Leaders who Helped Pass the “Millionaires Tax” in Massachusetts are going National

In 2022, Massachusett voters successfully passed the “millionaires tax” proposal to raise taxes on the ultra wealthy. It was a monumental move that set the groundwork for other states to follow as well.

It was very successful as it has already generated billions of dollars in revenue which is slated to go towards the MBTA and free community college. They also out raised their “pro-business opponents” of the bill, by $27 million to $14 million.

VIA Boston Globe

The bill was simple: 4% surtax on taxable income over $1 million. Lawmakers in 10 states have since pushed for a similar wealth tax for their constituents since.

Right now, they (the Fare Share America group) are working to block Republicans’ moves to cut spending and extend the 2017 tax cuts.

The key leader from the “millionaires tax” campaign Kristen Crowell said:

“Yes, [Republicans] have a trifecta, they will likely be able to do what they want to do, [but] if we don’t fight this fight and come out stronger and more galvanized and clear about the tax code being the terrain we need to fight these fights on — to me, that is the opportunity,”

Many of those tax cuts are slated to expire at the end of this year, and Trump’s administration is working to extend them as a part of a multi-trillion-dollar pack that would end up in at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts.

Alongside working throughout different states, Crowell said that her and her colleagues are working to apply the same lessons they learned through successfully passing taxing the rich in Massachusetts towards fighting Trumps tax cut extension.

According to the new report released by the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) the extension of the tax cuts would increase our deficits by more than $4 trillion from fiscal years of 2025-2034, alongside adding to the rising national debt.

Massachusett’s 2022 millionaires tax is more than just a state level victory, it’s become a blueprint for a bigger movement towards tax fairness across the nation. Billions has already been raised for critical public services like transit and education, showing obvious fiscal impact.

Republicans will try to push the extension of 2017 tax cuts, which will deepen the national deficit by trillions. Groups like Fair Share America are fighting back, while Kristen Crowell and her allies take the forefront of that fight.

Their efforts signal that the momentum for taxing the ultra-wealthy is not only growing, but becoming a defining issue in the fight over America’s financial priorities.