Washington’s future in “final frontier” economy
State lawmakers in recent years have monitored the emerging private space economy developing in Washington state, and while previous proposals have struggled to take...
Hefty bank tax stands as judge upholds title-only bills
This legislative session three bills proposing to end the use of title-only legislation failed to clear their original committees prior to the cutoff date....
High court upholds ST3 car tab tax
The Washington State Supreme Court ruled this week in a 7-2 decision that a provision in a 2015 state law authorizing the ST3 motor...
Is a measure of car tab relief on its way?
The Senate Transportation Committee has cleared a bill backed by key Senate Democrat leaders that would alter the way Sound Transit calculates its motor...
Amid warnings of hit to business community, B&O tax clears legislature
The state House voted 52-45 on Feb. 6 in favor of SB 6492 creating a new set of business and occupation (B&O) taxes and...
Pierce County’s ‘Trexit’ from ST3
Pierce County voters in 2016 voted by 55 percent in opposition to the $54 billion ST3 transit and light rail tax package. In November,...
Lawsuit drives I-976 proposals
Three bills introduced in the state Senate would codify into law most of Initiative 976 approved by 53 percent of voters in November. Driving...
Another run at jobs tax
Almost two years after opposing a job tax in Seattle that later was rescinded by the City Council with another local business tax possible,...
B&O tax shuffle gets mixed reviews
The state legislature last year enacted E2SHB 2158, which imposes the business and occupation (B&O) tax surcharge on certain businesses to pay for higher education...
LCFS proposal “destroys our competitiveness”
The state House has voted 52-44 in favor of a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) program via HB 1110; introduced last year and at...
Effort underway to restore previous real estate excise tax rate
The state legislature last year restructured the state real estate excise tax (REET) from a flat 1.28 percent rate to a graduated rate, with...
Bipartisan bill would affirm local income tax ban
The Washington Court of Appeals ruled last year that a 1984 state law prohibiting local governments from imposing income taxes was unconstitutional. Now, a...
LCFS, round three
Though state lawmakers for the past two years have unsuccessfully tried to enact a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) in an effort to reduce...
Hazardous Waste Tax revenue spike expected after rate hike
Last year, the state legislature approved a rate hike for the Hazardous Substance Tax (HST) that funds toxic site cleanup, among other things. As...
December REET revenue doubles from last year
According to data from the state Department of Revenue (DOR), the month before the state’s new law restructuring the real estate excise tax (REET)...
Inslee pushes for LCFS, homelessness program funding
Governor Jay Inslee’s Jan. 14 State of the State speech focused primarily on a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) proposal that in past session...
Poll: voters overwhelmingly favor local income tax ban
During the Nov. 5 election Spokane voters approved a ban on a local income tax by roughly 72 percent. According to a new poll...
Legislative session 2020: What to expect
In recent years, single issues such as basic education funding have competed for attention during Washington state’s legislative sessions and pushed other priorities to...
Sound Transit increases ST3 property tax
The Sound Transit Board of Directors has voted overwhelmingly in favor of a one percent property tax increase that is expected to generate an...
“Back to the Future” with tax structure study
Despite year after year of surplus revenue, Washington state’s tax structure continues to receive scrutiny from legislators – the latest coming from the Tax...
Forest health funding tax proposed
The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in recent years has developed a fire protection strategy plan as well as a long-term forest health...
Is income “property” in Washington state?
For more than 80 years the Washington state Supreme court has ruled that income is property as defined by the Washington state constitution, which...
State grappling with forecasted revenue shortfalls
Although a new report by the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) estimates state tax collections will increase $300 million for the 2019-21...
Lawsuit challenges “title-only” bills
In the last days of this year’s legislative session, state lawmakers – without any prior discussion – introduced and passed a new tax on...
Do Washingtonians “own” their income?
A Washington Supreme Court ruling last week involving a city of Seattle rental ordinance overturned a century of property case law. Now, the city...
Voters reject new REET tax
If the outcome of Nov. 5 election’s advisory votes are any indication, Washington voters have little stomach for new taxes – of the 12...
“Horror franchise” of income tax efforts lives on
In an eerily pithy decision, the Court of Appeals rejected without further elaboration a request by plaintiffs to reconsider its decision regarding the city...
Sound Transit car tab fee injunction denied
A Pierce County Superior Court judge has denied an injunction request preventing Sound Transit from collecting any more of its motor vehicle excise tax...
Restructured excise tax could harm business, development
In a move that has stakeholders raising red flags about business investment in Washington and housing affordability, the state legislature earlier this year approved...
Plaintiffs target Sound Move car tab
Now that Sound Transit has rejected a settlement offer in a lawsuit filed against its ST3 motor vehicle excise tax (MVET), the plaintiffs want...
Seattle “all over the place”: Income isn’t money
Throughout the two-year court fight over Seattle’s income tax ordinance, the city has argued that the tax doesn’t violate the state constitution or state...
Crafting smart state tax policy
Tax policy analysts featured at the Association of Washington Business 2019 Policy Summit on Sept. 18 agree on one thing: the state tax code...
WSDOT: State transportation system on “glidepath to failure”
Beginning in the 2021-23 biennium, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will no longer pave highway ramps or sections of the freeway where...
Capital gains income tax proposals loom next session
This year’s legislative session saw several unsuccessful proposals to enact a capital gains income tax. Comments made by lawmakers at a Sept. 13 House...
Plaintiffs warn of “grave financial doom for Sound Transit,” offer settlement
Just days after the State Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a lawsuit against Sound Transit’s ST3 motor vehicle excise tax (MVET), the plaintiffs...
Sound Transit fumbles facts with vehicle tax
An unexpected wrench has been thrown into the cogs of Sound Transit’s legal defense of its new motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) as part...
Court asked to reconsider income tax ruling
The Washington State Division 1 of the Court of Appeals issued a ruling on the city of Seattle’s income tax ordinance that declared the...
Should Washington keep aerospace tax incentives?
In 2003, the state legislature approved a package of tax incentives related to the aerospace industry to ensure Boeing would produce its 787 in...
Seattle income tax set for high court showdown
In a new ruling the Washington State Division 1 of the Court of Appeals has struck down the city of Seattle’s 2017 local income...
New taxes for transit?
Investments at the local and state levels on transit throughout Washington state isn’t keeping pace with economic growth, and new revenue sources such as...
Washington’s economy remains steady
Washington’s economy continues to outperform the nation and pad state coffers – tade disputes between the U.S. and countries like China notwithstanding. The latest...
Swapping sales tax exemption for a refund: Will it work?
An upcoming change to the state sales tax exemption for nonresidents and the reaction by different business entities reflect the diversity of Washington’s economic...
Lawmakers: Veto bank tax bill
Several top-ranking Republican state lawmakers and a Democrat senator are calling on Governor Jay Inslee to veto SHB 2167, arguing it was passed by...
Stakeholder: Legislative run on banks sends “chilling message”
Now that the state legislature has approved a bill imposing a new tax on financial institutions, Washington bankers are scrambling to find out what’s...
Lawmakers approve tax exemption extension
While Washington state lawmakers have approved a list of new taxes as part of the 2019-21 operating budget, one industry managed to receive a...
Legislature approves new taxes, $7.7 billion spending increase
While Washingtonians slept, the state legislature this weekend approved a $52.8 billion 2019-21 operating budget that includes a slew of new taxes, some of...
Senate approves hazardous waste tax hike
After extensive debate on April 25, the Washington Senate voted 27-22 to increase the Hazardous Substance Tax that currently funds the Model Toxic Control...
B&O tax hike for higher education?
The House Appropriations Committee has voted in favor of a bill imposing a business and occupation (B&O) surcharge on various businesses with the money...
Senate passes vape tax
The Washington Senate on April 23 voted 35-13 in favor of a bill that taxes vaping products, also known as e-cigarettes. SB 5986 has...
Committee advances hunting, fishing fee bill
Two companion bills to increases the recreational hunting and fishing fee paid to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have cleared their...
Tax structure bill clears committee amid concern
The House Appropriations Committee voted on April 22 after a public hearing to advance a bill that makes changes to the state tax structure...
