Louisiana State Income Tax - Tax Year 2012
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Contents
Contents
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Louisiana Income Tax Table
| Tax Bracket (Single) [2] | Tax Bracket (Couple) [3] | Marginal Tax Rate |
| $0+ | $0+ | 2.00% |
| $12,500+ | $25,000+ | 4.00% |
| $50,000+ | $100,000+ | 6.00% |
Learn how marginal tax brackets work 
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Louisiana Income Tax Calculator
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The Louisiana Income Tax
Louisiana collects a state income tax at a maximum marginal tax rate of 6.00%, spread across three tax brackets. Like the Federal Income Tax, Louisiana's income tax allows couples filing jointly to pay a lower overall rate on their combined income with wider tax brackets for joint filers. There are a total of twenty one states with higher marginal income tax rates then Louisiana.
Local rates are excluded in Louisiana; 14 states have county or city level income taxes. In KY the average rate for counties and large municipalities, weighted by total personal income within each jurisdiction, 0.76% in Ky (weighted local rates are from Tax Foundation Background Paper, No. 58, "2009 State Business Tax Climate Index"). There are -40 days left until Tax Day, on April 15th 2013.
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Louisiana Tax Deductions
Income tax deductions are expenses that can be deducted from your gross pre-tax income. Using deductions is an excellent way to reduce your Louisiana income tax and maximize your refund, so be sure to research deductions that you mey be able to claim on your Federal and Louisiana tax returns. For details on specific deductions available in Louisiana, see the list of Louisiana income tax deductions.
4.1 - Louisiana Standard Deduction
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Unlike many other states, Louisiana has no standard deduction. Certain itemized deductions (including property tax, qualified charitable contributions, etc) may be allowed depending on the income level and filing type of the taxpayer. Keep in mind that not all deductions allowed on your federal income tax return are necessarily going to be allowed on your Louisiana income tax return.
4.2 - Louisiana Personal Exemptions
- Louisiana's personal income tax exemptions include a personal exemption of $4,500.00. You can deduct one single exemption from your gross income if you are responsible for supporting yourself financially.
4.3 - Louisiana Dependent Deduction
- Louisiana has a dependent exemption of $1,000.00. You may claim one dependent examption for each of the children, relatives, or others who live with and are supported by you as described § 152 of the IRC (Internal Revenue Code).
4.4 - Louisiana Itemized Deductions
- Louisiana allows itemized deductions, and you can claim the same itemized deductions on your Louisiana tax return as you do on your Federal tax return. You must choose between itemizing your deductions and choosing the Louisiana standard deduction, so it's generally only worth itemizing your deductions if your itemized total is more then the Louisiana and Federal standard deductions. For more details, visit the list of Louisiana itemized deductions.
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Louisiana Income Tax Forms
Tax-Rates.org provides easy access to one of the most commonly used Louisiana income tax forms, in downloadable PDF format. For all of the tax forms we provide, visit our Louisiana tax forms library or the Department of Revenue 's tax forms page.
02/2013
Form IT-540ES - Estimated Individual Income Tax ReturnYou must file, and pay, an estimated income tax return if you are self employed or do not pay suffiecient tax withholding. Estimated individual income tax returns must be filed with the Louisiana Department of Revenue on a quarterly basis.
11/2012
Printable Louisiana Tax Table & Tax Reference
Tax-Rates.org provides a printable Louisiana datasheet including an income tax table, a list of Louisiana tax deductions, important URLs and addresses, and more. This document is in PDF format.
If you are not a resident of Louisiana, have a complicated tax return, or have other specialized circumstances you may need to download additional tax forms from the Department of Revenue website. You can find all of Louisiana's 2013 income tax forms on the Department of Revenue income tax forms page 
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How To File Your Louisiana Income Tax Return
Once you've filled out your Louisiana income tax return, you have several options for filing and paying your income tax. You can mail your return to the Department of Revenue at the correct address below, and include your payment by check or money order. You may also electronically file your Louisiana tax return through a tax preparer or using online tax software, and pay your taxes instantly using direct debit or a credit card (an additional credit card fee may apply).
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Where To Send Your Louisiana Tax Return
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e-Filing: Submit Your Louisiana Tax Return Online
You can save time and money by electronically filing your Louisiana income tax directly with the Department of Revenue . Benefits of e-Filing your Louisiana tax return include instant submission, error checking, and faster refund response times. Most tax preparers can electronically file your return for you, or you can do it yourself using free or paid income tax software, like the examples listed below.
To e-file your Louisiana and Federal income tax returns, you need a piece of tax software that is certified for eFile by the IRS. While most in-depth tax software charges a fee, there are several free options available through the states, and simple versions are also offered free of charge by most tax software companies.
The two most popular tax software packages are H&R Block At Home, sold by the H&R Block tax preparation company, and TurboTax Federal & State, sold by the Intuit software company. Both companies produce multiple editions for simple to very complex tax returns, so be sure to carefully compare the features offered by each package.
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Getting Your Louisiana Tax Refund
If your state tax witholdings are greater then the amount of income tax you owe the state of Louisiana, you will receive an income tax refund check from the government to make up the difference.
It should take one to three weeks for your refund check to be processed after your income tax return is recieved. E-filing your return and filing early can help ensure your refund check gets sent as quickly as possible.
Once you've filed your tax return, all you have to do is wait for your refund to arrive. If you want to check the status of your Louisiana tax refund, you can visit the Louisiana Department of Revenue Income Tax Refund page.
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References
- Our state ranking and income tax figures are based on a family of four (married parents with two children) earning the national median household income of $50,000 per year. Deductions and personal exemptions are taken into account, but some state-specific deductions and tax credit programs may not be accounted for.
- Before the official 2013 Louisiana income tax rates are released, provisional 2013 tax rates are based on Louisiana's 2012 income tax brackets.
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The 2013 state personal income tax brackets are updated from the Louisiana Department of Revenue and Tax Foundation data.
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Louisiana tax forms are sourced from the Louisiana Department of Revenue income tax forms page, and are updated on a yearly basis. Please make sure the Louisiana forms you are using are up-to-date.
