Prog nonprofit exec director doesn't think that people moving because of taxes are 'really a thing that exists' ... can you introduce him to some?

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:

https://twitter.com/BlairReeves/status/1450201688653111297

https://twitter.com/BlairReeves/status/1450258266794205188

https://twitter.com/BlairReeves/status/1450267800107421701

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

https://twitter.com/BlairReeves/status/1450259957786550273

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

https://twitter.com/BlairReeves/status/1450213243230855170

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

Moved to FL from MA because of the income tax, and the (now repealed) recursive gas tax.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