Report: Blame high taxes, excessive regulations for businesses fleeing Illinois

Illinois is not lacking entrepreneurial activity. It is losing the environment that allows businesses to survive and scale. In this presentation, attorney and CPA Chad D. Cummings examines why a state with more than 171,000 new business applications in a single year still ranks among the worst in the Midwest for business survival and outflow. The discussion analyzes the compounding effect of high commercial property taxes, elevated corporate income taxes, a dense regulatory code, and growing pension liabilities that continue to drive costs higher for companies operating in the state. The presentation also highlights real-world examples of small business owners navigating permitting barriers, compliance costs, and administrative friction that delay or prevent operations, as well as major corporate relocations that reflect the same underlying calculation at scale. It explains how business departures reduce not only tax revenue but also payroll, local spending, and long-term economic stability, creating a feedback loop that intensifies the pressure on the remaining tax base. Finally, the presentation addresses why waiting for policy changes carries risk (including fiduciary risk), and why business owners must evaluate whether their company’s legal domicile aligns with the economic reality they are operating in today. Learn more: https://www.cummings.law/redomestication/