Professional athletes just got hit with one brutal reality that would make you sick
Pro athletes make millions playing games for a living.
But there's one nasty surprise waiting for them that nobody talks about.
And professional athletes just got hit with one brutal reality that would make you sick.
The tax nightmare that follows athletes everywhere
Most Americans file tax returns in one state where they live and work.
Professional athletes face a completely different nightmare.
They're getting hammered by what's called the "jock tax" – and it's way worse than you think.
Take a Major League Baseball player who travels to different cities throughout the season.
That poor guy could end up filing tax returns in 10 to 15 different states, according to tax attorney Rich Hofmann.¹
"Take, [for] example, a professional baseball player. How many cities does that baseball player play in? They will owe a tax return, sometimes, in ten to 15 states. So, it can be a little bit onerous," Hofmann explained.¹
It gets worse.
This insane tax burden doesn't just hit the millionaire superstars.
Equipment managers, trainers, scouts, and other support staff making around the national median income get slammed with the same ridiculous filing requirements.²
Many team members have to file income taxes in around 15-20 states each year.²
When California started this money grab
The whole mess started back in 1991 when California decided to go after the Chicago Bulls during the NBA Finals.
The Golden State saw Michael Jordan and his teammates making big money in Los Angeles and couldn't resist grabbing a piece.
Illinois fired back with their own "jock tax" that they called "Michael Jordan's Revenge."³
Now 21 states and 8 municipalities have these predatory taxes targeting anyone who dares to work in their territory.⁴
The Tax Foundation calls it exactly what it is – a cash grab that "unfairly targets athletes and entertainers because they place an undue compliance burden on them."⁵
California leads the pack with the highest jock tax rate at 13.3%.⁶
In 2013 alone, California collected $229.2 million from visiting professional teams.⁶
That's a quarter billion dollars extracted from people just trying to do their jobs.
The remote work threat nobody's talking about
Here's what should really scare you.
States are now eyeing remote workers for the same treatment.
They've figured out that if they can track down athletes and entertainers, they can come after anyone who works across state lines.
"There was a lot of grace given during the pandemic, but we're past that now," warned Jared Walczak from the Tax Foundation. "States are getting more serious about this."⁷
States might force big employers to track the locations of their remote employees and withhold taxes in multiple jurisdictions.⁷
Just like professional sports teams have been doing for decades.
Think about what that means for regular Americans.
You respond to a few work emails during a weekend in another state?
Some bureaucrat could come after you for taxes.
The compliance nightmare bankrupting lower-income workers
The real victims here aren't the superstar athletes who can afford teams of accountants.
It's the little guys getting crushed.
Minor League Baseball players making between $19,800 and $35,800 a year are stuck with the same ridiculous compliance costs as players making tens of millions.⁸
Major League Soccer players earning around $35,000 annually face the same nightmare.²
These people can't afford sophisticated tax preparers, but they're forced to navigate 15-20 different state tax codes every year.
The compliance costs alone can eat up a huge chunk of their modest incomes.
"The tax hits many people who may not be able to easily absorb the substantial compliance costs associated with the tax," the Tax Foundation noted.²
That's government at its worst – using complicated rules to shake down working people.
States scrambling to expand the money grab
The jock tax started as a way for cash-strapped states to target high-profile wealthy people without raising taxes on their own residents.
Now it's turning into a weapon against anyone who travels for work.
States facing budget deficits saw professional athletes as easy targets because their schedules and salaries are public.
But the same technology that tracks athletes can track remote workers.
Your employer already knows when you're working from different locations.
State tax authorities are drooling over the possibility of expanding this shake-down operation.
Some states are already requiring businesses to register and pay unemployment taxes wherever they have remote employees.⁹
It's a short jump from there to income tax withholding requirements.
Professional athletes were just the test case.
The real target is every American who dares to work outside their home state.
¹ Chris Iasiello, "Pro Athletes Navigate Complicated Tax Rules," Fox News, October 29, 2025.
² "Jock tax," Wikipedia, October 2025.
³ "Why athletes (and some remote workers) owe a 'jock tax' wherever they go," The Hustle, February 9, 2024.
⁴ "Jock Tax," US Expat Tax Service, July 22, 2024.
⁵ "7 Tax Planning Tips for Pro Athletes and Entertainers," Merrill Lynch, July 21, 2023.
⁶ "Jock Tax," Allyn International.
⁷ "Why athletes (and some remote workers) owe a 'jock tax' wherever they go," The Hustle, February 9, 2024.
⁸ "State Income Taxes on Nonresidents: Remote Work & Hybrid Work," Tax Foundation, May 22, 2025.
⁹ "An Employer's Guide to Multi-State Payroll Tax Withholding for Remote Workers," Anders, May 23, 2025.
