Comments on: State Tax Primer from A to W: Arizona

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:06:33 +0000

I live in Sun City AZ next door to Surprise. Sun City tax is 7.5% because we have no school taxes. So if we eat in Sun City it is 7.5% and if we venture out into Surprise 11%. Housing is down 1/2 from 2006. All considered AZ and especially Sun City is a bargin.

By: Sara

Sara — Sat, 15 May 2010 23:08:20 +0000

I live in Surprise as well and want to clear up a misconception from an earlier person’s post. There is no sales tax on grocery items in Surprise, but there is a sales tax of 11 something percent on restaurant meals.

Yes, vehicle registration fees are a sticker shock for those not used to them – in my case about $750 for initial registration (and it slowly decreases in following years), but I’ve heard that out registration fees are somewhat cheaper than veh reg fees in California, so I suppose everything is relative.

Property taxes are far less expensive than California’s and those of many other states as well.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:49:14 +0000

I purchased a used RV in Phoenix and they collected the sales tax there
and told me I would get the difference when I registered the vehicle in
Kansas. I am due $120 back and have not been able to get a call back from
the dealer as how to get it. I found this site but nothing else and hope you
can tell me who I need to get in touch with about this.
Thanks, Eric

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:18:28 +0000

Just curious about the Sales tax rebate programs I heard about over the last few years, in this time of budget crunch and amid all this talk of continued spending cuts, (like the police force and emergency personnel reductions)have they rescinded the sales tax rebates to retailers yet? Maybe they could balance the budget if they actually kept the sales tax already being collected, instead of supporting some company’s profit margins? Just curious to see what you think or know about this.

By: Marius

Marius — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:42:39 +0000

This is so helpful… the information on this site. I just browsed on the last link I got from you Kelly – awesome information. I’m on my way to start hunting for a house, and God willing, I’ll get one soon. Searching for the best not very populated and best rated in beauty city, then the house will come in my hands.

Thanks a lot.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:06:05 +0000

The rates were accurate as of last year (and according to the web site, it’s the same for this year so far). The state rate is supplemented by local rates – that could be what’s driving up your costs. In some areas, it’s actually lower than the state – by agreement. You can see all of the state+local rates on the web site by clicking here.

By: VF

VF — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:19:37 +0000

Not quite sure where you are getting your info from, and if it is from the AZ Dept of Revenue you should let them know that they have outdated info. I live in Arizona, in Surprise to be exact, and I pay sales tax on food, and the tax here is 8.5% for food and anything else. I moved her from Queens NY, where the sales tax was 8.65%. Not much of a difference. Additionally, car registration is outrageous at $300-400 per year, whereas in Queens it was $40, and my monthly electric/gas bills are ridiculuous at 200-300 per month, whereas in queens in was $60. Also, you pay for water in Arizona, whereas in NY you don’t. All in all, I’d say that people in Arizona are paying quite a bit more than other states, but yet wages are the one of the lowest in the country!

By: A Federal Tax Holiday? | mySBSteam Blog

A Federal Tax Holiday? | mySBSteam Blog — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:09:12 +0000

[...] is launching a series of primers on taxes in all 50 states. As mentioned in my previous post, Kelly started off with Arizona and cites our State-Local Tax Burden Study. "It’s worth noting that [...]

By: Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:21:44 +0000

Pennsylvania is the same way. I have noticed, however, that the US Treasury apparently sprints to the bank to cash my checks!

By: Urbie

Urbie — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:20:24 +0000

The DoR in Arizona takes several weeks to cash checks. This I know because my wife and I always owe something on April 15th. Last year, it took them at least 3 weeks to cash my check! My old mentor in business school works for the state Auditor General — I told him about that, in hopes he’d get ‘em to tighten it up a bit.

I also note that Coconino County (where my wife and I still own a piece of land — it’s on the market, but we’re not holding our breath) has not yet cashed the property tax check I sent them on November 1st. I guess they don’t like to collect interest, either!

Urb