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Business Climate

Taxes in Killeen, Texas are fair.  As a state Texas ranks 43rd in total tax burden as a percentage of income.  Texas has no state income tax.

Tax Overview
Tax Description
Personal Income Tax None
Franchise Tax 1.0% for most entities
0.5% for qualifying wholesalers and retailers
0.575% for those entities with $10 million or less in total revenue and electing the E-Z Computation

Property Tax

(Per $100 Valuation)

City of Killeen 0.69500
Bell County 0.37590
Killeen Independent School District 1.14119
Central Texas College 0.14090
Bell County Road District 0.02950
Underground Water District 0.00400
Total 2.38649
Unemployment Insurance 2.7% general entry rate, charged on first $9,000 in earnings, reassessed after 6 quarters and charged at own experience rate
Sales and Use Tax 8.25% (Within Killeen city limits)
Workers Compensation Insurance Not required by the state of Texas. Options include: self insurance, state-operated Texas Workers' Compensation Insurance Fund or licensed private insurance company.
Certificate of Authority $750, required to do business in Texas for partnerships and corporations organized in other states
DBA (Doing Business As) colspan="2"The cost of this record is $7.00, which will provide the individual with a certified copy of the document he/she will need to open a bank account for his/her business.
Tax Climate Index
State and Local Tax Burdens 2008 Taxes as a % of Income Rank Per Capita Taxes Paid Per Capita Income
Texas 8.4% 43* $3,580 $42,796
United States 9.7% - $4,283 $44,254

*A rank of 1 is the highest taxes, a rank of 50 is the lowest.

FY 2010 State Business Tax Climate Index Overall Rank Corporate Tax Rank Income Tax Rank Sales Tax Rank Unemployment Insurance Rank Property Tax Rank
Texas 11 46 7 39 9 30

Source: The Tax Foundation

Property Tax Rates
Type Killeen Harker Heights
City 0.7428 0.67700
Bell County 0.382 0.382
Killeen Independent School District 1.14119 1.14119
Central Texas College 0.1409 0.1409
Bell County Road District 0.0299 0.0299
Underground Water District 0.02 0.02
Total 2.45679 2.39099

Source: Bell County Appraisal District

Sales Tax
City County State Rate County Rate Local Rate Total Rate
Killeen Bell 6.25% 0.5% 1.5% 8.25%
Harker Heights Bell 6.25% 0.5% 1.5% 8.25%
Nolanville Bell 6.25% 0.5% 1.5% 8.25%
Copperas Cove Coryell 6.25% 0.5% 1.5% 8.25%
Belton Bell 6.25% 0.5% 1.5% 8.25%
Gatesville Coryell 6.25% 0.5% 1.5% 8.25%
Lampasas Lampasas 6.25% 0.5% 1.5% 8.25%
Florence Williamson 6.25% 0.25% 1.75% 8.25%
Kempner Lampasas 6.25% 0.5% 1.25 8.00%

Source: Texas State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Unemployment and Workers Comp

Unemployment Insurance

If your business has at least one employee it may be subject to Unemployment Insurance.

For detailed information visit the Texas Workforce Commission's Website. 

Year
Taxable
Wage Base
Minimum
Tax Rate
Maximum
Tax Rate
Average
Tax Rate
Average
Experience
Tax Rate
2009 $9,000 0.26% 6.26% 0.99% 0.78%

 

Workers Compensation

Texas employers, except for public entities, can choose whether or not to provide workers' compensation insurance coverage for their employees. Workers' compensation provides covered employees with income and medical benefits if they are injured on the job or have a work-related injury or illness. Workers' compensation is regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (TDI-DWC).

Participation in the workers' compensation system in Texas is voluntary for most employers. Employers who choose to have workers' compensation insurance may:

  • purchase a workers' compensation insurance policy from a private insurance company;
  • self-insure, if the employer can meet the requirements to self-insure under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act (the Act) and is certified through TDI-DWC;
  • self -insure through the Texas Department of Insurance with a group of same or similar private employers; or.
  • if a governmental entity, purchase a workers' compensation policy from a private insurance company, or self-insure either individually or as a group

With few exceptions, workers' compensation insurance limits the employer's liability for the work-related injury or death sustained by the worker.

Workers Compensation Frequently Asked Questions.

Corporate Franchise Tax

The following information is taken from the Texas State Comptroller's website.  For more information please visit their website.

Overview

The Texas franchise tax is imposed on each taxable entity formed in Texas or doing business in Texas. Major legislative changes to the franchise tax generally apply to reports originally due on or after Jan. 1, 2008. These changes include imposition of the tax on most legal entities, a revised tax base called “margin” and a different tax rate. Certain small businesses may be eligible to file a No Tax Due Report, and an E-Z filing option is available for those with $10 million or less in total revenue. The tax is often referred to as “the revised Texas franchise tax.”

Entities Subject to Tax

The revised Texas franchise tax is imposed on corporations, limited liability companies (even if directly owned by one person); partnerships (general, limited and limited liability); business trusts; professional associations; business associations and other legal entities that are organized in Texas or that do business in Texas. See Franchise Tax Rule 3.586 for a list of some activities considered to be “doing business in Texas.”

The tax is not imposed on the following:

  • sole proprietorships;
  • general partnerships where direct ownership is composed entirely of natural persons (except for limited liability partnerships);
  • entities exempt under Subchapter B of Chapter 171 in the Texas Tax Code;
  • certain unincorporated passive entities;
  • certain grantor trusts, estates of natural persons and escrows; and/or
  • real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) and certain real estate investment trusts (REITs).

Margin

The tax base is the taxable entity's margin. Margin should equal the least of three calculations based on eligibility:

  • total revenue minus cost of goods sold;
  • total revenue minus compensation; or
  • total revenue times 70 percent.

Tax Rate

The tax rate is 1 percent for most taxable entities. For entities meeting the following criteria, the tax rate is 0.5 percent:

  • the entity is primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade under division F or G of the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification Manual;
  • the total revenue from activities in retail and wholesale trade is greater than the total revenue from activities in trades other than the retail and wholesale trade;
  • less than 50 percent of the total revenue from activities in retail or wholesale trade comes from the sale of products it produces or products produced by an entity that is part of an affiliated group to which the taxable entity also belongs, except for those businesses under Major Group 58 (eating and drinking establishments); and
  • the taxable entity does not sell retail or wholesale utilities, including telecommunications services, electricity or gas.