Summer has arrived, and states are beginning to implement policy changes that were enacted during this year’s legislative session (or that have delayed effective dates or are being phased in over time). Generally, most state individual and corporate income taxA corporate income tax (CIT) is levied by federal and state governments on business profits. Many companies are not subject to the CIT because they are taxed as pass-through businesses, with income reportable under the individual income tax.
changes take effect on January 1, the beginning of the calendar year, for consistency through the taxA tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities.
year. However, some important tax policy changes take effect on July 1, which is the beginning of the fiscal year for all states except Alabama, Michigan, New York, and Texas.
Among the state tax changes that most commonly take effect on July 1 are excise and sales taxA sales tax is levied on retail sales of goods and services and, ideally, should apply to all final consumption with few exemptions. Many governments exempt goods like groceries; base broadening, such as including groceries, could keep rates lower. A sales tax should exempt business-to-business transactions which, when taxed, cause tax pyramiding.
changes, though states made notable changes elsewhere as well, such as Washington’s implementation of a new estate taxAn estate tax is imposed on the net value of an individual’s taxable estate, after any exclusions or credits, at the time of death. The tax is paid by the estate itself before assets are distributed to heirs.
rate schedule with a top rate of 35 percent.
This summer, individuals and businesses will see an especially long list of excise taxAn excise tax is a tax imposed on a specific good or activity. Excise taxes are commonly levied on cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, soda, gasoline, insurance premiums, amusement activities, and betting, and typically make up a relatively small and volatile portion of state and local and, to a lesser extent, federal tax collections.
changes across the states, including statutory gas taxA gas tax is commonly used to describe the variety of taxes levied on gasoline at both the federal and state levels, to provide funds for highway repair and maintenance, as well as for other government infrastructure projects. These taxes are levied in a few ways, including per-gallon excise taxes, excise taxes imposed on wholesalers, and general sales taxes that apply to the purchase of gasoline.
increases and inflationInflation is when the general price of goods and services increases across the economy, reducing the purchasing power of a currency and the value of certain assets. The same paycheck covers less goods, services, and bills. It is sometimes referred to as a “hidden tax,” as it leaves taxpayers less well-off due to higher costs and “bracket creep,” while increasing the government’s spending power.
adjustments, new or increased fees on electric vehicles (EVs), increased taxes on tobacco, vapor products, and cannabis, increased taxes on sports gaming, and more. Additionally, several states are beginning to implement their extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs to encourage producers to be responsible, either financially or operationally, for the end-life of their products. New fees typically accompany these programs.
In addition to excise tax changes, numerous sales tax changes will also take effect this July. Of particular note are new or expanded sales tax exemptions for data centers, reflecting efforts to attract growing artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing businesses and activities. Several states are also exempting sales of bullion from various taxes, including sales taxes and capital gains taxes, although these new exemptions have various effective dates.
These and other tax changes taking effect on July 1, 2025, are detailed below. Importantly, this list is not exhaustive, and it does not capture changes to certain credits, exemptions, definitions, administrative procedures, calculations, interest rates, or provisions that are relatively minor or that only affect a small share of taxpayers. Rather, this report focuses on structural changes, including rate and threshold adjustments, the implementation of new taxes, and other changes in the tax bases of major statewide taxes.
Also mentioned in this piece are major tax policy changes that have been enacted so far this year that are retroactively effective, as well as noteworthy changes enacted this year that take effect after July 1, 2025, but before January 1, 2026. For example, several states recently enacted significant individual income taxAn individual income tax (or personal income tax) is levied on the wages, salaries, investments, or other forms of income an individual or household earns. The U.S. imposes a progressive income tax where rates increase with income. The Federal Income Tax was established in 1913 with the ratification of the 16th Amendment. Though barely 100 years old, individual income taxes are the largest source of tax revenue in the U.S.
changes, including rate reductions, that are retroactively effective as of January 1, 2025, while Maryland adopted significant tax increases, also retroactive. Meanwhile, Washington adopted several notable new taxes and tax provisions—such as higher gross receipts taxes and a significant expansion of the sales tax baseThe tax base is the total amount of income, property, assets, consumption, transactions, or other economic activity subject to taxation by a tax authority. A narrow tax base is non-neutral and inefficient. A broad tax base reduces tax administration costs and allows more revenue to be raised at lower rates.
to capture additional business-to-business services, including digital advertising—that will go into effect in the fall, while establishing a graduated rate capital gains taxA capital gains tax is levied on the profit made from selling an asset and is often in addition to corporate income taxes, frequently resulting in double taxation. These taxes create a bias against saving, leading to a lower level of national income by encouraging present consumption over investment.
retroactive to January 1.
As numerous states are still in the process of finalizing their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, more tax changes are expected in the coming days and weeks that are not reflected here, as those legislative changes were not yet finalized as of this writing. Likewise, tax changes that require future voter approval are not reflected here.
