By Mark Perry
For every $100 in sales, the average discount retailer like Walmart and Target earns $3.10 in profits, while the average take for the states with state and local sales taxes is more than twice that amount — almost $7, based on the 6.94% average sales tax rate for the 46 states that tax retail sales. Some high-tax states like Tennessee (9.45%), Arkansas (9.2%), Louisiana (8.9%) and Washington (8.9%), take in more than (or almost) $3 in state and local sales taxes for every $1 in retail profit.
