Duke Behnke

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

You can't escape talk about taxes these days.

Homeowners must pay at least a portion of their property taxes by Jan. 31, so if you forgot, quickly head to your municipal treasurer with your checkbook in hand. TV commercials promoting H&R Block (think "Cow Corral" and "Refund Season") and TurboTax ("Dr. Michael L. Littman") enter our homes at an annoying frequency.

In Wisconsin, tax talk hits home more so than in most other states.

According to a report released last week by the Tax Foundation, 11 percent of all income in Wisconsin went to state and local taxes in fiscal year 2012. Wisconsin's state and local tax burden ranked fourth highest in the United States behind New York (12.7 percent), Connecticut (12.6 percent) and New Jersey (12.2 percent).

On the other end of the spectrum, Alaska (6.5 percent), South Dakota (7.1 percent) and Wyoming (7.1 percent) had the lowest burdens. The U.S. average was 9.9 percent.

Specifically, the Tax Foundation determined Wisconsin's income per person was $42,990 and that its state and local tax burden was $4,734 per person. The latter amount is comprised of $3,602 in taxes paid to Wisconsin and $1,132 in taxes paid to other states. Nationwide, 22 percent of all state and local taxes are collected from nonresidents, the foundation said.

“Our study gives taxpayers a comprehensive look at where tax burdens are felt across the states, so that they can have an informed discussion on the size and reach of state and local taxes,” Tax Foundation economist Nicole Kaeding said.

At 11 percent of income, Wisconsin's tax burden is narrowly larger than that of Illinois and Minnesota and appreciably larger than that of Iowa, Missouri, Michigan and Indiana. It's also larger than five years earlier, when Wisconsin's tax burden was 10.8 percent. The burden, though, did decline 0.1 percent from 2011, if that makes you feel any better.

Duke Behnke: 920-993-7176, or dbehnke@postcrescent.com; on Twitter @DukeBehnke