Can I cut my taxes by moving to a low or no tax state?

Potentially, but please don’t move for tax reasons. A state may have no taxes but you may offset that savings with additional property taxes and home/car insurance.
Also, spending “six months and a day” in the new state automatically does not automatically change your tax residence

Your current state may be sentimental and reluctant to see you go. You may have to prove to that state you really left, especially if you still own property in that state.
Be ready to prove to your state that you have switched your tax residency to a new state. There’s a lot more than just counting days in your new state for proof.

Leaving state residency for tax purposes generally requires more than moving physically or counting days out of state.
State tax systems generally use the same basic concept. To change domicile, two elements usually must be present:
- Physical presence in the new state; and
- Intent to make that state your permanent or indefinite home.
Many states also have a separate “statutory residency” rule. Under those rules, even if you changed domicile, you may still be taxed as a resident if you keep a permanent place of abode in the old state and spend more than a threshold number of days there, commonly 183 days. Maine and Nebraska guidance expressly use that structure.

States generally look at the totality of the circumstances rather than any single act. Common factors include:
Time spent in the old state versus the new state.
Whether you kept or sold the old home, and the relative size and use of each home.
Where your spouse and minor children live.
Where you work or actively conduct business.
Driver’s license, voter registration, vehicle registration, mailing address, and tax return address.
Location of bank accounts, doctors, accountants, attorneys, clubs, religious and social ties.
Where valuable or sentimental personal property is kept.
Where children attend school and where you claim resident benefits such as homestead exemptions, in-state tuition, hunting/fishing licenses, or similar benefits.
“Paper changes” alone are not enough. Changing a driver’s license or voter registration helps, but states look for a real shift in living patterns.

Spending too much time in the old state after the claimed move.
Keeping the family in the old state.
Retaining a substantial old-state home while only renting or lightly using the new-state home.
Continuing to use the old-state address on federal returns, Forms W-2/1099/K-1, insurance, banking, or estate documents.
Claiming old-state resident benefits after the move.
Making the move only shortly before a major income event, such as a business sale or large capital gain, without enough objective evidence that the move had already occurred.

No Tax States

Retirement Friendly States

Some states may have an income tax but they are still tax friendly because they may not tax social security or pension distributions.