South Carolina Proposes $500 Fee for New Residents After Big Spike in Migration
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‘Yankee tax’: South Carolina proposes a $500 fee for new residents after a huge surge in migration that saw more than four million people move to the Palmetto state in a decade in search of lower taxes and a warmer climate
- South Carolina has seen a massive influx of residents during the pandemic, many of whom have decided to move permanently
- State Legislator Stephen Goldfinch said he is concerned about the impact mass immigration to the state is having on the quality of life for residents.
- As a partial solution, Goldfinch has proposed a $250 double fee to all new Palmetto State residents to help fund roads, bridges and schools.
South Carolina State Senator Stephen Goldfinch has proposed a bill, called the ‘Yankee Tax’, that would require new Palmetto State residents to shell out up to $500 upon arrival.
If approved by state agencies, new residents moving to South Carolina will be required to pay two one-time fees. One $250 for a new driver’s license and the other $250 for a vehicle registration.
goldfinch said foxnews that he believes there is a ‘rational basis for requiring newcomers to catch up with the rest of us and contribute to the roads, bridges, schools and green spaces we have [residents] always contributed to.’
His proposal came after hordes of people have spent the past few years moving to South Carolina, a trend that has been particularly exacerbated during COVID.
South Carolina State Senator Stephen Goldfinch has proposed an entrance fee to new residents of the Palmetto State.
Charleston, South Carolina has seen a massive influx of tourists and new residents since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many people moved to the Palmetto State for a few months during the pandemic and decided to make the housing situation permanent for various reasons, including the continued ability to work from home and the lower taxes and preferable climate of the southern state.
The lawmaker says his push to enact the fee is in the best interest of the people of South Carolina, many of whom are concerned about the significant number of people who have moved to their state in the past decade.
“Our quality of life has been diminished by the nearly 4 million people who have moved here in the last decade,” he said.
“And we anticipate another million people moving here in the next decade. Everyone is worried about their quality of life.’
However, he doubts that a $500 fee is enough to keep someone from moving.
“I find it hard to believe that $250 will deter someone from coming,” he said.
Goldfinch is proposing the $250 double fee to fund roads, bridges, schools, and green spaces in the state that others have funded their lifetimes.
State agencies in New York and California are considering similar proposals, only residents would pay taxes when leaving high-tax states.
Many chose to eventually settle in South Carolina due to the preferable climate and tax rates.
The New Resident fee will be available for debate on the floor of the South Carolina Senate next week, he said.
If approved, counties will vote on it in the next 2024 general election.
South Carolina isn’t the only state thinking about an immigration fee.
Both New York and California, states with extremely high departure numbers in recent years, are considering legislation to tax people for leaving the state.
“If you can charge people to leave, I don’t see any reason why you can’t charge someone to go in,” Goldfinch said.