The Tax Structure Work Group will hold a town hall meeting for Legislative Districts 1, 21, 32, and 46 (North/Central Puget Sound Region) on October 27 to present and hear reactions to scenarios they are developing for tax reform.
You can register to attend either at 2:30-4:00 pm or 6:30-8:00 pm.
The Work Group also wants to further hear from Washington tax payers by
survey up to November 5, 2021.
The League supports action to obtain a balanced tax structure that is fair, adequate, flexible, and has a sound economic effect. The Administration should include clear information for the taxpayer; exemptions should be limited to those used to further public policy, not for industry-specific reasons, and all tax exemptions should be periodically reviewed; inequities should be removed and ability to pay should be considered; income should be part of the tax base.
Last year, the Washington State Legislature passed the capital gains tax and the working families tax credit, which together with the change in property tax reductions for certain populations based on income, passed in 2019, moved Washington State closer to equity than it was (the most regressive system in the nation). However, there are several other options not yet on the table, ranging from changes in the business & occupation tax to make it more equitable, corporate net income tax, and much more. These are described in the Tax Structure Work Group Preliminary Report. If anyone has questions, please contact
Cynthia Stewart, Revenue Issue Chair.