Tax Freedom Day arrived this year on April 19, the same date as last year. Whether it flatlines again next year may be determined by whether Congress succeeds in passing President Bush's new tax cut proposal.
"Tax Freedom is a concept used . . . to illustrate the share of the nation's income that goes to pay federal, state and local taxes," says the Tax Foundation, which annually calculates the day. "For illustrative purposes it assumes that income is earned evenly throughout the year and that individuals initially devote all of their earnings to pay their taxes. The day that Americans are free to spend their income on other goods and services is Tax Freedom Day."
Helped along by President Bush's first tax cut law, Tax Freedom Day receded from April 27 in 2001 to April 19, 2002. That meant eight additional days of financial liberty for taxpayers. But in the past year it stood still.
Will we win more liberty next year, or less? Call your U.S. representative and senators and tell them to support the Bush tax cut: (202) 224-3121.
How States Rank By Tax Freedom Day
| State | Day |
| Connecticut | May 9 |
| Massachusetts | May 2 |
| New York | April 29 |
| California | April 29 |
| New Jersey | April 27 |
| Washington | April 27 |
| Minnesota | April 23 |
| Rhode Island | April 23 |
| Maine | April 22 |
| Wyoming | April 21 |
| Colorado | April 21 |
| Illinois | April 20 |
| Nevada | April 20 |
| Wisconsin | April 19 |
| Vermont | April 17 |
| Arizona | April 17 |
| Maryland | April 17 |
| Michigan | April 17 |
| Georgia | April 16 |
| Utah | April 16 |
| Virginia | April 15 |
| Florida | April 15 |
| New Hampshire | April 15 |
| Ohio | April 14 |
| Idaho | April 14 |
| Pennsylvania | April 14 |
| Oregon | April 14 |
| Indiana | April 14 |
| Kansas | April 13 |
| Texas | April 13 |
| Hawaii | April 13 |
| North Carolina | April 13 |
| Nebraska | April 12 |
| Missouri | April 12 |
| Iowa | April 11 |
| North Dakota | April 11 |
| Montana | April 9 |
| Kentucky | April 9 |
| Delaware | April 9 |
| Arkansas | April 9 |
| South Carolina | April 8 |
| South Dakota | April 8 |
| Mississippi | April 7 |
| Louisiana | April 7 |
| West Virginia | April 6 |
| Oklahoma | April 6 |
| Tennessee | April 6 |
| Alabama | April 6 |
| New Mexico | April 3 |
| Alaska | March 30 |
| *District of Columbia | May 7 |
