Heading South: Estate Tax May Be One Factor in Minnesotans’ Moves

Mark Sellner now relaxes luxuriously in Sarasota Springs, FL. There, it is a balmy 91 degrees and puffy, dancing clouds traverse a vibrant blue sky. The warm, embracing Florida sun gently caresses a land that blissfully free from estate taxes. Only a year prior, in Plymouth, MN, Sellner labored to enjoy the clear skies and a cool temperature of 74 degrees, but suffered under the yoke of guaranteed estate taxes.

Though the Minnesota Legislature has raised the estate tax threshold, there are still many Minnesotans that will be forced to pay taxes on their estates after their passing. Representative Greg Daniels wants to completely eliminate the estate tax. He argues that it is intrinsically unfair to force an individual’s heirs to pay estate taxes when the property has been taxed throughout the decedent’s lifetime.

The lawmaker earns a living as an insurance agent, and works on financial planning as part of that enterprise. He said he may call a client for an annual financial checkup only to find they have moved to Florida, Texas or other southern state. Minnesota’s high taxes are part of the reason, he said.

See Don Davis, Heading South: Estate Tax May Be One Factor in Minnesotans’ Moves, West Fargo Pioneer, June 30, 2017.