Mississippi Income Tax Calculator

Mississippi state tax quick facts Income tax: 3% - 5% Sales tax: 7% (8% in Jackson, Mississippi) Property tax: 0.8% average effective rate Gas tax: 18.79 cents per gallon of regular gasoline, 18.40 cents per gallon of diesel

The Mississippi state government collects several types of taxes. The most significant are its income and sales taxes. While the personal income tax, which has a top rate of 5%, is slightly lower than the national average for state income taxes, the statewide sales tax of 7% is slightly above the national average.

That state sales tax used to be the only such tax collected in the state, but the capital city of Jackson recently enacted its own additional sales tax of 1%. Jackson’s tax represents the only local sales tax in the state. Below, we will take a close look at these tax rates, as well as Mississippi’s property taxes.

Mississippi Income Tax

The income tax in the Magnolia State is based on three tax brackets, with rates of 3%, 4% and 5%. The tax brackets for all four filing statuses are shown in the table below.

Those tax rates do not apply to total income, but rather taxable income, which accounts for deductions and exemptions. Mississippi allows the same itemized deductions as the IRS, with the exception of the deduction for state and local income taxes. The standard deduction in Mississippi is $2,300 for single filers and married individuals filing separately, $4,600 for married individuals filing jointly and $3,400 for heads of household. If itemized deductions are less than the standard deduction, taxpayers receive the standard deduction.

Along with those deductions, there is also a personal exemption in Mississippi. The exemption is $6,000 for single filers and married individuals filing separately, $12,000 for married individuals filing jointly and $8,000 for heads of household. Taxpayers can claim additional exemptions of $1,500 per dependent. If you are looking to find some help on your taxes, consider tax preparation software like Credit Karma and TaxAct to help file your return.

Mississippi does not have some of the tax credits common to other states, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.

Mississippi Sales Tax

There is a single, statewide sales tax of 7% in Mississippi. That is the same, everywhere in the state, with one exception. As of 2015, the city of Jackson, Mississippi’s state capital, collects its own additional sales tax of 1%. This means the total sales tax there is 8%.

Tax is collected on sales of tangible personal property as well as certain services in Mississippi. Taxable services include installation or repair of air conditioning units, bowling fees, car-washing, electricians, furniture repair, hotels and motels, laundering and dry cleaning, parking garages and lots, television service and woodworking.

Tangible personal property includes most physical goods, such as furniture, clothing and electronics, but there are some exceptions. Mississippi is one of just two states to tax all food at the full sales tax rate. Groceries and prepared food alike are subject to the statewide 7% sales tax, and there are additional restaurant taxes in some areas. On the other hand, prescription drugs are not taxed in Mississippi.

Mississippi has two sales tax holidays. The first typically occurs on Friday and Saturday of the last weekend in July. During those two days, clothing and footwear items costing less than $100 can be purchased sales tax free. The second holiday is called the “Mississippi Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday.” It occurs over the first weekend in September, during which time firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies can be purchased free of state sales tax.

Mississippi Property Tax

Taxes on real property in Mississippi are among the lowest in the nation. The average effective property tax rate (taxes per year as a percentage of home value) in the Magnolia State is just 0.8%, the 15th-lowest rate in the nation. However, because of the relatively low home values in Mississippi, the total annual property tax payment in Mississippi is just $841, which ranks as the sixth-lowest payment in the country. If such low property taxes caught your attention and you’re considering buying a home in Mississippi, or if you’re thinking about refinancing a property there, check out our Mississippi mortgage guide for information about rates and mortgages in Mississippi.

Mississippi Gas Tax

Regular gasoline in Mississippi is taxed at a rate 18.79 cents per gallon, the fifth lowest gas tax in the country. Diesel fuel faces a tax of 18.40 cents per gallon.

Mississippi Capital Gains Tax

Long-term capital gains are taxed at the regular income tax rates in Mississippi, with a few exceptions. However, gains from the sale of shares in financial institutions based in Mississippi, as well as domestic limited partnerships and limited liability companies, may be exempt in some situations.

Mississippi Cigarette Tax

According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Mississippi’s cigarette tax is the 13th-lowest in the country. It totals 68 cents per pack of 20 cigarettes.

Mississippi Alcohol Tax

Mississippi’s alcoholic beverage taxes, on the other hand, rank in the top 15 nationwide. The tax on liquor is equal to $7.74 per gallon.

Photo credit: flickr

According to polling by Gallup international, Mississippi is the most religious state in the country. The name Mississippi comes from the Ojibwe word meaning "great river."