What Americans pay in state income taxes, ranked from highest to lowest

Most Americans should file a state income tax return in addition to a federal income tax return.
State income tax rates range from zero to 13.3%, depending on which state you live in and your income.

Tax day is April 17 this year, but the Internal Revenue Service began accepting tax returns on January 29.

Most Americans file returns for both state income tax and federal income tax. You can do that through H&R Block or TurboTax — both of which offer free tax filing for eligible taxpayers — or an accountant.

Nearly everyone is subject to federal income taxes. How much you pay depends on how much you earn, also known as your tax bracket.

Though President Donald Trump signed the Republican tax bill into law at the end of December, new federal tax brackets will affect only income earned starting January 1, 2018. You'll see those changes when you file your 2018 taxes next year.

When it comes to state income tax, the amount you pay varies depending on where you live. Seven US states have no state income tax — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. New Hampshire and Tennessee don't have a state income tax either, but they do tax interest and dividends at 5% and 6%.

The rest of the states either have a flat income tax — meaning everyone, regardless of how much they earn, pays the same percentage of their income to the government — or a progressive income tax, which means the tax rate is determined by income.

Among the 41 states that tax income, North Dakota has the lowest maximum rate at 2.9%. California is the only state with a double-digit tax rate for the highest earners, topping out at 13.3%.

After you file your tax return, you may get a state tax refund or a federal tax refund — or both. The IRS says the fastest way to get your tax refund is the method already used by most taxpayers: filing electronically and selecting direct deposit as the method for receiving your refund.

Below, we've created a ranking of states from the highest state income tax rate to the lowest income tax rate. For states that have a range of tax rates based on income, we used the highest rate to determine the ranking.

California

State income tax:

Oregon

State income tax:

Minnesota

State income tax:

Iowa

State income tax:

New Jersey

State income tax:

Vermont

State income tax:

Washington, DC

State income tax:

New York

State income tax:

Hawaii

State income tax:

Wisconsin

State income tax:

Idaho

State income tax:

Maine

State income tax:

South Carolina

State income tax:

Connecticut

State income tax:

Arkansas

State income tax:

Montana

State income tax:

Nebraska

State income tax:

Delaware

State income tax:

West Virginia

State income tax:

Georgia

State income tax:

Kentucky

State income tax:

Louisiana

State income tax:

Missouri

State income tax:

Rhode Island

State income tax:

Maryland

State income tax:

North Carolina

State income tax:

Virginia

State income tax:

Oklahoma

State income tax:

Massachusetts

State income tax: 5.1%

Alabama

State income tax:

Mississippi

State income tax:

Utah

State income tax: 5%

Ohio

State income tax:

Illinois

State income tax: 4.95%

New Mexico

State income tax: 1.7% to 4.9%

Colorado

State income tax: 4.63%

Kansas

State income tax:

Arizona

State income tax:

Michigan

State income tax: 4.25%

Indiana

State income tax: 3.3%

Pennsylvania

State income tax: 3.07%

North Dakota

State income tax:

What Americans pay in state income taxes, ranked from highest to lowest

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!