Would You Move for Lower Taxes?

An Episode of NPR's "The Middle with Jeremy Hobson"

Would you move for lower taxes? I joined “The Middle with Jeremy Hobson,” a call-in show that airs on NPR stations across the country, to discuss that question — and the broader issue of state tax competition — opposite Betsey Stevenson last night.

We discussed the growing state income tax divergence and the rise of millionaire’s taxes; why and under what circumstances people move because of taxes (I argue for the importance of the second-order effects, as people move for better jobs that are increasingly created in lower-tax states, while Betsey sees tax-motivated moves as more of a retiree issue); striking the right balance between a competitive tax code and the amenities people want; and new frontiers in state taxation, like wealth taxes.

You can catch the episode on Spotify.

Would You Move for Lower Taxes?

On this episode of The Middle, we ask: would you move to another state for a lower tax burden?

As taxes becoming an increasingly political issue, some states are positioning themselves as more attractive to residents and businesses with lower-tax policies, while others are expanding taxes on high earners and large corporations.

Jeremy is joined by Tax Foundation senior fellow Jared Walczak and Betsey Stevenson, former Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor, now a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan.

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