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 Panola County, the data showed the county’s total migration (U.S. and foreign) included 687 filers, 1,385 individuals and an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $29,224.

Of those in the county migrating within the state of Mississippi, there were 496 filers, 1,024 individuals and an AGI of $20,808. Of those migrating to a different state, there were 191 filers, 361 individuals and an AGI of $8,416.

Of non-migrants in Panola County, there were 11,327 filers, 24,021 individuals and an AGI of $553,287.

In the entire 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.