Lawmakers passed a 9.9% tax on personal income above $1 million per year—a first for the income-taxless state. (This affects roughly 21,000 filers, or less than 1% of Washington’s population, and is projected to generate $3.5 to $4 billion per year once it takes effect in 2029.) The final vote was 52–46, and involved the longest floor debate in Washington history, far exceeding the previous record of nine hours.
Washington was one of only nine states with no income tax, and has operated on essentially the same tax structure—reliant solely on sales and business taxes—since it was built on an agrarian, timber, and shipping economy in the early 20th century. Washington last voted on an income tax in 1932, when it passed overwhelmingly, only to be struck down by the state Supreme Court a year later.
The state has since become the home of global multitrillion-dollar organizations Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing, and it’s staring down a projected budget deficit of $10 billion to $12 billion over the next four years. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the top 1% of earners in Washington pay just 4.1% of their income in state and local taxes. The bottom 20%, however, pay 13.8%.
March 2026
Source: Choobeen
13 Comments
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Top_Marginal_State_Income_Tax_Rate.svg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_income_tax
This applies the same tax rate on individuals with $1M income that Oregon has on individuals with $125k or households with $250k income.
California, New York, and New Jersey have higher percentage top brackets. I didn’t bother looking at how all the brackets broke down, but good for Washington for implementing a millionaire’s tax, in my opinion.
The longest filibuster in history to block a tiny income tax on the 0.1%. Not for human rights, or to protect the commoners from anything. The most resistance in history to block an insignificant tax on their megadonors.
GOP is an oligarch puppet party. They only exist to further the interests of the ultra wealthy.
“Eat the rich” – same conditions that the Federal Income Tax started under back in 1913…
There is a solid chance that the Washington Supreme Court rules against it, no?
As someone living in Washington State for 30+ years and seeing this play out in the news daily, this is both good and bad.
Good that they are finally taxing the very large % of millionaires in this state.
Bad in that they failed to add an addendum to prevent them from lowering the income taxed in the future. Even worse, now that they have it in place, they can change that number without ever needing voter approval. So what is a $1 million now, easily becomes $250k in a decade, when they want more money.
Good for them.
The over one million is likely the key here. Meaning it doesnt touch that many people.
lol
all dozen of them? fuck ’em anyway. just don’t let them back in
Bye bye.
Taxes are spent on bombing civilians, not to give back to community. Start spending the already huge taxe revenue on hospitals. Each day the USA bombs Iran it could build 10 hospitals at home instead.
K bye, they won’t be missed.
God forbid we ask billionaires to give back money. You make $100k you pray over 30%. You make 100 million you keep as much as possible because times are tough
Where are they gonna go, shithole Texas or Florida lol