Many groups that advocate against taxes publish rankings of states pitting one against another based on tax rates. However, tax rates are not the main factor for businesses when deciding where to locate.
Forbes publishes a set of rankings called the Best States for Business that takes into account multiple factors that affect a state’s economic competitiveness. Mississippi ranks fairly well in business costs (the factor that includes taxes). However, in areas that require long-term public investment in things like education and healthcare, Mississippi ranks at the bottom.
Mississippi will move forward when we take a more comprehensive look at how we raise revenue to invest in the things that will build our economy, such as education and healthcare.
