According to newly released data from the Internal Revenue Service, Mississippi lost 2,436 taxpayers and $47 million in gross adjusted income in 2020. However, Mississippi did gain 7,330 Louisiana tax
filers who moved into the state.

Where did they go? Of the 60,937 Mississippians leaving the state, the majority left to Tennessee (9,498 new taxpayers), Texas (8,999), Alabama (5,903) and Louisiana (5,582).

But of the 58,501 taxpayers who moved to the state, they came from Tennessee (10,278), Texas (6,097), Alabama (5,020) and Florida (3,786), as well as those mentioned from Louisiana.

The IRS data is based on tax returns filed in 2020 and 2021 that revealed those who moved between 2019 and 2020, respectively.

In Lafayette County, the data showed the county’s total migration (U.S. and foreign) included 1,725 filers and 3,140 individuals with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $123,764.

Of those in the county migrating within the state of Mississippi, there were 832 filers, 1,454 individuals and an AGI of $71,354. Of those migrating to a different state, there were 191 filers, 361 individuals and
an AGI of $8,416.

Of nonmigrants in Lafayette County, there were 16,017 filers, 32,949 individuals and an AGI of $1,388,574.

In the state, DeSoto County gained the most, with 12,562 new taxpayers, but lost 10,313. The influx mainly came from Shelby County (4,907), where Memphis is located.

Jackson’s Hinds County lost big – 3,794 taxpayers – and many moved to Madison and Rankin counties. Only 7,776 new taxpayers moved to Hinds County in 2020.

The Delta region – Bolivar, Carroll, Coahoma, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Washington and Yazoo – lost a total of 3,255 taxpayers.