From The Center Square:
Indiana lawmakers propose up to $8,500 payments for remote workers to move to state
(The Center Square) – Indiana lawmakers want to offer thousands of dollars to encourage remote workers from states such as Illinois to become Hoosiers.
The bipartisan piece of legislation is straightforward:
Move to Indiana and work remotely there for a year and the state will reimburse up to $5,000 in taxes or moving costs. They up the ante for workers who earn more than $100,000 in that year, paying them $8,500.
“There are folks looking to live in a state that’s maybe a little more tax-friendly environment, regulatory-friendly environment,” said state Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne, who sponsored the bill. “I really look at this as a coupon for people to take a look at us.”
Carbaugh said he had already seen one Illinois resident ask about the program, even though it has yet to become law.
The idea initially came from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
House Bill 1416 passed from a committee test nearly unanimously on Feb. 2 and awaits a hearing from the House Ways and Means Committee. If enacted, the Indiana Destination Development Corporation would facilitate the program. It would have $1.5 million in reimbursable funds available over a two-year period.
The bipartisan appeal, Carbaugh said, is that the bill is budget neutral.
“We’re going to receive that revenue before we ever give the coupon anyway because you have to be here for one year before you make an application and receive the grant,” he said.
Indiana’s income tax is 3.23%.
Illinois’ income tax rate is 4.95%.
The move could prove enticing to Chicagoans looking for a more affordable residence and more suitable to working from home.
Chicago, and Illinois in general, saw greater losses in the working-age population rather than retirees. A report from Redfin showed Fort Wayne, Indiana as the top destination for moving Chicagoans in the third quarter of 2020.
“Remote work has opened up a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to buying a home,” said Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather.
An October report from Upwork estimated up to 23 million Americans plan to uproot to a new city somewhere in the United States due to the availability of remote work in their jobs.
Why not get productive people?
They should also publicize that Illinois pays significantly higher welfare benefits and offer to relocate their parasites.
Crime rate would go down too.
Not “bribes” – incentives.
Thanks
Interesting and potentially useful article
Great item.
Vote with your feet.
Illinois is a reeking sanctuary toilet with turds like Lightfoot, Pritzker, Foxx and Sachowsky stinking the place up.
I can just imagine the uproar if IL Dems proposed giving people $8,500 to folks to move to IL.
This concept is way over the Illinois Democrats heads.
They only know how to destroy, not how to grow anything.
They are nihilists.
Their solution will be a $10,000 exit tax.
Dems would not run a program like this well.
They would invite just bums and criminals in.
AS, the incentive is for people to enhance the tax base, and the grant is “up to” $xxx and is essentially a refund of the state income taxes paid in a year.
Illinois has a net loss in taxpayers every year…
enlightened – I know and understand the concept.
And I’m still 100% sure that most of the folks praising this would be bashing IL Dems if they proposed it.
Hey shake, Dem offer of amnesty for any non COVID tested border jumper who can make it to Illinois has been blasted by the republicans. Illinois should try this vs only bribing corporations via TIFs or non citizen non taxpayers to come to state.
Well said Case and Trumpion!