vermont
An aerial view of Burlington on the water.
– Average tax payment: $5,896
– Number of returns with tax due: 59,910 (17.4%)
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#28. Maine
An aerial view of Bar Harbor on the water.
– Average tax payment: $5,952
– Number of returns with tax due: 136,030 (19.0%)
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#27. Georgia
Boats on the water with Augusta in the background.
– Average tax payment: $5,966
– Number of returns with tax due: 1,056,260 (20.8%)
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#26. Oregon
An aerial view of Eugene at sunset.
– Average tax payment: $5,967
– Number of returns with tax due: 467,940 (22.5%)
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#25. Arizona
The downtown Phoenix skyline.
– Average tax payment: $5,971
– Number of returns with tax due: 742,720 (21.5%)
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#24. Kansas
Buildings on the water in Wichita.
– Average tax payment: $6,004
– Number of returns with tax due: 275,300 (19.6%)
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#23. Virginia
An aerial view of Portsmouth on the river.
– Average tax payment: $6,005
– Number of returns with tax due: 940,640 (22.2%)
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#22. Pennsylvania
An aerial view of Allentown.
– Average tax payment: $6,234
– Number of returns with tax due: 1,057,260 (16.1%)
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#21. Illinois
Skyscrapers and boats on the water in Chicago.
– Average tax payment: $6,482
– Number of returns with tax due: 1,145,470 (18.2%)
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#20. Nebraska
The Omaha skyline.
– Average tax payment: $6,546
– Number of returns with tax due: 185,500 (19.6%)
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#19. Montana
An aerial view of downtown Billings.
– Average tax payment: $6,580
– Number of returns with tax due: 117,660 (21.3%)
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#18. Tennessee
The Knoxville skyline with a round gold tower.
– Average tax payment: $6,613
– Number of returns with tax due: 587,830 (17.6%)
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#17. New York
A busy New York City street.
– Average tax payment: $6,786
– Number of returns with tax due: 2,073,260 (20.4%)
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#16. New Jersey
An aerial view of Paterson.
– Average tax payment: $7,043
– Number of returns with tax due: 1,071,530 (22.8%)
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#15. Texas
Large homes on the water in Austin.
– Average tax payment: $7,190
– Number of returns with tax due: 2,428,830 (17.6%)
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#14. Utah
The Salt Lake City skyline with trains in the foreground and mountains in the background.
– Average tax payment: $7,235
– Number of returns with tax due: 317,410 (21.2%)
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#13. Idaho
An aerial view of Boise.
– Average tax payment: $7,263
– Number of returns with tax due: 186,690 (21.5%)
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#12. Colorado
Large homes at the base of the mountains in Autumn.
– Average tax payment: $7,265
– Number of returns with tax due: 665,260 (22.7%)
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#11. California
Homes on the water in Laguna Beach.
– Average tax payment: $7,477
– Number of returns with tax due: 5,052,530 (25.8%)
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#10. New Hampshire
Home and boats on the water in Portsmouth.
– Average tax payment: $7,834
– Number of returns with tax due: 146,250 (19.6%)
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#9. Nevada
An aerial view of homes in Las Vegas.
– Average tax payment: $7,858
– Number of returns with tax due: 302,490 (18.9%)
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#8. Connecticut
Historic buildings and a church in New Britain.
– Average tax payment: $7,874
– Number of returns with tax due: 384,290 (20.7%)
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#7. Washington D.C.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.
– Average tax payment: $7,914
– Number of returns with tax due: 83,000 (23.5%)
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#6. North Dakota
Historic buildings and an American flag on a small street in Grand Forks.
– Average tax payment: $8,013
– Number of returns with tax due: 76,920 (20.6%)
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#5. Massachusetts
Boats and residences on the water in Salem.
– Average tax payment: $8,286
– Number of returns with tax due: 801,110 (22.0%)
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#4. Florida
Boats and homes on the water in Fort Lauderdale.
– Average tax payment: $8,331
– Number of returns with tax due: 2,157,580 (19.2%)
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#3. Washington
Homes and businesses going up a large hill with snowy mountains in the background.
– Average tax payment: $8,452
– Number of returns with tax due: 839,450 (21.8%)
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#2. Wyoming
An aerial view of Casper sprawling to the base of the mountains.
– Average tax payment: $8,549
– Number of returns with tax due: 53,020 (18.5%)
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#1. South Dakota
An aerial view of Rapid City.
– Average tax payment: $8,724
– Number of returns with tax due: 88,040 (19.9%)
