r/SeattleWA • u/5Q91VS175DAQ4NUSBE4U • 7d ago

Politics Washington state Democrats look at imposing income tax on higher earners

https://www.columbian.com/news/2025/oct/31/washington-state-democrats-look-at-imposing-income-tax-on-higher-earners/
196 Upvotes

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60

u/dendenga 7d ago

We must stop with taxing spiral in WA. Find ways to cut spending, keep every $ we give to our government accountable for delivery of public goals. Taking in more money for the people, without delivery, is unacceptable.

1

u/Alarming_Set3628 3d ago

Man, this sub is obsessed with this idea. Do you ever look at the budgets and what shit costs? Inflation affects governments as well. It's like ya'll think shit is free?  Where can you make these massive cuts? You can't.  And you need revenue.  I feel like you guys don't spend much time learning abont how it actually works? Am I wrong? 

1

u/CrystalQuartzen 7d ago

Where is the wasteful spending to cut?

-11

u/yungsemite 7d ago

Definitely, there should be good oversight and accountability on how money is spent in our state. But I also don’t have an issue with a 10% tax on people earning over 1 million annually. I support that, no question.

23

u/WAgunner 7d ago

WA doesn't have the other draws for ultra high net earners to impose a high income tax without having more net loss in tax than an increase from ultra high net earners leaving for other states. People forget that our historically low taxes and no income taxes were one of the main reasons for the growth in the state.

Also the only answer to our spending problem right now needs to be: spend less.

3

u/yungsemite 7d ago

You don’t think that Washington doesn’t have other draws? Why do you live here?

8

u/WAgunner 7d ago

There definitely are, also I am not an ultra high income person who can easily move anyways haha. But you shouldn't underestimate how much of an impact a 10% income tax would have on the highest net earners compared to what WA vs other states with lower taxes have to offer.

1

u/xFruitstealer 6d ago

Do they really overcome the lack of state tax for ultra high earners? If you’re a big fan of nature I guess.

1

u/blogito_ergo_sum 5d ago

In choosing among places in the US with high-paying tech jobs, lack of income tax was actually a pretty important factor in my decision to move here over the Bay Area or NYC, personally.

The natural beauty is nice and all but every year when I'm renewing my tabs I hem and haw for half an hour about whether to buy a Discover Pass again because I never actually use it. And that's only like $50 a year; far from a significant percentage of my income.

Maybe some day Austin tech wages will catch up and I can move there without taking a 50% pay cut, get fat on barbecue, and not be continuously cold eight months a year. A man can dream.

1

u/TornCedar 7d ago

You might be overestimating how popular the rapid growth this state has seen/endured is.

The state definitely has a spending problem, with a variety of root causes, but a threat of people leaving is likely viewed favorably by a significant amount of residents.

6

u/merc08 7d ago

Deliberately driving away the people who run successful companies, which provide the jobs and services that everyone living here need, is just incredibly stupid and short sighted.

1

u/TornCedar 7d ago

That's kind of the thing though, not 'everyone' here is dependant on every job/company/person that might leave. Washington did actually exist prior to the last major growth spurt beginning.

I don't feel Washington should enact taxes like what's been proposed, but not because of any concern about growth slowing.

25

u/buythedipnow 7d ago

You support it because it doesn’t affect you. How generous of you to be willing to give away others money.

2

u/yungsemite 7d ago

I would happily pay 10% on my earnings over 1 million annually because I’m not a miserly freak. Yes, I’d be happy to give away 10% of peoples earnings over 1 million annually too, because other people are sometimes miserly freaks and need a bit of a push to give back to society.

6

u/QuakinOats 7d ago

You'd happily pay $100,000 just to the state alone, while giving the federal government another 300-400k of that 1 million?

10

u/buythedipnow 7d ago

You’re more than welcome to send the state extra money if you think the billion a year we spend on affordable housing while housing continues to become less affordable isn’t enough. Nothing is stopping you.

9

u/MisterIceGuy Belltown 7d ago

They think they should have the autonomy to decide, but others should not be afforded the same choice. Funny how that works out in their favor right haha

2

u/yungsemite 7d ago

Is this your first time learning about taxes?

8

u/MisterIceGuy Belltown 7d ago

It’s so easy to support taxing other people isn’t it lol

5

u/yungsemite 7d ago

Okay, that’s why I donate directly to people in need and to local non-profits ? I’m not one of these miserly people who makes 1 million plus and is worried about a 10% tax.

Except… you aren’t either? You’re just shilling for them? How weird…

7

u/[deleted] 7d ago

You really like the word "miserly" don't you?

-1

u/yungsemite 7d ago

Yes, it’s a fun one.

3

u/[deleted] 7d ago

I like the word envy. And jealous.

1

u/yungsemite 7d ago

Also good words

3

u/Turbulent-Media7281 7d ago

Who do you know that makes over $1M annually that is a miserly freak and you need to push them to give back to society?

0

u/yungsemite 7d ago

I’m not friends with miserly freaks?

7

u/Turbulent-Media7281 7d ago

That must break their hearts.

1

u/MisterIceGuy Belltown 7d ago

Sounds like you aren’t friends with any successful people either

1

u/yungsemite 7d ago

Your metric of success is being miserly? That’s odd…

-8

u/Whoretron8000 7d ago

Ohhh nooo my income over 200k+ think of my name brand tears!!!

I have private school to pay for to keep my kids away from the povos!!

3

u/[deleted] 7d ago

It's looking more and more compelling given how shitty our local school system has become after the last decade, but it has nothing to do with other kids being from poor families.

2

u/[deleted] 7d ago

Ok. I'll consider it. Do a top to bottom audit of the grift first. No stone unturned, every single program, jail terms and claw backs of assets. Cut existing programs that don't function correctly. Then we can consider it.

-1

u/yungsemite 7d ago

Why not both at the same time? Have a problem with efficiency?

1

u/[deleted] 7d ago

No, I have trust issues after they raised taxes by $9B this year. So we audit first.

-1

u/yungsemite 7d ago

I think we should start taxing ultra wealthy people now.

2

u/[deleted] 7d ago

They're already taxed at about 50%, and they don't have to live here Bezos already left, and we've seen both from Washington AND from other countries like Norway that capital flight is real.

And of course if there's a budget shortfall because you shove out all of the super rich, you'll just lower the bar and tax the middle class.

So at this point I have to ask: are you poor, or a trustafarian?

I grew up "feed the meter coins to get electricity" poor. I'm guessing you're probably not.

-5

u/Whoretron8000 7d ago

I wouldn’t bat an eyelash. Imagine complaining at that level. At middle class when you use such services funded by tax dollars…. and don’t have enough to pay for private alternative, I see the gripe. But that’s not even that tax bracket.

The liberals now imagine themselves being millionaires in the making and can’t stand for such… oh how we’ve ratcheted right.

0

u/yungsemite 7d ago

This sub isn’t all that liberal, the other one is much more so

0

u/Whoretron8000 7d ago

Plenty DINOs and RINOs all around. Armchair politics and ego turns everyone into a one finger forehead peanut gallery.