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Which states' taxpayers owe the most come tax day

·Annalise Mantz

Erik S. Lesser/Newsmakers // Getty Images
Erik S. Lesser/Newsmakers // Getty Images
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Filing your taxes can be anxiety-inducing—especially if you're not sure whether you're going to owe the government money or receive a nice tax refund. Overpaying your tax obligation throughout the year by having extra money withheld from your paychecks is an interest-free loan to the government, but finding out you're getting one can give you a pleasant boost when you file your taxes. It's a popular option: 74% of taxpayers received a refund in the 2020 tax year.

If you have self-employment income, changed jobs, made profits by selling stock, or chose not to give the federal government additional money throughout the year, you may owe taxes instead of receiving a refund. Nationwide, 1 in 5 people who filed taxes owe money on their returns, according to Stacker's analysis of 2020 tax year data from the IRS, the most recent year available.

The average amount owed was more than $6,500—a few thousand dollars more than the average tax refund. To find out which states' taxpayers had the highest balances, Stacker used Internal Revenue Service data to rank states by the average amount taxpayers owed on tax day.

Only tax filers who owed money on their return were included; in other words, those who received refunds don't factor into the averages. The number and share of tax filers who owed money on their return are also shown in the analysis but didn't factor into the ranking. Scroll through the list to see where your home state landed in the rankings.

An aerial view of homes in Wheeling.

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1 / 51

#51. West Virginia

- Average tax payment: $4,215
- Number of returns with tax due: 104,050 (12.7%)

An aerial view of the Capitol in Jackson at dusk.

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2 / 51

#50. Mississippi

- Average tax payment: $4,714
- Number of returns with tax due: 216,240 (16.3%)

Buildings on the ocean in Honolulu with mountains in the background.

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3 / 51

#49. Hawaii

- Average tax payment: $4,929
- Number of returns with tax due: 158,960 (22.5%)

Stucco buildings in Santa Fe.

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4 / 51

#48. New Mexico

- Average tax payment: $4,946
- Number of returns with tax due: 171,890 (17.3%)

Buildings in downtown Lexington.

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5 / 51

#47. Kentucky

- Average tax payment: $4,987
- Number of returns with tax due: 323,550 (15.6%)

The Des Moines skyline.

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6 / 51

#46. Iowa

- Average tax payment: $5,029
- Number of returns with tax due: 289,660 (18.7%)

The Columbus skyline.

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7 / 51

#45. Ohio

- Average tax payment: $5,051
- Number of returns with tax due: 1,015,640 (17.2%)

The Capitol building in Madison.

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8 / 51

#44. Wisconsin

- Average tax payment: $5,251
- Number of returns with tax due: 564,230 (18.8%)

An aerial view of Annapolis on the water.

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9 / 51

#43. Maryland

- Average tax payment: $5,260
- Number of returns with tax due: 728,060 (23.2%)

An aerial view of Fayetteville in Autumn.

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10 / 51

#42. Arkansas

- Average tax payment: $5,312
- Number of returns with tax due: 237,220 (17.6%)

An aerial view of downtown Baton Rouge on the water.

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11 / 51

#41. Louisiana

- Average tax payment: $5,332
- Number of returns with tax due: 328,790 (15.8%)

A walking path on the water with Wilmington in the background.

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12 / 51

#40. Delaware

- Average tax payment: $5,349
- Number of returns with tax due: 102,040 (20.0%)

An aerial view of the state house in Columbia.

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13 / 51

#39. South Carolina

- Average tax payment: $5,352
- Number of returns with tax due: 530,170 (21.0%)

Colorful businesses on the water.

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14 / 51

#38. Alaska

- Average tax payment: $5,440
- Number of returns with tax due: 70,540 (19.6%)

An aerial view of downtown Birmingham.

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15 / 51

#37. Alabama

- Average tax payment: $5,450
- Number of returns with tax due: 410,720 (18.3%)

An aerial view of downtown Oklahoma City.

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16 / 51

#36. Oklahoma

- Average tax payment: $5,455
- Number of returns with tax due: 308,800 (17.3%)

An aerial view of Traverse City on the water.

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17 / 51

#35. Michigan

- Average tax payment: $5,471
- Number of returns with tax due: 833,650 (16.6%)

The Providence skyline.

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18 / 51

#34. Rhode Island

- Average tax payment: $5,489
- Number of returns with tax due: 103,320 (17.9%)

The downtown Minneapolis skyline.

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19 / 51

#33. Minnesota

- Average tax payment: $5,522
- Number of returns with tax due: 642,560 (22.2%)

An aerial view of Springfield.

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20 / 51

#32. Missouri

- Average tax payment: $5,544
- Number of returns with tax due: 527,480 (17.5%)

Downtown Evansville.

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21 / 51

#31. Indiana

- Average tax payment: $5,609
- Number of returns with tax due: 495,600 (14.8%)

The downtown Charlotte skyline.

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22 / 51

#30. North Carolina

- Average tax payment: $5,664
- Number of returns with tax due: 1,005,740 (19.8%)

An aerial view of Burlington on the water.

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23 / 51

#29. Vermont

- Average tax payment: $5,896
- Number of returns with tax due: 59,910 (17.4%)

An aerial view of Bar Harbor on the water.

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24 / 51

#28. Maine

- Average tax payment: $5,952
- Number of returns with tax due: 136,030 (19.0%)

Boats on the water with Augusta in the background.

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25 / 51

#27. Georgia

- Average tax payment: $5,966
- Number of returns with tax due: 1,056,260 (20.8%)

An aerial view of Eugene at sunset.

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26 / 51

#26. Oregon

- Average tax payment: $5,967
- Number of returns with tax due: 467,940 (22.5%)

The downtown Phoenix skyline.

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27 / 51

#25. Arizona

- Average tax payment: $5,971
- Number of returns with tax due: 742,720 (21.5%)

Buildings on the water in Wichita.

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28 / 51

#24. Kansas

- Average tax payment: $6,004
- Number of returns with tax due: 275,300 (19.6%)

An aerial view of Portsmouth on the river.

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29 / 51

#23. Virginia

- Average tax payment: $6,005
- Number of returns with tax due: 940,640 (22.2%)

An aerial view of Allentown.

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30 / 51

#22. Pennsylvania

- Average tax payment: $6,234
- Number of returns with tax due: 1,057,260 (16.1%)

Skyscrapers and boats on the water in Chicago.

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31 / 51

#21. Illinois

- Average tax payment: $6,482
- Number of returns with tax due: 1,145,470 (18.2%)

The Omaha skyline.

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32 / 51

#20. Nebraska

- Average tax payment: $6,546
- Number of returns with tax due: 185,500 (19.6%)

An aerial view of downtown Billings.

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33 / 51

#19. Montana

- Average tax payment: $6,580
- Number of returns with tax due: 117,660 (21.3%)

The Knoxville skyline with a round gold tower.

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34 / 51

#18. Tennessee

- Average tax payment: $6,613
- Number of returns with tax due: 587,830 (17.6%)

A busy New York City street.

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35 / 51

#17. New York

- Average tax payment: $6,786
- Number of returns with tax due: 2,073,260 (20.4%)

An aerial view of Paterson.

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36 / 51

#16. New Jersey

- Average tax payment: $7,043
- Number of returns with tax due: 1,071,530 (22.8%)

Large homes on the water in Austin.

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37 / 51

#15. Texas

- Average tax payment: $7,190
- Number of returns with tax due: 2,428,830 (17.6%)

The Salt Lake City skyline with trains in the foreground and mountains in the background.

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38 / 51

#14. Utah

- Average tax payment: $7,235
- Number of returns with tax due: 317,410 (21.2%)

An aerial view of Boise.

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39 / 51

#13. Idaho

- Average tax payment: $7,263
- Number of returns with tax due: 186,690 (21.5%)

Large homes at the base of the mountains in Autumn.

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40 / 51

#12. Colorado

- Average tax payment: $7,265
- Number of returns with tax due: 665,260 (22.7%)

Homes on the water in Laguna Beach.

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41 / 51

#11. California

- Average tax payment: $7,477
- Number of returns with tax due: 5,052,530 (25.8%)

Home and boats on the water in Portsmouth.

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42 / 51

#10. New Hampshire

- Average tax payment: $7,834
- Number of returns with tax due: 146,250 (19.6%)

An aerial view of homes in Las Vegas.

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43 / 51

#9. Nevada

- Average tax payment: $7,858
- Number of returns with tax due: 302,490 (18.9%)

Historic buildings and a church in New Britain.

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44 / 51

#8. Connecticut

- Average tax payment: $7,874
- Number of returns with tax due: 384,290 (20.7%)

The U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.

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45 / 51

#7. Washington D.C.

- Average tax payment: $7,914
- Number of returns with tax due: 83,000 (23.5%)

Historic buildings and an American flag on a small street in Grand Forks.

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46 / 51

#6. North Dakota

- Average tax payment: $8,013
- Number of returns with tax due: 76,920 (20.6%)

Boats and residences on the water in Salem.

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47 / 51

#5. Massachusetts

- Average tax payment: $8,286
- Number of returns with tax due: 801,110 (22.0%)

Boats and homes on the water in Fort Lauderdale.

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48 / 51

#4. Florida

- Average tax payment: $8,331
- Number of returns with tax due: 2,157,580 (19.2%)

Homes and businesses going up a large hill with snowy mountains in the background.

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49 / 51

#3. Washington

- Average tax payment: $8,452
- Number of returns with tax due: 839,450 (21.8%)

An aerial view of Casper sprawling to the base of the mountains.

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50 / 51

#2. Wyoming

- Average tax payment: $8,549
- Number of returns with tax due: 53,020 (18.5%)

An aerial view of Rapid City.

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51 / 51

#1. South Dakota

- Average tax payment: $8,724
- Number of returns with tax due: 88,040 (19.9%)

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