How to Keep the Wealthy From Fleeing Connecticut

moving-family

 

When it comes to saving on taxes the wealthy have to continually consider all their options because lawmakers never seem to stop pushing for more legislation aimed at making the wealthy pay more taxes. Lately, it seems that there are more and more reports of the nation’s wealthiest individuals living in high-tax locations deciding to pack up their bags and head for states that are more tax-friendly.

Connecticut continues to face this problem because the state reportedly continues to spend more than it should. Because of the overspending the state keeps creating new efforts to squeeze more taxes from its wealthiest citizens. The problem is, many of these wealthy individuals are moving out. According to a recent report in the Hartford Courant, two of the biggest offenders are Connecticut’s estate tax and it’s gift tax.

Connecticut relies on wealthy taxpayers more than most states, but the number of wealthy individuals coming to the state is slowing down, while the number of wealthy taxpayers leaving is increasing. In fact, after the state introduced a huge tax increase in 2011, more than 27,000 residents moved out and took close to $4 billion in annual adjusted gross income with them.

Perhaps the best way to deter the exodus of high net worth individuals is to repeal, or at least reform the estate tax and to completely eliminate the gift tax, as Connecticut is the only state with a tax of that kind.

www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-smith-repeal-ct-estate-tax-0515-20160513-story.html
Posted in

Tax Exemption Legislation Could Be Good News for Political Donors

The Republican lead Congress recently passed some new legislation – without garnering much attention at all – that could be a big boon for major donors of political organizations and groups. The bill could protect big donors from having to pay gift taxes on their large donations to these political groups. The bill, which is…

To Extend or Not to Extend, That Is the Question?

Have you looked at your calendar yet today? Have you noticed that April 15 has already come and gone? Of course, it’s pretty hard to miss tax day, but some people actually do. So should you file an extension now if you didn’t make it on time? Some people believe filing an extension is a…

What Do You Do When You Owe Taxes But Don’t Have the Funds?

For many people tax season brings the joy of a nice big refund to go out and splurge on something they’ve had your eye on for a long time. On the flip side of the equation are those people who surprisingly, or not, end up owing the IRS money. Not only do these people miss…

Startups Should Pay Heed to These Tax Tips

Tax season us winding down and there’s a good chance that most businesses have already filed their tax returns. If you’re a business owner and you still haven’t filed then contact us right away to get it done. In any case, now is a good time to review some tax tips for businesses, especially for…