Finance
Visualizing Unequal State Tax Burdens Across America
Visualizing Unequal State Tax Burdens Across America
What percentage of your income goes into Uncle Sam’s pocket?
Your answer will vary depending on how much you earn. Data shows that low and middle-income families pay a much greater share of their income towards state and local taxes than wealthy families.
Today’s visualization uses data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) to map the effective tax rates—or taxes paid as a share of family income—across income groups at the state and local level.
Crunching the Numbers
The data reflects the effect of tax changes enacted through September 10, 2018, using 2015 income levels (the latest year for available, detailed income data). Both single and married tax filers are included, while elderly taxpayers, dependent filers, and those with negative incomes are excluded.
Taxes Included
The report includes the state and local taxes for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Taxes are broken into 3 broad groups:
- Consumption taxes – general sales taxes and specialized excise taxes
- Property taxes – including taxes on homes, businesses, and motor vehicles
- Income taxes – paid by individuals and businesses
Federal taxes are not considered.
Editor’s note: It’s worth noting that federal personal income tax has progressive rates, with the lowest earning bracket at 10% and the highest earning bracket at 37% in 2019. At a national level, property taxes are not charged and there is a very low reliance on excise taxes—both of which tend to be regressive as outlined below.
Income Included
The report includes both taxable and tax-exempt income such as worker’s compensation benefits. It also includes estimates for the amount of unreported income.
Which States Have the Most Unequal Tax Burdens?
Across the U.S., there is a wide disparity in how taxes affect different income groups. Here’s how it all breaks down, ranked in order of tax system inequality*:
Total State and Local Taxes As a Share of Income
By State and Income Group
| RANK | STATE | LOWEST 20% | MIDDLE 60% | TOP 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 17.8% | 10.4% | 3.0% |
| 2 | Texas | 13.0% | 9.4% | 3.1% |
| 3 | Florida | 12.7% | 7.7% | 2.3% |
| 4 | South Dakota | 11.2% | 8.4% | 2.5% |
| 5 | Nevada | 10.2% | 7.1% | 1.9% |
| 6 | Tennessee | 10.5% | 8.1% | 2.8% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 13.8% | 10.8% | 6.0% |
| 8 | Illinois | 14.4% | 12.2% | 7.4% |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 13.2% | 10.3% | 6.2% |
| 10 | Wyoming | 9.6% | 6.9% | 2.6% |
| 11 | Arizona | 13.0% | 9.3% | 5.9% |
| 12 | Indiana | 12.8% | 10.4% | 6.8% |
| 13 | Ohio | 12.3% | 10.6% | 6.5% |
| 14 | Louisiana | 11.9% | 9.8% | 6.2% |
| 15 | Hawaii | 15.0% | 11.5% | 8.9% |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 9.1% | 7.1% | 3.0% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 10.3% | 7.7% | 4.5% |
| 18 | Alabama | 9.9% | 8.6% | 5.0% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 10.6% | 10.0% | 6.0% |
| 20 | Arkansas | 11.3% | 10.4% | 6.9% |
| 21 | Iowa | 12.4% | 10.5% | 7.7% |
| 22 | Michigan | 10.4% | 9.2% | 6.2% |
| 23 | Kansas | 11.4% | 10.4% | 7.4% |
| 24 | Mississippi | 10.2% | 9.8% | 6.7% |
| 25 | Kentucky | 9.5% | 10.5% | 6.7% |
| 26 | Alaska | 7.0% | 4.3% | 2.5% |
| 27 | Georgia | 10.7% | 9.5% | 7.0% |
| 28 | Missouri | 9.9% | 9.1% | 6.2% |
| 29 | Connecticut | 11.5% | 11.6% | 8.1% |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 10.0% | 9.3% | 6.5% |
| 31 | North Carolina | 9.5% | 9.1% | 6.4% |
| 32 | Rhode Island | 12.1% | 9.3% | 7.9% |
| 33 | Virginia | 9.8% | 9.3% | 7.0% |
| 34 | Wisconsin | 10.1% | 10.4% | 7.7% |
| 35 | Colorado | 8.7% | 8.6% | 6.5% |
| 36 | Nebraska | 11.1% | 10.2% | 8.7% |
| 37 | West Virginia | 9.4% | 8.8% | 7.4% |
| 38 | Idaho | 9.2% | 8.4% | 7.2% |
| 39 | South Carolina | 8.3% | 8.3% | 6.8% |
| 40 | Utah | 7.5% | 8.4% | 6.7% |
| 41 | Oregon | 10.1% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 42 | Maryland | 9.8% | 10.6% | 9.0% |
| 43 | Montana | 7.9% | 6.7% | 6.5% |
| 44 | New York | 11.4% | 12.5% | 11.3% |
| 45 | Maine | 8.7% | 9.3% | 8.6% |
| 46 | New Jersey | 8.7% | 10.2% | 9.8% |
| 47 | Minnesota | 8.7% | 9.8% | 10.1% |
| 48 | Delaware | 5.5% | 5.8% | 6.5% |
| 49 | Vermont | 8.7% | 9.4% | 10.4% |
| 50 | District of Columbia | 6.3% | 9.8% | 9.5% |
| 51 | California | 10.5% | 8.9% | 12.4% |
* The ITEP Tax Inequality Index measures the effects of each state’s tax structure on income inequality. In states that rank high for inequality, incomes are less equal after state and local taxes are applied than before. On the flip side, states with the most equality are those where incomes are at least somewhat more equal after state and local taxes are levied than before.
Washington has the most unequal tax burdens. Proportional to their income, Washington taxpayers in the bottom 20% pay almost 6x more than those in the top 1%.
At the other end of the scale, California has the most equal tax system. As a share of their income, the state’s poorest families pay only 0.84x what the wealthiest families pay.
Overall, however, the vast majority of tax systems are regressive.
On average, the lowest 20% of income earners pay 1.54x more of their income in taxes compared to the top 1%.
The Main Causes
Two main factors drive a tax system’s (lack of) equality: how the state designs each tax, and the state’s reliance on different tax sources.
To better explain how this works, let’s take a closer look at each type of tax.
Sales & Excise Taxes
These taxes apply only to spent income, and exempt saved income. Since families with a higher household income are able to save a much larger percentage of their income, and the poorest families can barely save at all, the tax is regressive by nature.
The particular types of items that are taxed affect fairness as well. Quite a few states include food in their sales tax base, and low-income families spend the majority of their income on groceries and other necessities.
Not only that, excise taxes are levied on a small subset of goods that typically have a practical per-person maximum. For example, one person can only use so much fuel. As a wealthy family’s income increases, they generally do not continue to increase their spending on these goods.
States rely on these taxes more than any other tax source, which only exacerbates the problem.
Property Taxes
For the average household, the home makes up the majority of their total wealth—meaning most of their wealth is taxed. However, the wealth composition of richer families skews much more heavily towards stock portfolios, business equity, and other assets, which are exempt from property taxes.
While these types of assets are subject to taxes like capital gains and dividends, the distinction is that these taxes are levied only on earned gains. In contrast, property taxes are owed simply as a result of owning the asset.
What about those who don’t own homes? Landlords generally pass on the cost of property tax to renters in the form of higher rent. Since rent comprises a much higher share of expenses for poorer families, this makes property tax even more inequitable.
Income Taxes
State income taxes are typically progressive. This means effective tax rates go up as income goes up. Here’s how the U.S. averages break down:
- Low-income families: 0.04%
- Middle-income families: 2.1%
- Top 1%: 4.6%
However, certain policy choices can turn this on its head. Some states have a flat rate for all income levels, a lack of deductions and credits for low-income taxpayers, or tax loopholes that can be beneficial for wealthier income groups.
Nine states charge no income tax at all, garnering reputations as “low tax” states—but this is true only for high-income families. In order to make up for the lost revenue, states rely more heavily on tax sources that disproportionately affect the lowest earners.
Evidently, states with personal income taxes have more equitable effective tax burdens.
Tackling Systemic Issues
Regressive state tax systems negatively impact the after-tax income of low and middle-income families. This means they have less to spend on daily expenses, or to save for the future.
Not only that, because wealthier families aren’t contributing a proportional share of tax dollars, state revenues grow more slowly.
For states looking to create a more equitable tax system, states with progressive systems offer some guidance:
- Graduated income tax rates
- Additional tax over a high-income threshold (e.g $1 million)
- Limits on tax breaks for upper-income taxpayers
- Targeted low-income tax credits
- Lower reliance on regressive consumption taxes
By implementing such policies, governments may see more tax equality—and more tax dollars for programs and services.
Hat tip to reddit user prikhodkop, whose visualization introduced us to this data.
Finance
Intangible Assets: A Hidden but Crucial Driver of Company Value
Intangible assets – such as goodwill and intellectual property – have rapidly risen in importance compared to tangible assets like cash.
Intangible Assets Take Center Stage
View the high resolution version of this infographic by clicking here
In 2018, intangible assets for S&P 500 companies hit a record value of $21 trillion. These assets, which are not physical in nature and include things like intellectual property, have rapidly risen in importance compared to tangible assets like cash.
Today’s infographic from Raconteur highlights the growth of intangible asset valuations, and how senior decision-makers view intangibles when making investment decisions.
Tracking the Growth of Intangibles
Intangibles used to play a much smaller role than they do now, with physical assets comprising the majority of value for most enterprise companies. However, an increasingly competitive and digital economy has placed the focus on things like intellectual property, as companies race to out-innovate one another.
To measure this historical shift, Aon and the Ponemon Institute analyzed the value of intangible and tangible assets over nearly four and a half decades on the S&P 500. Here’s how they stack up:
Source: Aon
In just 43 years, intangibles have evolved from a supporting asset into a major consideration for investors – today, they make up 84% of all enterprise value on the S&P 500, a massive increase from just 17% in 1975.
The Largest Companies by Intangible Value
Digital-centric sectors, such as internet & software and technology & IT, are heavily reliant on intangible assets.
Brand Finance, which produces an annual ranking of companies based on intangible value, has companies in these sectors taking the top five spots on the 2019 edition of their report.
| Rank | Company | Sector | Total Intangible Value | Share of Enterprise Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | Internet & Software | $904B | 90% |
| 2 | Amazon | Internet & Software | $839B | 93% |
| 3 | Apple | Technology & IT | $675B | 77% |
| 4 | Alphabet | Internet & Software | $521B | 65% |
| 5 | Internet & Software | $409B | 79% | |
| 6 | AT&T | Telecoms | $371B | 84% |
| 7 | Tencent | Internet & Software | $365B | 88% |
| 8 | Johnson & Johnson | Pharma | $361B | 101% |
| 9 | Visa | Banking | $348B | 100% |
| 10 | Alibaba | Internet & Software | $344B | 86% |
| 11 | Nestle | Food | $313B | 89% |
| 12 | Procter & Gamble | Cosmetics & Personal Care | $305B | 101% |
| 13 | Anheuser-Busch InBev | Beers | $304B | 99% |
| 14 | Verizon | Telecoms | $300B | 83% |
| 15 | Comcast | Media | $276B | 92% |
| 16 | Mastercard | Banking | $259B | 99% |
| 17 | Novartis | Pharma | $252B | 101% |
| 18 | Walmart | Retail | $252B | 68% |
| 19 | Unitedhealth | Healthcare | $245B | 94% |
| 20 | Pfizer | Pharma | $235B | 98% |
Note: Percentages may exceed 100% due to rounding.
Microsoft overtook Amazon for the top spot in the ranking for 2019, with $904B in intangible assets. The company has the largest commercial cloud business in the world.
Pharma and healthcare companies are also prominent on the list, comprising four of the top 20. Their intangible value is largely driven by patents, as well as mergers and acquisitions. Johnson & Johnson, for example, reported $32B in patents and trademarks in their latest annual report.
A Lack of Disclosure
It’s important to note that Brand Finance’s ranking is based on both disclosed intangibles—those that are reported on a company’s balance sheet—and undisclosed intangibles. In the ranking, undisclosed intangibles were calculated as the difference between a company’s market value and book value.
The majority of intangibles are not reported on balance sheets because accounting standards do not recognize them until a transaction has occurred to support their value. While many accounting managers see this as a prudent measure to stop unsubstantiated asset values, it means that many highly valuable intangibles never appear in financial reporting. In fact, 34% of the total worth of the world’s publicly traded companies is made up of undisclosed value.
“It is time for CEOs, CFOs, and CMOs to start a long overdue reporting revolution.”
—David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance
Brand Finance believes that companies should regularly value each intangible asset, including the key assumptions management made when deriving their value. This information would be extremely useful for managers, investors, and other stakeholders.
A Key Consideration
Investment professionals certainly agree on the importance of intangibles. In a survey of institutional investors by Columbia Threadneedle, it was found that 95% agreed that intangible assets contain crucial information about the future strength of a company’s business model.
Moreover, 98% agree that more transparency would be beneficial to their assessment of intangible assets. In the absence of robust reporting, Columbia Threadneedle believes active managers are well equipped to understand intangible asset values due to their access to management, relationships with key opinion leaders, and deep industry expertise.
By undertaking rigorous analysis, managers may uncover hidden competitive advantages—and generate higher potential returns in the process.
Finance
Visualizing the Current Landscape of the Fintech Industry
The fintech industry welcomed multi-billion dollar investments in 2019. Where is the most growth, and how are incumbents dealing with digital disruption?
Visualizing the Current Landscape of the Fintech Industry
Since the introduction of the first credit card with a magnetic stripe in 1966, financial technology has come a long way. Silicon Valley may not have birthed the term “fintech”, but it has certainly helped catapult its applications into the mainstream.
Leveraging everything from basic apps to the blockchain, the changing dynamics of fintech are creating new investment opportunities everyday, growing its appetite with every new megadeal.
Today’s graphic from Raconteur highlights the global growth of the fintech industry, the services with the most staying power, and major M&A developments of the past year as traditional institutions scramble to deal with this digital disruption.
How Fintech Levels the Playing Field
Over the past five years, digitally-enabled financial technology services have delivered convenient and cheaper access to financial services to millions of consumers.
What draws consumers towards using fintech?
- Attractive rates and fees (27%)
- Easy access and account setup (20%)
- Variety of innovative products and services (18%)
- Better service quality and product features (12%)
This new implementation of technology is democratizing financial services for the masses, a strong contrast to accessing them through traditional brick-and-mortar institutions.
How Fintech Fares Across Borders
On average, 64% of the world’s digitally active population has used at least one fintech service. But China and India surpass this benchmark by a mile—in a survey of 27,000 consumers across 27 markets, both countries demonstrated a 87% fintech adoption rate.
Russia and South Africa are in close second, with 82% adoption respectively. On the other hand, France and Japan are tied at the low end of the spectrum with only 35% fintech adoption.
The trajectory of mobile payments and digital wallets in China can help put high Asian adoption rates in perspective. Thanks to services like Alipay and WeChat, 890 million unique mobile payment users are essentially transforming China from a cash economy to a digital one.
Which Services Have Caught Consumer Attention?
Just like “Googling” is synonymous with looking up information online, the term “Venmo-ing” has become an American verb for paying someone back via a digital wallet.
That’s why it’s no surprise that money transfer and payments are by far the most rapidly growing fintech services, shooting up from 18% to 75% global adoption in just four years. Here’s how global average adoption rates differ by fintech service, across time:
| Fintech Category | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💸 Money transfer and payments | 18% | 50% | 75% |
| 💰 Savings and investments | 17% | 20% | 34% |
| 📋 Budgeting and financial planning | 8% | 10% | 29% |
| 🛡️ Insurance | 8% | 24% | 48% |
| 💳 Borrowing | 6% | 10% | 27% |
Source: EY Global Fintech Adoption Index 2019
Insurtech has steadily gained traction in the market. Digital insurance solutions provide personalized and on-demand coverage plans for clients, using bots and machine learning to assess risk levels. As a result, this sub-segment has been attracting large funding rounds due to the time—and money—it helps free up for firms.
According to CapGemini, incumbents in the financial industry see wallets and mobile payments from fintech providers as the most significant offerings impacting their companies. That may be why they’re resorting to big moves to protect their business.
Deals and More Deals
Major financial institutions made some serious plays in 2019, in the way of mergers and acquisitions of fintech companies:
- FIS bought the payments processing company Worldpay for $35 billion, valuing the company at $43 billion when debt is included. (Reuters)
- The London Stock Exchange Group plans to acquire financial markets data provider Refinitiv for $27 billion, in the hopes of rivaling Bloomberg. (Reuters)
- Global Payments bought the payments processing company Total System Services for $21.5 billion, planning to provide services to over 1,300 financial institutions. (Bloomberg)
- Fiserv acquired payments processing company First Data for $22 billion—the two companies combined are a backbone of Wall Street’s financial technology. (WSJ)
- Visa purchased the payments authentication company Plaid for $5.3 billion in January 2020, in hopes of strengthening its relations with financial institutions. (CNBC)
As billions of dollars exchange hands, it’s been noted that many of these plays were made by established incumbents to curb the threat posed by fintech startups.
At the same time, however, it’s also clear that traditional institutions want to tap into what fintech startups are doing right.
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