Blair Reeves may not have a fancy blue checkmark, but as executive director of nonprofit progressive policy organization Carolina Forward, he’s still someone.
Someone who has apparently never met a person who moved somewhere else because of taxes:
I have never once met a person who moved anywhere primarily because of taxes, and I don't think that's really a thing that actually exists.
— Blair Reeves (@BlairReeves) October 18, 2021
I think most people don't really mind paying taxes but wish their money was spent in slightly different ways. The people who really freak out about it – "taxation is theft, blah blah" – are generally weirdos with other axes to grind.
And no one moves because of taxes.
— Blair Reeves (@BlairReeves) October 19, 2021
Almost all people who say they're moving because of "taxes" really have some other reason – mostly weather, they're retiring, weird politics, job opportunities or whatever.
California still has way more billionaires than Mississippi. Sorry, I don't make the rules
— Blair Reeves (@BlairReeves) October 19, 2021
sd
big if truehttps://t.co/xfEYURWxVz
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) October 20, 2021
"I have never once met a person who moved anywhere primarily because of taxes"
<turns off notifications>
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) October 20, 2021
Yeah, we’d probably turn off notifications if we were Blair, too.
He’s taken some steps to minimize the carnage, at least:
But he’s still been getting pummeled.
Man idk I got a lot of new neighbors
— Nick (@NickatFP) October 19, 2021
people got a lot of reasons to move to Texas, but I just don't believe taxes are a big one
— Blair Reeves (@BlairReeves) October 19, 2021
Maybe not *primarily* b/c of tax, but I think some people move to Florida because of the combo of having no personal state income tax & the higher homestead exemption (for bankruptcy purposes).
— Aylett Colston (@EveryVoiceNC) October 18, 2021
I think that's mostly because it's Florida though, right? Like if Minnesota did that, they wouldn't exactly get similar results.
— Blair Reeves (@BlairReeves) October 18, 2021
I’ve met a very rich person who kept calendars to avoid spending more than 179 days in states
— Paul Musgrave 👻🎃💀 (@profmusgrave) October 19, 2021
yeah I'm not saying that doesn't exist, but people seem to forget that is a microscopic group of people in absolute terms
— Blair Reeves (@BlairReeves) October 19, 2021
Show your work, Blair. We wanna see it.
Hello, meet me! I moved to Puerto Rico, not just primarily, but exclusively because of taxes and I can introduce you to dozens, if not hundreds, of others who have done the same.
— Apathetic Trader (@ApatheticTrader) October 18, 2021
My parents and brother both did. My sister’s list of states to live in when she moves back weights that heavily. 🤷♂️
— TRUFFLE PIG (@hoedeman) October 19, 2021
You obviously don't sell real estate in Texas. https://t.co/enoiwJN6vL
— Federalist Muskrat 🇺🇸 (@Muskrat__) October 20, 2021
Moved to FL from MA because of the income tax, and the (now repealed) recursive gas tax.
Then-governor Deval Patrick signed into law an automatic gas tax increase tied to inflation. Inflation goes up, gas tax goes up. Gas tax goes up, inflation goes up. Repeat ad infinitum. https://t.co/K0t4JdqOdN
— Eric Spencer (@JustEric) October 20, 2021
It's as if this person has never heard of Florida and Arizona before. There's a huge reason northerners leave high tax states for low/no tax states when they retire: it makes sense financially https://t.co/1E9hUf89tj
— A 6 pack of Sam Adams (@37smadAmaS) October 20, 2021
Sure. https://t.co/nxO94S45vv pic.twitter.com/rHWBamJCHK
— Just some online rando (@Nobody_you_kn0w) October 20, 2021
i'm actually seriously considering moving due to property taxes. IL property taxes are so high and not much to show for it (at least in my neighborhood). likely not for ~1-2 years but it will be primarily due to being able to get more house for the same monthly price.
— jamesmurray.eth (@ItsJamesMurray) October 18, 2021
We had to talk FIL out of this. He was all set to move to Northern WA. I told him we would rather have his company than the $100K that he might save on taxes.
That finally did the trick. But yes, some people care about taxes above all things.
— Passing Strange At Present (@Chimaera000) October 19, 2021
He could’ve saved $100K? You should’ve helped him pack.
Two of my clients moved to Florida specifically for this reason.
— Jason Majlessi (@jmajlessi) October 19, 2021
Hi. My name is John. My wife and I moved from New Jersey to Florida immediately after getting married primarily because of taxes. It’s a pleasure to meet you. https://t.co/LYPZ8Y67Gc
— John 'pro-norms' Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) October 20, 2021
I had other reasons for moving to Texas, but the $30,000 tax difference the year I did it was a dispositive factor.
— tedfrank 💉 (@tedfrank) October 19, 2021
And a law-school friend moved from Massachusetts, where she’d lived and worked for decades, to Nevada, where she knew no one, for tax reasons when she retired.
— tedfrank 💉 (@tedfrank) October 19, 2021
my brother did. he moved his family and business from California to Florida because of taxes
— Jane Peppler (@JanePeppler) October 19, 2021
$1T+ worth of hedge funds and family offices relocated to Miami, opened a headquarters, or satellite office here.
— Kumar (@datarade) October 19, 2021
Moving from Los Angles to Austin 15 years ago. $ saved in Income tax = 60% of rent downtown first year
— Break Up DC (@BreakItUp3) October 19, 2021
I know several personally that left the northeast explicitly for tax purposes.
— pirat (@francetrips) October 19, 2021
Happens all the time between Washington and Oregon. People work in Portland and live in Vancouver where there are no personal income taxes.
— Clever Cycles (@clevercycles) October 18, 2021
NW Indiana-side border towns by Chicago are an example of this happening. Same with Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.
— Chris Chaten (@ChrisChaten) October 19, 2021
I know of at least 16 folks who have moved from California to NV simply for tax reasons in the last 6 months. Believe me, it is a thing that does exist.
— Pets and Politics (@amarlevine) October 19, 2021
You should visit Jackson Hole and the higher end developments around Vegas. Absolutely a thing that exits in spades.
— Bryce Roberts (@bryce) October 19, 2021
Taxes are a part of the total cost of living difference. I personally know people who move due to cost of living. I suspect many people do.
— Kevin C. Strong (@narcindin) October 18, 2021
There’s more of us out there than you think.
— James Brauer (@JamesBrauer) October 19, 2021
It's a thing.
Trust me.— Jules Dash (@JulesDash12) October 19, 2021
Are we entirely sure that Blair Reeves has ever met a person, period?
personally I moved to Texas for the skiing
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) October 20, 2021
*I was misinformed
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) October 20, 2021
So was Blair.
