Rhode Island
Rhode Island surpasses neighbors in business tax rankings as Massachusetts plummets following ‘millionaires tax’ – The Boston Globe
And that should be a cautionary tale for the Rhode Island General Assembly as it weighs similar proposals to tax the stateâs highest earners, DiBiase said. âWe feel strongly about not going down that road here,â he said.
For years, Massachusetts ranked higher than Rhode Island on business tax climate rankings, in part because of its flat 5 percent income tax rate, RIPEC said. But now that has changed because Massachusetts voters approved amending that stateâs constitution to add a 4 percent surtax on annual income exceeding $1 million.
âWe should not lose that advantage,â DiBiase said. âAnd the other point is: We already have a fully progressive income tax.â
Rhode Island now has three personal income tax brackets: 3.75 percent on income below $73,450; 4.75 percent on income from $73,450 to $166,950; and 5.99 percent on income above $166,950.
But Senator Melissa A. Murray, a Woonsocket Democrat, has introduced legislation that would add a 3 percent surtax on taxable income of more than $1 million in Rhode Island. Under her bill, the tax revenue would be used for child care and early learning programs, public education, affordable public colleges, roads and bridges, and public transportation.
And Senator Jonathon Acosta â a Central Falls Democrat who co-chairs the Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Caucus â has said it is âbeyond timeâ for Rhode Island to pass legislation like Massachusettsâ âmillionaires tax.â
Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, a North Providence Democrat, has warned that rich Rhode Islanders would move elsewhere if the state hiked income taxes.
DiBiase said that wealthy people are mobile and, while they might have reason to remain in large metro areas such as Boston and New York City, the rich might not remain in a small state such as Rhode Island if it raised income tax rates. âWe have a wonderful scenic state, but as a small place, why do people need to make their money here?â he said.
Also, DiBiase said the personal income tax is applied not just to individuals but to many businesses, such as partnerships and other pass-through entities. So a higher top income tax rate would reduce profits, and leave less money for investment in those companies, he said.
âIt is a business tax,â DiBiase said. âMost people think of it as cutting into an affluent lifestyle, but there is a question of cutting into business investments.â
The annual business tax climate ranking is conducted by the Tax Foundation, a pro-business think tank based in Washington, D.C.
âTaxes do affect business decisions on where to locate and invest,â DiBiase said. âRegardless of whether you agree with the Tax Foundation methodology, their rankings have an impact.â
Between 2014 and 2019, Rhode Island followed âa generally positive trajectoryâ in the Tax Foundation rankings, rising from 44th to 38th, before beginning to backslide, and Rhode Rhode Island has never cracked the top two-thirds of states, the RIPEC policy brief notes.
But this year, Rhode Island rose from 42nd to 41st in part because of the âprecipitous declineâ by Massachusetts, and in part because Rhode Island now exempts the first $50,000 of assessed tangible personal property from taxes.
Ruggerio championed that exemption, which was signed into law in June 2023, and it is expected to remove the tangible tax liability for 75 percent of Rhode Island businesses. The tangible personal property tax is paid by businesses on property other than real estate that has value by itself, such as computer equipment, furnishings, and fixtures.
âRIPEC applauds Rhode Island policymakers for taking serious action last year to improve the stateâs business tax climate by enacting tangible property tax relief,â DiBiase said. âHowever, Rhode Islandâs tax climate remains in the bottom 10 states, and there is significant room for improvement.â
For example, he called for legislators to approve Governor Daniel J. McKeeâs proposal to extend the time for which businesses can carry forward net operating losses from five years to 20 years. âProposals of this type would provide needed improvement to Rhode Islandâs business tax climate,â he said.
Rhode Islandâs current âcarryforwardâ provision is the most limited in the nation, RIPEC said, and the proposal would bring Rhode Island in line with with Connecticut and Massachusetts, which both have 20-year provisions.
When it comes to property taxes, Rhode Island ranks 35th overall, but thatâs better than the other New England states, RIPEC noted, and it marks a six-spot improvement from 2023 because of the new tangible personal property tax exemption.
RIPEC objected to additional âhomestead exemptions,â saying local officials should âresist efforts to shift a greater proportion of the property tax burden to businesses and renters.â
When it comes to sales tax rate, Rhode Island ranks 22nd with its 7 percent sales tax, placing it in the top half of states but below every New England state except Connecticut. With no sales tax at all, New Hampshire ranks first.
In 2023, McKee proposed trimming the stateâs 7 percent sales tax rate to 6.85 percent to save people about $35 million a year, but the Assembly rejected that idea. McKee did not propose a sales tax cut this year, but said he added it to a wish list if the May revenue estimating conference reveals a rosier financial outlook.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
A new era for State Troopers in southern RI
Closing the State Police barracks facilities in Wyoming and Wickford marks the end of an era in community policing
Republican candidate for lieutenant governor John Loughlin wants the office to become the Rhode Island inspector general his party has been seeking in vain for years.
Loughlin, a former state representative, said on May 11 that, if elected, he would staff the underutilized office with people who would help him expose “fraud, waste, abuse, and government corruption.”
“Rhode Islanders are sick and tired of watching their tax dollars disappear into a black hole of inefficiency, cronyism, and outright corruption while the General Assembly talks a big game but delivers nothing − year after year after year,” Loughlin said in a news release. “For more than two decades, the legislature has failed to create a true Inspector General with real investigative power. Enough is enough. If they won’t do it, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office will − starting on day one.”
Why turn the lieutenant governor into an inspector general?
The Rhode Island Constitution gives the lieutenant governor little to no authority beyond being available in case the governor is unable to finish their term. That’s prompted some to call it a “do nothing” office and others to propose abolishing it.
“Frankly, the current workload of the office leaves ample time and resources to do far more for taxpayers than ceremonial appearances and ribbon-cuttings,” Loughlin said in his news release. “Rhode Islanders deserve a Lieutenant Governor’s Office that works every day to protect their money and hold government accountable.”
The lieutenant governor’s office has a budget of $1.4 million, which Loughlin said is enough to staff and run an effective investigative team made up of “certified auditors, investigators, and compliance professionals” to review state agency spending and contracts.
He acknowledged that the lieutenant governor does not have subpoena power, but believes that investigations can be completed utilizing public records requests and gathering publicly-available data.
Loughlin, who ended his talk radio show earlier this year when he announced his campaign for governor, said he would communicate his findings through “RI Report” publications, news briefings and podcasts.
He said he would also make the office’s resources available to city and town leaders.
Republicans have been fighting for an inspector general
Rhode Island Republicans have for years promised to lower state spending by rooting out government waste, fraud and abuse. The last GOP Rhode Island governor, Donald Carcieri, launched a “Fiscal Fitness” program that aimed to save money and find efficiencies.
Democrats criticized Carcieri’s tenure for featuring exorbitant privatization and outsourcing.
Since Carcieri, the idea of creating an independent inspector general similar to those in other states has become a holy grail for Rhode Island Republicans, but the Democratic General Assembly has had little interest in it.
“If our office saves just 1% from Rhode Island’s bloated state budget, the savings would return more than ten times the entire cost of the Lieutenant Governor’s Office to taxpayers – and that’s only the beginning,” Loughlin said in the news release.
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Numbers numbers from May 10 drawing
Midday: 9-9-9-0
Evening: 5-5-0-9
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from May 10 drawing
01-13-14-16-32, Extra: 02
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing
01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
- Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
- Winners of the Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.
When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
- Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Watch: Khano Smith speaks with media after RIFC drew Tampa Bay
Watch as Khano Smith speaks with media after RIFC drew Tampa Bay
PAWTUCKET — JJ Williams finally had his space and rose to the opportunity.
The Rhode Island FC striker, deep in the attacking zone, came back to a cross and headed Nick Scardina’s service to the near post to salvage the night for Rhode Island. Williams’ goal landed in the 86th minute to draw Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1-1, in rain-soaked Pawtucket.
It’s the third draw in USL Championship play for Rhode Island at Centreville Bank Stadium this season. RIFC was turning in a familiar performance before snagging the tie against the league-leading Rowdies as Williams supplied his third regular-season goal of the year. The draw is the first time RIFC has earned a result after the opposition opened the scoring since its 1-1 tie vs. Birmingham Legion FC on July 5, 2025.
Rhode Island now travels to USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine for its second game of the 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup group stage on Saturday, May 16 at 4 p.m. The club returns to Pawtucket on May 23 against Brooklyn FC.
“All night they made it tough because they were doubling,” Williams said of Tampa Bay. “And wherever I went to, they were going contact first, especially in this league with no [Video Assistant Referee] … but on that one, the ball was so good that they spun around, and then I was able to make good contact.”
Rhode Island had a string of missed chances in the first 15 minutes that fed into a goal for Tampa Bay and then a triple substitution in the second half that provided little spark. Max Schneider’s cross from right of the box found Pedro Dolabella at the far post for a clinical header in the 29th minute in front of an announced attendance of 6,790.
The game’s first score came just 10 minutes after attempts from Hugo Bacharach and Jojea Kwizera were saved and Williams sailed an open shot past the bar.
“We tried to correct some of those things that we struggled with last week,” Williams said. “Getting to the ball, making tackles, making a stick, I think that we weren’t as clean in possession as we would have been, especially as we won the ball and played forward. We had a lot of turnovers in the first half where we could have seen more chances, but we did well to weather the storm early and create some. But for me, I [have] to bury that first one.”
Rhode Island creates plenty of chances — it is tied for fourth with 112 attempts — but has just 12 goals this season. If it had finished one of the early chances against Tampa Bay, it would’ve shifted the tenor of the match and forced the visitors to play outside of its form. But the final scoring sequence is still missing with the summer months coming soon.
“Happy with the spirit, happy with the effort, happy with the fight,” RIFC coach Khano Smith said. “You’ve seen that a lot with our team. They just fought to the end, never gave up, kept pushing. Ultimately, it’s two more points dropped at home, and we need to find a way to stop doing that. We need to be ruthless – just ruthless in front of the goal.”
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