Revenge of the Laffer Curve, Part II

An earlier post revealed that higher tax rates in Maryland were backfiring, leading to less revenue from upper‐​income taxpayers. It seems New York politicians are running into a similar problem. According to an AP report, the state’s 100 richest taxpayers have paid $1 billion less than expected following a big tax hike. The story notes that several rich people have left the state, and all three examples are about people who have redomiciled in Florida, which has no state income tax. For more background information on why higher taxes on the rich do not necessarily raise revenue, see this three‐​part Laffer Curve video series (here, here, and here):

Early data from New York show the higher tax rates for the wealthy have yielded lower‐​than‐​expected state wealth.


…[New York Governor David] Paterson said last week that revenues from the income tax increases and other taxes enacted in April are running about 20 percent less than anticipated.


…So far this year, half of about $1 billion in expected revenue from New York’s 100 richest taxpayers is missing.


…State officials say they don’t know how much of the missing revenue is because any wealthy New Yorkers simply left. But at least two high‐​profile defectors have sounded off on the tax changes: Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano, the billionaire who ran for governor three times and who was paying $13,000 a day in New York income taxes, and radio talk‐​show host Rush Limbaugh.


…Donald Trump told Fox News earlier this year that several of his millionaire friends were talking about leaving the state over the latest taxes.