‘Come to take your money’: Stephen A. Smith says taxes would eat 2/3 of his income in California — so he fled to Florida

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has criticized high taxes in California and New York, stating he would "walk home with less than 34% of my money" under those tax systems. Smith, who recently signed a $100 million extension with ESPN, told The Culture Table that he is "getting murdered in taxes" in New York and Los Angeles. He has purchased a $9.25 million mansion in Florida, where there is no state personal income tax, and plans to potentially relocate with his primary residence there.

While Smith's description of California's tax burden may be an exaggeration—likely overstating the combined federal and state tax rate—he is correct that states like California and New York impose high taxes on the wealthiest Americans.