Taxes for 34 countries - ranked

The U.S. has surprisingly low taxes compared to other developed nations, according to new data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Total tax revenue as % of GDP

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; Published December 11, 2015.
Notes/Methodology

The above chart is based on OECD tax data from 2014. It includes all federal, state and local taxes - including income, payroll and property taxes, along with corporate taxes and value-added taxes, among others. U.S. taxes are lower than most other nations, in part, because the federal government doesn’t impose VAT on its population. Instead, retail sales taxes at differing levels are imposed at the state and local level.