State taxes

There are ways the business owners can continue to operate in the other states.

The top state has a total tax burden of 12.02%.

Middle-class residents in these states pay a smaller percentage of their paychecks to taxes.

Residents with high earnings in these 20 states get a bigger break on their taxes, paying a smaller percentage of their income.

State tax rates on capital gains vary across the country.

Four states have no state and local sales taxes, making them the most attractive places for consumers to go shopping.

The least attractive place to go shopping has a combined sales tax rate of 9.563%.

While property and unemployment insurance taxes are universal in every state, many of the best states for doing business do not have corporate, sales or individual income taxes.

Leaving Washington state, which in 2022 introduced a 7% tax on capital gains, could have saved Bezos $288 million in taxes after he unloaded $4 billion of Amazon.com stock in the past week.

The Washington National Tax Office of Grant Thornton points out the most important state and local tax developments to keep an eye out for.