Penalizing property owners for Seattle’s poor financial decisions
Newly elected Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson plans to slap a vacancy tax on building owners who can't fill their spaces.Seattle's downtown a ghost town of empty offices, with vacancies soaring to 35 percent. Her solution will make the problem worse.True solutions start with accountability. For example.... READ MORE
The "Fair Share" Tax Myth That Won't Die
The claim that low-income taxpayers are "carrying" the state is demonstrably false. According to the Department of Revenue (DOR), taxpayers earning over $243,000 pay approximately $41,020 in state and local taxes per biennium. Those in the lowest bracket ($16,000-$32,000) pay an average of $7,206. READ MORE
Affordability:
Gov's Income Tax Would Make Seattle #1 for Highest Taxes
The 9.9% state income tax proposal would stack on top of existing Seattle payroll taxes (the JumpStart tax and the Social Housing tax) plus the state's WA Cares tax. That would lead to a total combined tax rate of 18.037%. That's 22% higher than the next closest jurisdiction, New York City. READ MORE
Legislators propose creating another tax
The bill seeks to authorize Washington counties to impose a local Business and Occupation (B&O) tax on gross receipts, gross income, or the value of products and includes a ridiculously low mandatory minimum small business exemption threshold of $20,000 in annual gross income. READ MORE
Opportunity:
Cut red tape for dietitians, fix licensing for everyone
A House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee hearing on Tuesday was refreshing. It considered just one proposal that offered a bit of calm and hope before the storm, HB 2088 a bill that would bring the state into the Dietitian Licensure Compact.
House Bill 2100 (HB 2100) seeks to impose a 5% excise tax on medium and large companies for the portion of employee payroll expenses exceeding $125,000 annually per worker (tied to the federal additional Medicare tax threshold). HB 2100 has been scheduled for a hearing on January 22 1:30pm and concerned citizens can express their thoughts here. READ MORE
Tell your legislators and the governor, NO new taxes!
Use WPC's new "take action" tool to email a "No New Taxes" message to the governor, your state senator and your state representatives. Fill out the form, edit the draft email to reflect your voice and point of view, then click send. It's easy. With Governor Ferguson announcing his support for an income tax, your voice is more important than ever before.Visit the Take Action page today and urge your friends to do the same!
How many people you know would guess that Washington ranks 45th -- near the bottom -- for business taxes? Or that our state operating budget increased almost 49 percent (AFTER adjusting for inflation and population control) since the 2012-2015 budget? The legislative session is coming up quickly. To make informed decisions about how to best govern our state, we must acknowledge where we are. WPC's Report Card for Washington's Future gives you the data you need to cut through rhetoric and see where our state needs course correction.
