Taxpayers are fleeing Massachusetts at a high rate, costing the state an estimated $3.9 billion in 2022, making it fifth in the nation for “adjusted gross income” losses due to domestic migration, IRS data shows.
According to Internal Revenue Service data released last week, Massachusetts ranks behind California ($23.8 billion), New York ($14.2 billion), Illinois ($9.8 billion) and New Jersey ($5.3 billion) in revenue losses for 2022.
a Wall Street Journal report They point out that the five states with the greatest income losses due to immigration are controlled by Democrats, and argue that the exodus from Democratic states is continuing even after the pandemic as taxpayers seek tax cuts and lower costs of living in Republican-controlled states.
The IRS data reflects that expected trend, showing that the five states with the largest income gains from migration in 2022 were Florida ($36 billion), Texas ($10.1 billion), South Carolina ($4.8 billion), Tennessee ($4.7 billion) and North Carolina ($4.6 billion).
The latest figures come months after a report outlining migration over the past two decades sounded a warning about the future of Massachusetts’ economy. Massachusetts is beginning to feel the effects of a different kind of migration crisis, as migrants fleeing their homes strain the state’s overflowing shelter system.
a A report released by Boston Indicators in April The department said tens of thousands more people are moving out of Massachusetts than are moving in. It also said domestic outmigration has recently outpaced international inmigration, leading to a population decline in 2021 and 2022 “for the first time in several years.”
It is speculated that many people, especially recent college graduates and young people looking to start families, are moving in search of cheaper housing.
The Massachusetts Republican Party cited the report at the time as a criticism of the “burdens Democrats are imposing through development restrictions and high taxes across the board,” including taxes on “the necessities of life, innovation and success.”
“That’s why people are leaving,” Massachusetts Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Carnevale said at the time. “Beacon Hill needs to consider cutting these exorbitant taxes and regulations, and Massachusetts will begin to become a more affordable and attractive place to live.”
