Ronald Reagan told the story about how he got around the aggressive income tax rates when he was in Hollywood as an actor. Once his income approached the highest tax level, he simply stopped working for the rest of the year.
So you're buying into that bit of propaganda.
Reagan made up that story in order to justify tax cuts for the wealthy. Reagan wasn't near the top income tax bracket even at the height of his movie career. After a blockbuster film in 1943, Regan decided to go freelance, which pissed off the studios. He spent the next 20 years doing B movies and not making all that much (though he was comfortable due to past earnings and investments).
The story intentionally leaves out the fact that making $100 over the highest income bracket only results in $100 being taxed at the highest rate. There is no benefit to avoiding the highest tax bracket. Even at the highest tax bracket, it still means you get more money.
I remember when one rich person left NJ and moved to Florida - the state of New Jersey had to re-adjust the state budget to account for the lost tax revenue from just the one taxpayer.
That lasted four years and he moved back because the tax that was being talked about was never enacted. A bigger factor was his recent separation from his wife in New Jersey and his mother and sister both living in Florida. You can't blame a non-existent tax for his separation from his wife and temporary move to be closer to his family.