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by philiphodgen 1402 days ago
> FWIW, I've never actually heard anyone complain about state taxes in California or consider moving because of them.

Because you don't know where to look, or what you're seeing.

Source: am tax lawyer. In California. Have seen and helped individuals with hundreds of millions in annual income escape to other places.

2 comments

I mean your "data" will be particularly skewed towards one end of the argument seeing as you deal with people with millions and are literally incentivized to note it as a bigger problem than it is. Differences in housing and job availability are bigger differentiating factors when "normal" people decide to move.
> hundreds of millions in annual income

I've never understood the level of greed required to be that rich and be so worried about paying your taxes.

Almost everyone I socialize with (45+) plans to at least leave CA when they retire, if not earlier. A few have already left. Most have their sights set on Nevada, Texas or Florida. One of them already has property in Wyoming, just waiting a few more years. These places all have one thing in common. These are not rich people, they're all middle class working schmucks like me, who simply aren't convinced that they're getting more value for their tax dollar than they're paying.
Not sure what this has to do with my comment.