The Best States for Small Business Tax Breaks—Is Yours on the List?
Successful business requires browsing a complex maze of federal, state and local rules and regulations. Given the combination of corporate income tax, business tax, property tax, personal income tax and unemployment tax that can be collected, tax policies are not the minimum tax of these burdens.
However, some states are more friendly than others.
Wyoming, South Dakota and Alaska rank first in the Tax Foundation’s latest state business tax climate index, which ranks all 50 states.
Key Points
- Not all states impose all the most common business taxes.
- Taxes in the Northeastern United States are higher than those in other states.
- As of the 2025 tax year, eight states have no personal income tax.
- Alaska, Montana and New Hampshire won’t be subject to state-level sales taxes.
- No matter where you do business, many federal tax credits and programs can relieve some of the sting.
Best states for business tax
The Tax Foundation released its annual state business tax climate index based on five factors and compared it based on five factors: personal income tax, business tax, corporate income tax, property tax and unemployment insurance tax.
The 2024 report named these states in the top 10:
- Wyoming
- South Dakota
- down
- Florida
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- Nevada
- Utah
- North Carolina
- Indiana
Everyone has their own combination of tax breaks and business-friendly policies, either of which may be more important to you and your business than others.
Personal Income Tax
If you live in a state where you do business, the personal income tax rate in that state is an important factor. As of the 2024 tax year, seven states have no personal income tax at all: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. Washington is taxed only Capital gains.
Florida, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nevada and New Hampshire appeared in the top ten of the Tax Foundation. New Hampshire taxes only interest and dividends, but has repealed the tax and will take effect from December 31, 2024.
Important
Indiana has been gradually reducing its personal income tax rate. It was only 3.05% as of the 2024 tax year. However, all Indiana counties also charge income tax.
Company income tax
Florida, South Dakota and Wyoming are not only going to save your personal income from taxes. They don’t force Company income taxany one.
Among states where corporate tax is imposed, North Carolina is only 2.5%, while Florida is levied at 5.5%.
New Hampshire allows business deductions Commercial interest expenses Not allowed under federal tax laws.
Business Tax
Business tax is paid by the consumer at the time of sale. The additional cost can affect sales, especially if your customer drives from a low-tax jurisdiction for a short drive.
Business Tax It can be done by state or local governments or both.
There are no state-level sales taxes in Alaska, Montana and New Hampshire. South Dakota’s sales tax rate is 4.2% as of 2025, but it allows municipalities to increase their own sales tax on it. Indiana’s sales tax is worth winning 7%. If you do business as a retailer, this is something to consider.
Unemployment insurance tax
No state can exempt your business from unemployment insurance tax, but some states are more friendly than others.
Unemployment insurance plans are a complex system managed by tax authorities at the federal and state levels. It is difficult to fix a single rate in any state.
However, some states are obviously more friendly than others. North Carolina business owners performed well. The burdens are particularly heavy for people in Alaska.
property tax
Property tax is an important factor if you own your own home, commercial property, or both. Based on this burden, the Tax Foundation also prepared a 2024 report.
Its list of states with the lowest property taxes include Alaska, Florida, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming,
Since both states and counties can collect property taxes from property taxes, this is how the tax foundation breaks it down. The lowest property tax rates can be found in parts of Alaska, Louisiana and Alabama. California, New Jersey and parts of New York charge the highest rates.
Federal Tax Credit
Regardless of where your business is located, you can benefit from some federal regulations designed to reduce the tax burden on your business.
The Internal Income Act (IRC) provides General corporate tax credit This includes many other credits. These include job opportunity credit, credit for employer-provided parenting facilities and services, and credit limit for qualified plug-in electric drive vehicles
You can IRS website and links leading to their eligible details and filling out the appropriate forms to require them.
Small Business Healthcare Tax Credit allows businesses to cut employee premiums up to 50%. To qualify, you must pay at least 50% of its premium fees and not exceed $56,000 per year for less than 25 full-time employees.
Bottom line
One tax category may be more burdensome than other taxes in your business, so the importance of weight is the most important to you. State groups such as Wyoming, South Dakota and Alaska rank the highest in business-friendly tax environments.
Ultimately, knowing the entire state’s tax landscape can help you make smarter decisions about where to build and grow your business.