4 ms·

One of the most regressive sales taxes in the country. Also property taxes.

by redx00 10y ago

bzbarsky 10y ago
Looking at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_States#Summary_table https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_Stat... I see 12 states with the same base rate as Washington or higher, and another 14 or so just 0.5% behind. I see 13 states with the same "max with local surtax" or higher. Washington does levy sales tax on clothing, but apparently so do most states. So the sales tax is a bit above median, but doesn't seem any more regressive than other states per se. And is lower than California's. Property taxes have more to do with it, I suspect, especially given the mess in California with those.
- mahyarm 10y ago
  The funny thing is, the effective new property tax rate in Oakland or SF is something like %1.2-%1.5, which is bigger than Seattle King County's tax rate of %1. And Seattle has better roads than the bay area, no state income tax, a lower sales tax and has rainy weather. I don't get it.
  - bzbarsky 10y ago
    > the effective new property tax rate in Oakland or SF is something like %1.2-%1.5 Do you mean the tax rate on new properties? Or the effective rate actually collected, given the restrictions on how much property taxes can rise, etc? I thought one problem in California was that the latter figure, which is the more relevant one, was very low as a result of Prop 13. The other problem in California is that it just seems to not spend money very well, as far as I can tell...
    - mahyarm 10y ago
      Yeah. The tax rate that is collected whenever you buy a property and 'reset' the prop 13 timer. %1 for the base rate, plus a bunch of other one off fixed charges that add up to the %0.2-%0.5 rate. People who have had prop 13 properties for decades have something like a %0.3 equivalent property tax rate.
  - taurath 10y ago
    Seattle most assuredly does not have better roads than the bay area - I noticed a stark difference when I moved up a few years ago.

One of the most regressive sales taxes in the country. Also property taxes.

by redx00 10y ago

One of the most regressive sales taxes in the country. Also property taxes.

Looking at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_States#Summary_table https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_Stat... I see 12 states with the same base rate as Washington or higher, and another 14 or so just 0.5% behind. I see 13 states with the same "max with local surtax" or higher. Washington does levy sales tax on clothing, but apparently so do most states. So the sales tax is a bit above median, but doesn't seem any more regressive than other states per se. And is lower than California's. Property taxes have more to do with it, I suspect, especially given the mess in California with those.

mahyarm 10y ago
The funny thing is, the effective new property tax rate in Oakland or SF is something like %1.2-%1.5, which is bigger than Seattle King County's tax rate of %1. And Seattle has better roads than the bay area, no state income tax, a lower sales tax and has rainy weather. I don't get it.
- bzbarsky 10y ago
  > the effective new property tax rate in Oakland or SF is something like %1.2-%1.5 Do you mean the tax rate on new properties? Or the effective rate actually collected, given the restrictions on how much property taxes can rise, etc? I thought one problem in California was that the latter figure, which is the more relevant one, was very low as a result of Prop 13. The other problem in California is that it just seems to not spend money very well, as far as I can tell...
  - mahyarm 10y ago
    Yeah. The tax rate that is collected whenever you buy a property and 'reset' the prop 13 timer. %1 for the base rate, plus a bunch of other one off fixed charges that add up to the %0.2-%0.5 rate. People who have had prop 13 properties for decades have something like a %0.3 equivalent property tax rate.
- taurath 10y ago
  Seattle most assuredly does not have better roads than the bay area - I noticed a stark difference when I moved up a few years ago.