April 14, 2016

The US Tax Burden Is Low Compared to Most Advanced Economies

The United States has one of the lowest total tax burdens among advanced nations.

Total tax burdens are lower in the U.S. than in other advanced economies | SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD Tax Revenue Statistics 2015, December 2015. Compiled by PGPF. NOTE: Data reflect 2014 revenue levels, except in the case of Japan, for which the most recent data is from 2013. Total tax revenue includes federal, state and local. The nations depicted here represent the G7.

The tax revenue collected by the federal, state, and local governments in the U.S. each year is about a quarter of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). This is less, as a share of GDP, than the revenues collected in several other high-income countries, including Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and France.

For more information on the American tax system, see:

Related: Infographic: How The U.S. Tax System Works

Expert Views: Fiscal Commission

We asked experts with diverse views from across the political spectrum to share their perspectives.

More

National Debt Clock

See the latest numbers and learn more about the causes of our high and rising debt.

More