In November 2017, a King County Superior Court judge ruled Seattle's effort to impose an income tax violates state law. The decision was a major blow for those who hope the courts will use the case to overturn the Supreme Court's 1933 ruling that a graduated-rate...
Taxes and Tax Relief
McCleary and the income tax
Published opinion pieces from members of the Majority Coalition Caucus draw the connections between McCleary and the long-running effort to impose an income tax. Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, in The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review, Jan. 8, 2017: Income tax...
A capital gains tax: First step toward a general income tax
Whether a capital gains income tax is constitutional is one issue; whether it would end with that is another. Capital gains income tax revenue is highly volatile, as are other taxes aimed at the wealthy. When the economy goes into a downturn, lawmakers will be left to...
Setting up a test case for an income tax
Advocates of an income tax last year managed to collect signatures to place one proposal on the ballot in the city of Olympia. When voters rejected the idea, they took their campaign to the city of Seattle -- where the council voted May 1 to direct staff to come up...
More resources regarding a state-level income tax
Proposals for an income tax -- even in the form of a narrowly based tax on capital gains income -- are prompting dismay among those who recognize Washington's unique economy is built around its unique tax structure. Consequences could be dramatic. Matt...