States with no income tax (2025)
Nine states levy no broad personal income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire (interest/dividends only, phasing out), South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Washington taxes capital gains above $270k.
Flat-tax states (2025)
Flat-rate states tax all income at one rate: AZ 2.5%, CO 4.4%, GA 5.39%, IL 4.95%, IN 3.0%, KY 4.0%, MI 4.25%, NC 4.25%, PA 3.07%, UT 4.55%. Simple to model, but high earners often pay less than they would in graduated states like CA or NY.
Highest top brackets (2025)
California 13.3%, Hawaii 11%, New Jersey 10.75%, New York 10.9% (plus NYC's local 3–4%), Oregon 9.9%, Minnesota 9.85%. If you live in one of these, set aside 35–45% of every freelance dollar — not 25–30%.
FAQ
How accurate is this state estimate?
We use a representative 2025 effective rate per state. Real liability depends on bracket structure, deductions, credits, and city-level local tax. Use this for planning, not for filing.
Does it include city/local tax?
No. NYC adds 3–4%, Philadelphia adds ~3.75% (residents), and many OH cities add 1–3%. Add manually if relevant.
Should I move to a no-income-tax state?
Run the math. Florida and Texas often have higher property and sales tax, plus insurance costs. The break-even depends on income, housing, and lifestyle — not just the headline state rate.
Important: this is not tax advice
Calculations use simplified, current published brackets for United States (2025). US estimates layer the selected state's 2025 income tax rate on top of federal — local city taxes (e.g. NYC, Philadelphia) and progressive within-state brackets are not modelled.They do not account for credits, alternative minimum tax, the Net Investment Income Tax, foreign income, R&D credits, or your personal circumstances. Always confirm with a licensed CPA, chartered accountant, or registered tax agent before filing.
How this calculator is built
Independently maintained
Written by Sam Doshi and the RevenueLab editorial team. We don't sell the data feeds this tool is built on.
Sourced from primary data
Benchmarks come from public AdSense / Stripe / IRS disclosures and reader-submitted data — never third-party "$X per view" claims. Full methodology.
Last reviewed
June 2026. We re-check every figure on the platform on a rolling quarterly cycle.
Editorial standards
See our editorial policy and disclaimer. Results are estimates, not advice.