State Income Tax? (Seattle, McCleary: sales, renters, sales tax)

[AADAD]

I spoke with a car dealer yesterday who thought that there was going to be a change in Washington in the next few years to add state income tax. I imagine you folks think about that so I thought that I would ask your options on what you hear.

Thanks in advance.

[Hemlock140]

They have tried before and the effort always fails, but who knows what the future holds? The lack of income tax is the reason for high property, sales, gas, and Business & Occupation taxes. The state will get their money one way or another.

[StealthRabbit]

WA is becoming populated with Sympathetic electorate.

Only a matter of time, for a significant restructure of taxation (hint:will be MORE, but be sold as 'fair'.

WA is not currently a 'low-tax-state'. Burden is adequate, but will become heavy as it morphs to Oregon / California status. (These states all try to be similar in Regs and services. There is much collusion within the state politics. There is a lot of immigration between the left coast states, and they will succumb to the same (low) level of concern for tax payers, land owners, and job creators

SD and WY will be the last 'no income tax' states to fall. (They have a diverse electorate, but strong presence of land owners / job creators / State economic contributors /farmers /ranchers, unlike WA which has renters and 'employees' / TAKERS / who are thoughtless as to the implications of their vote). SD domicile is very ez... one overnight stay per lifetime, no need to return to SD, just don't trigger domicile elsewhere. Varies by state. Some 188 days, some property ownership, some 'employment' ....

[rantiquity]

The common cry of a state income supporters is it would eliminate or reduce the sale tax/property tax....sure it will just like it has in California....The hourly working man around the state, even in the I-5 Corridor, will not support this leftist Californian boondoggle.
Just promise the weak minded of lowering the sale tax/property and they will vote for it and a year or two another crisis will come up and those tax will raise up again and again.

[AADAD]

The entitlement that the franchise tax board in CA is second to none. They will do everything to make your life horrible if they don't get their money.

[pnwguy2]

I don't think a WA income tax will come anytime soon. While Seattle tends to be somewhat favorable to such a plan, anywhere outside the city would likely result in a rebellion.

I honestly believe many move here because of the lack of an income tax. And businesses move here for the same reason, though their B&O taxes still are high.

To blow up a tax system in one of the fastest growing States in the country seems to me to be counter-productive. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Oh btw, what other fast growing States have no income tax? Try Texas and Florida for starters.

[Seacove]

The state always votes it down but when people moving here go out of their way to - oh, buy a car in AK to avoid paying sales taxes - it puts the state infrastructure costs on a smaller portion of the state population, motivating the state to look at ways to make up those costs, especially when our state is growing at the ridiculous rate it is.

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by Seacove

The state always votes it down but when people moving here go out of their way to - oh, buy a car in AK to avoid paying sales taxes - it puts the state infrastructure costs on a smaller portion of the state population, motivating the state to look at ways to make up those costs, especially when our state is growing at the ridiculous rate it is.

[CrazyDonkey]

A minimal income tax on high earners ($1M+?) could adequately fund satisfying the McCleary decision. One reason we're importing tons of tech talent is that we've failed to produce that talent here due to under-funding our educational system.

[thatguy950]

Originally Posted by Seacove

The state always votes it down but when people moving here go out of their way to - oh, buy a car in AK to avoid paying sales taxes - it puts the state infrastructure costs on a smaller portion of the state population, motivating the state to look at ways to make up those costs, especially when our state is growing at the ridiculous rate it is.

God forbid they learn to live within a budget like everyone else.