Post by MD Affordability Project

Numbers don’t lie and Maryland is losing.  We are the second-worst state in the nation for starting a business. A corporate tax rate of 8.25% that towers over Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. A 3% tech tax so punishing that companies are openly choosing to move rather than staying here in Maryland. Permit delays are so long that many new business owners wait years and spend thousands of dollars before a single dollar of revenue comes in.   And the human cost? Towson University's Chief Economist confirms Maryland is bleeding two of its most vital demographics: young adults aged 18–24 and seniors 65 and older. These are future business owners, skilled workers, and community anchors choosing to build their lives elsewhere.   Payroll-generating business applications have collapsed from 11,500 in 2023 to just 9,000 in 2025. That's not a slowdown. That's a warning siren.   Maryland has all the ingredients to be an economic powerhouse. We should be winning. Instead, we are watching talent, investment, and opportunity walk out of our state because of failed policies that it harder to grow a business and create new jobs.   The Maryland Affordability Project exists to change that conversation; to educate all Marylanders about the specific policies driving these outcomes.     🔥 Join our community and be part of the solution Maryland has been waiting for: MDAffordabilityProject.org  #MarylandAffordability #MDEconomy #SmallBusiness #Leadership #Maryland #PublicPolicy