Arizona’s Low Tax Rate Lures Star Pitcher To Diamondbacks
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republicans highlighted their state’s low tax rate after a recent signing of a baseball star with the hometown team.
Late last month, Corbin Burnes, a free agent pitching star, decided to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, shocking most onlookers, who had predicted that he would likely end up with another Major League Baseball suiter.
One report shared that Burnes made his decision based on Arizona’s lower tax rate. Burnes had been wooed by the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants – two jurisdictions with significantly higher taxes than the Grand Canyon State.
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said, “Sports players choose AZ over other states because our taxes are lower. Businesses do the same.”
Former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey added, “I’ll be looking forward to watching Corbin Burnes in a Dbacks jersey next year – and very glad to see that Arizona’s lowest flat tax in the nation is what brought him to AZ! Sorry Gavin Newsom [&] Justin Trudeau!”
Burnes had been reportedly offered more money by the aforementioned teams before deciding to ink a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
According to a post on X, the top tax rate in California is 14.4%, and the top federal and provincial tax rate in Toronto, Ontario is 53.53%. Arizona’s tax rate is 2.5% in comparison.
Arizona owes its low tax rate to the work of Governor Ducey and legislative Republicans, who enacted the transformational tax bracket in 2021.
Two staunch free-market advocates, Tim Phillips (President of Americans for Prosperity) and Grover Norquist (President of Americans for Tax Reform), wrote a piece in Newsweek, praising the accomplished feat of the Arizona Legislature, spearheaded by State Senator J.D. Mesnard and Ducey. They stated, “Arizona, on the other hand, provides a good example: lower the tax rates to let people keep more of what they earn and invest in what they care about most. Limit government spending to grow no faster than the incomes of the citizens who pay the taxes. Create a magnet for job-creating investment and hardworking Americans who simply wish to be left alone to work hard, take care of their families and support their communities.”
Phillips and Norquist added, “The Arizona reform is a positive model and one that should be followed by other states and the federal government.”
When the Arizona Supreme Court gave the green light for these tax reforms to go into effect, Arizona Free Enterprise President Scot Mussi said, “Today’s decision from the Arizona Supreme Court is a big win for taxpayers in our state. The legislature passed historic tax cuts last year that benefit all Arizona taxpayers. It’s time for Invest in Arizona and out-of-state special interest groups to accept this reality and stop making a farce of the referendum process.”
Mesnard touted the progress of his historic legislation in a campaign newsletter in January 2023, saying, “The historic tax reform that I championed in 2021 is now in effect for income earned this year – a full year ahead of schedule thanks to strong government revenues. Valued at more than $2 billion, this reform reduced individual tax rates to 2.5%, resulting in a tax cut for every single Arizona family and Arizona having the lowest flat tax in the nation.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.