They will buy the media, undermine your democracy and institute fascism if you tax them.

They will also do that if you don't tax them.

My country (Norway) saw a lot of rich people moving to Switzerland because of more advantageous tax rules, so we actually did implement an “exit tax”!

To the surprise of no one, the rich people will not stop whining about it.

“Billionaires will leave if you tax them.”

They aren’t paying enough to begin with as an overall percentage of the state’s tax, so what’s the difference if they leave?

If you tax them enough they won’t be billionaires anymore, so billionaires really wouldn’t leave.

They don't pay their share and they don't keep their money where they live anyway, so leave and hopefully die on the way to Dubai or whatever tax haven you decide to go, billionaire piece of shit

What is the downside?

Option 1) Billionaires and no tax revenue from billionaires.

Option 2) Lower housing prices because no billionaires and no tax revenues from billionaires.

They'll leave, but still own their property. 

Honestly if they’re not paying for anything in the community anyway why do we care whether or not they stay?

I’m tired of 0.1% courting and worshipping that people do.

Massachusetts implemented a 4% millionaire tax in 2022 and a small capital gains tax. The results?

• extra $3b in tax revenue, extra $1.3b with the capital gains changed.
• passed a $2.5 billion infrastructure & education bill
• millionaires in Massachusetts actually grew because of the economic expansion
• collective wealth of the people in the state went up by 40% two years after it passed

It's proven that it works. We just need policies that benefit people and not just the rich.

Some of the sources:

https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/29/millionaires-massachusetts-income-surtax-increase

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/politics/data-shows-mass-is-home-to-more-millionaires-despite-new-surtax-according-to-advocates/3698430/

6. Billionaires and millionaires want to live in safe places. Guess where it is safe? Where the general public has a good relative wealth. Guess what taxes causes...

I already bought it, you don't need to keep selling it to me.

Worth remembering: the “they’ll leave” line gets used for any reform—so it’s healthier to ask for data and design policy around outcomes, not threats.

Why would they leave? This system has made them billionaires. Even if it costs them a little bit more, this system STILL generates billions in revenue. They won't find a friendlier attitude anywhere else on the planet. If they could, they'd be there.

Good riddance. The perfect analogy is removing a brain cancer.

I think it's a terrible idea to put a tax on leaving the country, however I think forcing people who leave to revoke their own citizenship permanently would work even better

5 - You’re running cover for pedophiles when you say this.