Columbus, OH – Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, issued the following statement on the 2019 Kiplinger Tax Map, which ranks Ohio one of the 10 least tax-friendly states in the country.

“Everyone wants to be above average. However, as Kiplinger’s 2019 Tax Map reveals, being above average on taxes has made Ohio one of the ten ‘least tax-friendly’ states in the country. The study, which notes that Ohio’s major state and local taxes are ‘all above average,’ once again shows why the Buckeye state is in desperate need of tax reform.

“Although Ohio’s tax situation may be ‘deceiving,’ good tax reform policy—as The Buckeye Institute outlined in Sustaining Economic Growth: Tax and Budget Principles for Ohio—is not. If Ohio eliminates its commercial activities tax and simplifies its state and municipal tax laws, we will see more businesses move into the state, more job growth, and the size of Ohioans’ paychecks increase. And Ohio will finally be above average in a way we can all agree is good for the Buckeye state.”

# # #