California’s Exit Tax

People have been leaving California in droves due to Governor Gavin Newsom’s socialistic Utopia that demands everyone be taxed on every penny they earn. I’ve long warned that California was unfriendly for businesses and investors. Those who stayed behind will now need to pay to leave under Assembly Bill 2088.

California plans to implement a one-time tax for businesses and individuals fleeing the Golden State. The government will look at all of your assets and investments to determine how much you will need to pay, which is usually 0.4% of someone’s net worth. Wealth historically flees when taxes rise, and to combat this issue, California plans to tax anyone with an income for $30 million for up to a full decade after they leave the state. Someone leaving the country entirely will still be forced to pay California for the privilege of leaving.

California first implemented an exit tax in August 2020 when they saw businesses and individuals lining up to leave the state that faced some of the harshest lockdown penalties in the nation. Uhaul and other moving organizations reported shortages on shipping vehicles as the demand to flee was so high.

Per usual, this tax was first introduced as an “eat the rich” penalty for those earning over $30M. And again, as usual, the tax expanded to target everyone. Small businesses that are already struggling to survive in California’s climate may feel trapped in the state. Individuals who can no longer afford the cost of living in California are also unable to leave without forfeiting money to the state. Afterall, the majority of people who live in California rent if they actually have shelter. Why anyone would want to conduct business in or through California is beyond me as Newsom is clearly targeting everyone who merely associates with California.

Another reason the Socialists introduced this tax is to steal capital gains. They wanted to tax unrealized gains to no avail but were prohibited by the courts. Now they are worried people will move out of state and cash out elsewhere. So California wants to tax all investments to ensure they get a cut of YOUR money that they do not have a right to claim.

The state dug themselves into the deepest deficit in the nation. The decision-makers do not believe they are the problem. They believe the greedy businesses and individuals are the problem and deserve to pay for their mistakes through unending taxation. Accumulating wealth is now a punishable offense in parts of the “free world.”