Mississippi tax code getting scrutiny

Taxes are a fact of life. But in Mississippi a recent report says the poor take a bigger hit than the wealthy.

The ins and outs of taxes can get complicated. But the bottom is we're all paying them one way or the other, even if it's just picking up bread and milk at the store.

"I feel a pinch every day I get up to go to work. I say how in the world am I going to make it in this world?" said Dwayne Winters.

Winters isn't alone. Some of the taxes that we've paying are tied to necessities.

"Every day when I go buy food at the supermarket, I buy gas. Every day I feel it when I'm going somewhere to buy something," Winters said.

But check out a chart from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. It's all about state and local taxes. On one end is the lowest income families in the state. The wealthiest are at the other. The less you make, the bigger percentage of your income that's going to taxes.

"I feel it's not right because why would a person that's making less money have to pay more in taxes than a person making more money who pays less on taxes?" said Jamie Winters. "That doesn't make sense at all."

Here's one thing that's adding to it. Mississippi is one of only two states that has full state sales tax on groceries. You pay 7 cents in tax for every dollar you spend on groceries. And the folks we found say shelling out more in taxes seems like a never-ending cycle.

"Taxes everywhere you turn," said Angel Flanagan. "You have to even when you supplement by taking more out of your paycheck for additional taxes, still doesn't ever seem to meet that need. You end up owing."

Some lawmakers have been meeting out of session to examine the state’s tax code.