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Which states collected the highest personal income tax revenue in 2024 and by how much?
Executive summary
Available sources do not publish a single ranked list titled “states that collected the highest personal income tax revenue in 2024” by dollar amounts, but multiple authoritative datasets and analyses point to the patterns: the largest absolute personal‑income‑tax collections come from the nation’s most populous and high‑income states (notably California, New York, Texas and Florida lead federal receipts in absolute dollars, and California dominates state PIT swings), while states’ shares and volatility are driven by capital gains, filing‑deadline timing, and policy changes (see Pew and Tax Foundation) [1] [2] [3]. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections and the Census quarterly/state tables are the primary microdata sources for exact per‑state PIT dollar totals for 2024 (available but not reproduced in these snippets) [4] [5].
1. Big states, big dollars — who likely topped the list
By revenue logic and recent reporting, the states that collect the largest total personal income tax dollars in fiscal 2024 are almost certainly California and New York, followed in raw dollar terms by other large economies such as Texas and Florida when counting total tax collections and federal receipts; USAFacts and Visual Capitalist emphasize California, Texas, New York and Florida as top contributors to federal receipts in absolute terms, with California alone accounting for a very large share of national collections and driving much year‑to‑year change [1] [6]. Pew Charitable Trusts explicitly attributes much of the national growth and volatility in state personal income tax collections to California and New York, noting that decreases in those two states accounted for just over half of national declines in an earlier period [2].
2. Where to find the official per‑state dollar numbers
The definitive per‑state dollar totals for state personal income tax collections come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections and its 2024 quarterly/state tables; those datasets provide state‑by‑state totals and breakdowns (personal income, sales, corporate, etc.) for fiscal 2024 and are the primary source if you need exact dollar rankings [4] [5]. Tax Foundation’s state “Facts & Figures” and Pew’s interactive reporting also summarize and interpret those Census data for 2024 and FY 2024 comparisons [3] [7].
3. Why totals cluster in a handful of states — capital gains and population
State personal income tax revenue is concentrated in large, high‑income states because PIT receipts depend on wages, investment income and capital gains; stock market swings and concentrated high earners make collections volatile. Pew and the Urban Institute both show that California and New York produced outsized swings in national totals due to capital gains and one‑time timing effects (California’s delayed filing deadline) [2] [8]. The Tax Policy Center and Urban Institute also note that states with wealthier populations or high corporate/pass‑through activity typically collect more per capita or in aggregate [9] [10].
4. Important caveats: fiscal year vs. tax year, timing, and policy changes
Comparisons can be misleading unless you align definitions. “Fiscal 2024” (state budget year) and “tax year 2024” (income earned in calendar year 2024) differ; some analyses note that California’s 2023 filing deadline shift moved large payments between fiscal years, inflating one year’s receipts and depressing another [2] [11]. Also, 29 states enacted personal income tax cuts for fiscal 2024, and several states reduced withholding or phased rate changes—these policy moves directly change collections and complicate cross‑state ranking [12] [8].
5. Per‑capita vs. aggregate: different “highest” answers
If you ask which states collect the most total PIT dollars, populous states typically top the list; if you ask per resident, smaller states with wealthy populations or concentrated business tax activity (e.g., Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut) can lead per‑capita measures (Visual Capitalist/USAFacts summary and Tax Foundation per‑capita tables illustrate this distinction) [6] [10]. The question you posed — “which states collected the highest personal income tax revenue in 2024 and by how much?” — requires choosing aggregate vs. per‑capita and fiscal vs. tax year before extracting precise dollar figures [4] [5].
6. How I would get the exact ranked dollar amounts you want
Consult the Census STC tables (Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections) Table 3 or the 2024 Quarterly Summary “State Tax Collections by State and Type of Tax” for the fiscal‑year 2024 dollar totals by state and tax type; Tax Foundation’s “Facts & Figures” aggregates and explains those same data if you prefer a ready‑made comparison [4] [3] [5]. Pew’s “How States Raise Their Tax Dollars, FY 2024” visualization also breaks down shares and highlights which states rely most heavily on PIT [7].
Limitations and transparency: the snippets provided do not include a single ready‑to‑quote ranked list with 2024 PIT dollar totals for each state, so I cannot supply precise dollar figures or a definitive ordered list from these excerpts alone — the Census STC tables and Tax Foundation pages cited above are the documented sources to extract exact 2024 dollar amounts [4] [3] [5].