State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2022
While many factors influence business location and investment decisions, sales taxes are something within policymakers’ control that can have immediate impacts.
12 min readHow does Washington’s tax code compare? Washington does not have a typical individual income tax but does levy a 7.0 percent tax on capital gains income. Washington does not have a corporate income tax but does levy a state gross receipts tax. Washington has a 6.50 percent state sales tax rate and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 9.38 percent. Washington has a 0.76 percent effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing value.
Washington has an estate tax. Washington has a 52.8 cents per gallon gas tax rate and a $3.025 cigarette excise tax rate. The State of Washington collects $6,644 in state and local tax collections per capita. Washington has $11,632 in state and local debt per capita and has a 103 percent funded ratio of public pension plans. Overall, Washington’s tax system ranks 35th on our 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index.
Each state’s tax code is a multifaceted system with many moving parts, and Washington is no exception. The first step towards understanding Washington’s tax code is knowing the basics. How does Washington State collect tax revenue? Click the tabs below to learn more! You can also explore our state tax maps, which are compiled from our annual publication, Facts & Figures 2024: How Does Your State Compare?
While many factors influence business location and investment decisions, sales taxes are something within policymakers’ control that can have immediate impacts.
12 min readLawmakers in Washington need not revisit their vapor tax. The current tax is levied at an appropriate level and it has the right tax base.
3 min readWell-designed Net Operating Loss (NOL) provisions benefit the economy by smoothing business income, which mitigates entrepreneurial risk and helps firms survive economic downturns.
24 min readTwenty-one states and D.C. had significant tax changes take effect on January 1, including five states that cut individual income taxes and four states that saw corporate income tax rates decrease.
17 min readStates are unprepared for the ongoing shift to remote and flexible work arrangements, or for the industries and activities of today, to say nothing of tomorrow. In some states, moreover, existing tax provisions exacerbate the impact of high inflation and contribute to the supply chain crisis.
40 min readThe pandemic has accelerated changes in the way we live and work, making it far easier for people to move—and they have. As states work to maintain their competitive advantage, they should pay attention to where people are moving, and try to understand why.
5 min readWhile there are many ways to show how much is collected in taxes by state governments, our State Business Tax Climate Index is designed to show how well states structure their tax systems and provides a road map for improvement.
169 min readThrough 10 ballot measures across four states—Colorado, Louisiana, Texas, and Washington—voters will decide significant questions of state tax policy.
7 min read