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FACT BRIEF

Did more than 92,000 income tax filers leave Wisconsin for other states in 2021?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

An estimated 92,146 income tax-filing individuals left Wisconsin in 2021 for other states. The conservative Institute for Reforming Government said "nearly 60%" of them moved to states with flat or no income taxes, arguing tax policy was a major factor.

But nearly the same amount — 91,559 — moved into Wisconsin from other states that same year, according to IRS domestic migration figures based on tax returns. And a Wisconsin Watch analysis of that data shows 52% of those moving into Wisconsin came from flat-tax or no-tax states.

Wisconsin's net population flow for 2021 was 0% — ranking 30th for in-migration, according to Tax Foundation.

The data do not necessarily capture total tax filer migration to and from Wisconsin, as some individuals did not have to file individual income tax returns using Form 1040.

Experts disagree about the relationship between interstate migration and state tax policy. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Internal Revenue Service Income data: Migration 2020–2021 — Wisconsin
Institute for Reforming Government Lost Revenue New Analysis Shows Wisconsinites are Fleeing to Low Income Tax States
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Tax-Related Migration Is Grossly Exaggerated: a Research Preview
Google Docs Wisconsin Watch analysis of property tax and migration
Tax Foundation Americans moved to low-tax states in 2021
Tax Foundation How do taxes affect interstate migration?
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.