Washington State's Tax Burden is a Myth - Taxes Are Low and Don't Harm Economic Growth
Source: Ron Davis. "Opinion: The myth of Washington's tax burden, by the numbers – GeekWire." May 6, 2026. www.geekwire.com
The Gist
The author argues that complaints about Washington state's high taxes are wrong. He shows that Washington's taxes are actually low compared to other states, especially for rich people, and that raising taxes on the wealthy won't hurt the economy because other states have done it successfully.
Conclusion
Washington state's tax burden is a myth - taxes are relatively low, haven't exploded skyward, and raising them on the wealthy doesn't risk economic ruin
Premises
- Washington only recently reached the halfway point among states for taxes as a share of economy and has lower taxes than every other deep blue state plus nine red states
- Washington's taxes disproportionately favor the rich, with the top 1% paying only 4% of income in state/local taxes compared to 7.2% national average
- Washington's budget growth is sustainable - taxes as share of GDP have actually decreased from 10.6% in 2019 to 8.47% today
- Empirical evidence shows wealthy people are not price-sensitive to tax increases and move less than everyone else
- Multiple states that raised taxes on the rich (New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, California) saw their number of wealthy residents increase markedly afterward
Assumptions
- Tax policy should be evaluated based on empirical evidence rather than anecdotal claims
- Comparative analysis with other states and countries provides meaningful context for tax policy
- Economic outcomes can be measured and predicted based on historical data from similar policy changes
- The goal of tax policy should consider broader public needs, not just retaining wealthy residents