The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

MADISON, Wis. – Upcoming elections for state government offices offer a timely chance to talk about ways to improve Wisconsin’s tax climate for businesses and citizens alike.

There’s a race for governor in which there is no incumbent – an “open seat” in political parlance – with a large field of candidates vying to replace two-term Gov. Tony Evers. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is also stepping down after a long tenure, which means his leadership post will be up for grabs along with most of the Legislature’s 132 seats.

It’s a prime opportunity to examine Wisconsin’s tax climate, which is competitive with some states but not others.

Taxes can be much like the weather: Everyone gripes about it but few can change it short of piloting a cloud-seeding airplane. Fortunately, some promising economic clouds are hovering over Wisconsin right now.

Wisconsin has gained population of late due to legal migration. At a time when people and some businesses are fleeing high-tax states on the East and West coasts, let’s proclaim all are welcome in Wisconsin.

During the fourth quarter of 2025, Wisconsin ranked 10th among the 50 states in net inflow of people moving in versus those moving out. That’s from a report by Seattle-based Redfin, a tech-based real estate brokerage.

Wisconsin’s fourth quarter net inflow was 7,208 people, Redfin analysts said. Many of those fresh cheeseheads came from Chicagoland, which ranked fifth among U.S. metros for the highest outflow. Net migration numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau in recent years confirm the trend.

Lifestyle choices explain much of the bump, but sustaining momentum may require changing Wisconsin’s image as a high-tax state.

That won’t be easy in the case of personal income taxes. Wisconsin taxes income at rates beginning at 3.5% and rising to 7.65%, with its top rate being higher than all other Midwest states except Minnesota (9.85%). Nine of 50 states don’t tax income at all; 15 already have a flat rate or are transitioning to a flat rate.

Not that Wisconsin is overrun with billionaires, but states hoping to boost taxes on the uber-rich may be inviting them to move. The top 1% of the U.S. income strata already pay 40% of federal income taxes.

A sub-category is state taxes on capital gains, which if lowered could attract businesses from high-tax states such as California, Oregon, New Jersey and New York.

If not through income taxes, how do other states pay for state services, from roads to prisons to schools? Sales taxes are one answer, with 31 states levying taxes higher than Wisconsin’s 5%. Other states combine a state sales tax with excise taxes, “sin” taxes and higher local option sales taxes aimed at visitors in tourist areas.

Wisconsin is 10th highest among the 50 states when it comes to property taxes, which pay for public schools, local government, technical college districts and some special assessment districts. Property taxes prompt sharp cries of pain from those who pay because they come due once a year versus a bit at a time like payroll and sales taxes.

Barring local spending cuts or increases in state aid, property taxes are rising in most jurisdictions. Could Wisconsin see a property tax revolt along the lines of what’s happening elsewhere? About a dozen states are debating property tax repeals, rebates or swaps.

Higher local option taxes to replace property taxes could be an option. So are replacement taxes that focus on previously untouched categories, such as parts of the service economy.

Now that the White House has reclassified medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug, the door may be open for taxes on legalized hemp. As members of one Wisconsin business roundtable asked me recently, “Why send state tax dollars to Illinois, where most forms of hemp are legal and subject to Illinois taxes?”

More people and businesses may consider moving to Wisconsin if a debate was underway to rethink parts of the tax structure. Candidates for governor and the Legislature should offer ideas and seed the clouds for attracting and retaining them.

Still is past president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He is an adviser to Competitive Wisconsin Inc., a non-profit policy group.