July 5, 2012
Examiner Editorial
The Washington Examiner
While overburdened taxpayers flee Maryland for more hospitable states, Marylanders themselves are leaving the most populous jurisdictions with the highest local taxes and relocating to smaller Eastern Shore and western counties. Out-of-state migration reduced state revenue $1.7 billion between 2007 and 2010. Meanwhile, intrastate migration has helped Maryland’s smallest counties increase their tax bases while their larger counterparts are losing ground.
An analysis of Internal Revenue Service data by Change Maryland, a nonpartisan organization whose mission is to restore the state’s economic competitiveness, shows that Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Talbot and Worcester counties are doing better than Montgomery and Prince George’s in keeping and attracting taxpayers.
The most recent IRS data show that between 2009 and 2010, the number of individual income tax filers increased 2.07 percent in easternmost Worcester County, the highest percentage in the state, while westernmost Garrett County enjoyed a more modest .93 percent growth. However, despite their significant geographical advantages, both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties experienced a net outflow of taxpayers.
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