New York vs Puerto Rico: Act 60 Tax Savings on $1M

If you earn most of your income in New York, the state takes a top marginal rate of 8.82% on ordinary income, and that sits on top of federal tax, FICA, and the 3.8% net investment income tax. New York City residents owe a separate city income tax on top of the state figure, which the state rate alone understates. On a $1,000,000 salary with a $500,000 long-term gain realized after a move, the combined bill is large enough that relocating 1,500 miles starts to look like a real financial decision rather than a fantasy.

Puerto Rico's Act 60 is the reason people run this comparison. A bona fide PR resident with an Act 60 decree pays 4% on qualifying export-services income and 0% federal tax on capital gains that accrue after the move, in exchange for an annual filing fee and a required charitable donation. The part most calculators skip is that only post-move appreciation is exempt. Any gain that built up while you still lived in New York stays US-source and US-taxable. The table below models New York, a no-income-tax US baseline, and Puerto Rico on the same numbers so you can see the real gap, roughly $297,719 a year on this scenario, rather than a headline. Change the inputs in the calculator to match your own salary, distributions, and gains.