NEW BOOK
WATCH: Pioneer’s Jim Stergios joined “Keller at Large” for a discussion of the proposed take hike amendment in Massachusetts. Parts 1 and 2 are below.
Back to Taxachusetts?
How the proposed constitutional tax amendment would upend one of the best economies in the nation.
BACK TO TAXACHUSETTS? represents the distillation of 24 studies on the impacts of the income tax proposal before Massachusetts voters this November. The book reviews the experience of states imposing similar taxes and demonstrates how the graduated income tax will devastate Massachusetts’ economic competitiveness and harm retirees, homeowners and small businesses.
BACK TO TAXACHUSETTS reveals the false narratives advanced by the tax’s proponents who portray it as affecting a small number of “millionaires,” funding designated purposes, and remedying Massachusetts’ “regressive” tax regime. Finally, it examines the tax’s impact in a post-pandemic economy, where companies and employees are mobile, states compete for telecommuters, and federal tax policies continue to cap state and local tax deductibility.
Praise for “Back to Taxachusetts?”
“The rise of Zoom and remote work has made it even easier for businesses and highly skilled workers to leave Massachusetts for low or no-tax states like New Hampshire, Florida, and Texas. This book is a must-read for anyone thinking about voting in favor of amending the Constitution to make Massachusetts less business-friendly.”
“What could possibly go wrong? The authors identify a myriad of potential unintended consequences from establishing a graduated income tax in Massachusetts. Along the way, they reveal the dynamism of the state’s economy and its people. This book is a must-read for the people of the Commonwealth at this pivotal moment.”
“Economic success is increasingly a hunt for talent. Back to Taxachusetts? asks a critical question at a critical time — namely, with remote work and wealth mobility at a historic high, why would Massachusetts choose to put itself at a disadvantage in recruiting and retaining a talented workforce?”
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BACK TO TAXACHUSETTS?
ABOUT OUR AUTHORS
Greg Sullivan
Gregory Sullivan is Pioneer’s Research Director. Prior to joining Pioneer, Sullivan served two five-year terms as Inspector General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was a 17-year member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Greg is a Certified Fraud Investigator, and holds degrees from Harvard College, The Kennedy School of Public Administration, and the Sloan School at MIT.
Andrew Mikula
Andrew Mikula is a former Economic Research Analyst at Pioneer Institute and current candidate for a Master’s degree in Urban Planning at Harvard University.
Liam Day
Liam Day began his career as a youth worker and teacher, before joining Pioneer Institute as Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships. He left Pioneer and went back into government service at the Boston Public Health Commission, serving for a time as Director of Child and Adolescent Health. He has also worked on, advised and managed campaigns for candidates for state representative, city council and mayor. His op-eds have appeared in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Patriot Ledger. Liam’s first collection of poetry, Afforded Permanence, was selected by the Massachusetts Book Awards as a Best Read of 2015.
Read what they’re saying…
“The rise of Zoom and remote work has made it even easier for businesses and highly skilled workers to leave Massachusetts for low or no-tax states like New Hampshire, Florida, and Texas. This book is a must-read for anyone thinking about voting in favor of amending the Constitution to make Massachusetts less business-friendly.”
“What could possibly go wrong? The authors identify a myriad of potential unintended consequences from establishing a graduated income tax in Massachusetts. Along the way, they reveal the dynamism of the state’s economy and its people. This book is a must-read for the people of the Commonwealth at this pivotal moment.”
“Economic success is increasingly a hunt for talent. Back to Taxachusetts? asks a critical question at a critical time — namely, with remote work and wealth mobility at a historic high, why would Massachusetts choose to put itself at a disadvantage in recruiting and retaining a talented workforce?”
“Massachusetts has finally established itself as a good place to do business. This has taken a lot of time and effort. It has also produced tremendous dividends for the Commonwealth. The notion of returning to Taxachusetts is simply wrongheaded and deleterious.”
“Pioneer nailed it. This comprehensive study mirrors what I regularly faced while competing with other states for business development: Taxes matter. At 5%, Massachusetts is disadvantaged against some states but better than others. At 9%, forget about playing offense, we will be perpetually on defense as our golden egg-laying geese take flight to lower-cost harbors!”
“The effects of tax policies and regulations on small businesses and business formation are well known. Pioneer’s study effectively lays out the consequences of the constitutional tax amendment on entrepreneurs and should be heeded.”
“Pioneer Institute has done it again with Back to Taxachusetts? Their findings on the tax amendment proposal are a clear warning about what can go wrong when taxes are set by slogans and emotion, rather than research.”
“Opinion leaders across the Commonwealth must read this book and understand the consequences of passing this massive tax
hike. Without clear voter education, small business owners will be asking their legislators, associations and chambers of commerce
‘where were you and why didn’t you warn me?’”
“This book reveals truths that proponents don’t want you to know. The tax ensnares unintended people, even retirees. Promised higher spending on education and transportation disappear. Experiences from other states warn of big taxpayers leaving even faster. The more you tax an activity, the less of it you get. This economic rule may be hard for tax proponents to admit, but it’s not too hard for voters to understand.”
“The data presented in Back to Taxachusetts? are compelling and frightening. The public must consider the negative effects of this surtax, and the numerous examples of how it backfired elsewhere before making the same mistake here in the Commonwealth.”
“If you’re somebody who cares about the future of our state, this book gives you all you need to make an informed decision on the graduated income tax proposal. As the authors show again and again, the tax will wreak havoc on the state’s competitiveness and economic well-being.”