3 ms·

I was surprised to see that Washington state is actually considered the most tax-regressive state, a product of having no income tax... Washington did pass a l

I was surprised to see that Washington state is actually considered the most tax-regressive state, a product of having no income tax... Washington did pass a law to impose a 7% long-term capital gains tax on earnings >250k, but it was struck down in a lawsuit and is now being appealed to the state supreme court: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-supreme-court-to-hear-challenge-to-new-capital-gains-tax-bypassing-court-of-appeals/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washingto...

influx 4y ago
And yet we had a $15 billion tax surplus...
- epgui 4y ago
  A tax surplus or deficit has nothing to do with whether the tax policies are regressive or progressive.
- ch4s3 4y ago
  Well, sales taxes are in economic terms considered highly efficient. It also makes sense that in the boom in post pandemic consumption, a sales tax would deliver a surplus.
the_cat_kittles 4y ago
it drives me nuts and is completely at odds with the "liberal" values here
- Apocryphon 4y ago
  Sounds like they were anti-tax Grover Norquist Chamber of Commerce types: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/douglas-county-court-strikes-down-washington-states-new-capital-gains-tax/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/douglas-c... > The plaintiffs — which include owners of farmland and the Washington Farm Bureau — argued that the new law imposes among other things a tax on income. > the Opportunity for All Coalition, which has advocated against the capital gains tax, applauded the ruling You can find them in the bluest of places: https://ballotpedia.org/San_Francisco,_California,_Proposition_G,_Parcel_Tax_for_the_San_Francisco_Unified_School_District_(June_2018) https://ballotpedia.org/San_Francisco,_California,_Propositi... > The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association filed a lawsuit against the city and county in August 2018 stating that the commercial rent tax for childcare initiative did not receive sufficient votes. > Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association President Jonathan Coupal said the group was prepared to sponsor an initiative to require a two-thirds supermajority vote of the people for local tax increases for specific purposes. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-sued-for-certifying-education-tax-measure-13582122.php https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-sued-for... > A group of property owners has sued Oakland over the City Council’s certification of a tax measure that failed to reach a standard two-thirds threshold at the polls in November > The lawsuit was filed Friday in Alameda County Superior Court by half a dozen homeowners and landlords as well as the Jobs and Housing Coalition, a group that lobbies City Hall on behalf of businesses and developers.
legitster 4y ago
I think this is a good reason to take this study with a grain of salt. Having lived in WA most of my life, I have never had a reason to complain about taxes here. They feel far from regressive - I basically didn't pay anything until I owned a home. FWIW: back when Planet Money tried to find some sort of political consensus among economists, lack of an income tax was actually one of the proposals: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/499490275 https://www.npr.org/transcripts/499490275
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- anon291 4y ago
  Washington state is great. Honestly Oregon is too (flat tax essentially ) (In terms of tax policy. Lots of other areas leave much to be desired)

influx 4y ago

And yet we had a $15 billion tax surplus...

epgui 4y ago
A tax surplus or deficit has nothing to do with whether the tax policies are regressive or progressive.
ch4s3 4y ago
Well, sales taxes are in economic terms considered highly efficient. It also makes sense that in the boom in post pandemic consumption, a sales tax would deliver a surplus.

the_cat_kittles 4y ago

it drives me nuts and is completely at odds with the "liberal" values here

Apocryphon 4y ago
Sounds like they were anti-tax Grover Norquist Chamber of Commerce types: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/douglas-county-court-strikes-down-washington-states-new-capital-gains-tax/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/douglas-c... > The plaintiffs — which include owners of farmland and the Washington Farm Bureau — argued that the new law imposes among other things a tax on income. > the Opportunity for All Coalition, which has advocated against the capital gains tax, applauded the ruling You can find them in the bluest of places: https://ballotpedia.org/San_Francisco,_California,_Proposition_G,_Parcel_Tax_for_the_San_Francisco_Unified_School_District_(June_2018) https://ballotpedia.org/San_Francisco,_California,_Propositi... > The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association filed a lawsuit against the city and county in August 2018 stating that the commercial rent tax for childcare initiative did not receive sufficient votes. > Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association President Jonathan Coupal said the group was prepared to sponsor an initiative to require a two-thirds supermajority vote of the people for local tax increases for specific purposes. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-sued-for-certifying-education-tax-measure-13582122.php https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-sued-for... > A group of property owners has sued Oakland over the City Council’s certification of a tax measure that failed to reach a standard two-thirds threshold at the polls in November > The lawsuit was filed Friday in Alameda County Superior Court by half a dozen homeowners and landlords as well as the Jobs and Housing Coalition, a group that lobbies City Hall on behalf of businesses and developers.

legitster 4y ago

I think this is a good reason to take this study with a grain of salt. Having lived in WA most of my life, I have never had a reason to complain about taxes here. They feel far from regressive - I basically didn't pay anything until I owned a home. FWIW: back when Planet Money tried to find some sort of political consensus among economists, lack of an income tax was actually one of the proposals: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/499490275 https://www.npr.org/transcripts/499490275

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
anon291 4y ago
Washington state is great. Honestly Oregon is too (flat tax essentially ) (In terms of tax policy. Lots of other areas leave much to be desired)