2022 Massachusetts Question 1, commonly referred to as the "Millionaires Tax" or the "Fair Share Amendment", was a proposal to amend the state constitution to create a new 4% tax on income for people earning more than $1,000,000 annually, with the new revenue to go towards infrastructure and education. The proposal narrowly passed, with 52% voting 'Yes'.
Background
A similar measure was certified to be placed on the ballot for the 2018 cycle by Maura Healey, the state's attorney general. However, the Supreme Judicial Court struck it from the ballot, ruling that the wording of the measure was unconstitutional as it mixed unrelated subjects.
Supporters of the 2022 measure sought to solve this issue by placing it on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. This type of amendment is not subject to the same rules on the mixing of subjects. The General Court approved the amendment in mid-2021, clearing the way for the measure to be successfully placed on the ballot.
Impact Question 1 created an additional 4% tax on income earned above $1 million, for the purpose of providing funds for public education, roads and bridges, and public transportation. Massachusetts also has a 5% flat income tax, creating a total tax rate of 9% on all income above $1 million. The amendment also authorized the $1 million threshold to be adjusted to match cost of living in Massachusetts, using the same method used to establish federal income brackets.
The tax took effect on January 1, 2023, two months after voters approved it. New revenue from the tax has been budgeted toward infrastructure and education, including free school lunches for K-12 students and free community college for some students.
Since taking effect, the tax has exceeded revenue projections. In its first and second fiscal years, revenue from the surtax more than doubled what state lawmakers had budgeted, generating an estimated $2.2 and $3billion, respectively. In May 2026, Massachusetts Department of Revenue reported the tax had generated $3.1billion in revenue, again exceeding projections, with two months yet to be counted in the fiscal year.
The tax's impact on high incomes or wealth leaving the state is disputed. Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank, noted that the number of state residents with net worths exceeding $1 million and $50 million has greatly increased since the tax, but state business leagues have argued this is due to a surge in real estate values.
The People's Policy Project, a left-wing think tank, claimed that in the years following the tax there had been "no significant outmigration of the wealthy" and considered the impact of the tax on education and transit infrastructure "impressive".
The Tax Foundation, a center-right think tank, published a report ranking Massachusetts 46th in the nation for business tax climate and cited the new tax as a factor in its decline from 34th the previous year.
Endorsements
Polling Poll sourceDate(s) administeredSample sizeMargin of errorYesNoOtherUndecidedUMass Amherst/WCVBOctober 20–26, 2022700 (RV)± 4.3%59%33%–8%UMass LowellOctober 18–25, 20221000 (LV)± 4.1%61%34%–5%Suffolk University/Boston Globe/NBC10 Boston/TelemundoOctober 13–16, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%58.4%37.4%–4.2%MassINCOctober 5–14, 2022987 (LV)± 3.2%59%31%–10%Suffolk University/Boston Globe/NBC10 Boston/TelemundoSeptember 10–13, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%56.2%35.2%0.8%7.8%
Results
By county County For Against # % # % Barnstable 53,761 47.8% 58,82352.2% Berkshire 32,183 67.6% 15,429 32.4% Bristol 82,774 46.7% 94,585 53.3% Dukes 5,322 59.0% 3,705 41.0% Essex 138,519 49.6% 140,903 50.4% Franklin 21,052 68.1% 9,859 31.9% Hampden 66,168 49.3% 67,958 50.7% Hampshire 43,042 67.7% 20,526 32.3% Middlesex 331,283 55.8% 262,079 44.2% Nantucket 2,131 47.2% 2,38752.8% Norfolk 134,679 48.5% 143,14451.5% Plymouth 91,819 43.8% 117,95356.2% Suffolk 124,409 63.8% 70,476 36.2% Worcester 138,673 48.3% 148,49651.7%Total 1,267,13252.25% 1,158,22547.75%
See also Direct democracy in Massachusetts 2022 Massachusetts ballot measures
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