A new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows Kansas and Missouri, like most the nation, skew their tax burdens toward the upper end on the income scale.

Kansas skews more to the rich than Missouri, and more than the nation as a whole.

The study adds the tax burden for sales, property, and income taxes, then computes the taxes paid as a percentage of income. It excludes people over the age of 65.

Here are the numbers:

Income: Lowest 20% Next 20% Next 20% Next 20% Next 15% Next 4% Highest 1%

Kansas 10.3% 8.7% 8.9% 8.5% 7.7% 6.2% 3.9%

Missouri 9.6% 9.2% 9.0% 8.7% 7.6% 6.8% 5.4%

US 11.1% 10.0% 9.4% 8.7% 7.7% 7.2% 5.6%

As you can see, Missouri's tax burden is the flattest of the three examples.