Washington does not have an individual income tax on wages or salaries, but does impose a capital gains excise tax with a 7 percent rate on long-term capital gains above approximately $262,000 and a 9.9 percent rate on gains above $1 million. (Lawmakers recently enacted a 9.9 percent tax on household income above $1 million, which goes into effect in 2028.) Washington does not have a traditional corporate income tax but does impose a gross receipts tax (Business and Occupation Tax). Washington has a 6.50 percent state sales tax rate and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 9.51 percent. Washington has a 0.75 percent effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing value. Washington has an estate tax. Washington’s gas tax is 59.04 cents per gallon, and its cigarette excise tax is $3.025 per pack of 20 cigarettes.
Washington raises tax revenue primarily through general sales taxes (37.6 percent of total state and local tax revenue), other taxes (35.0 percent), and property taxes (26.0 percent). Washington collects $7,745 in state and local tax collections per capita, carries $10,997 in state and local debt per capita, and has a 103 percent funded ratio of public pension plans. Washington’s tax system ranks 45th overall on the 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index.
Each state’s tax code is a multifaceted system with many moving parts, and Washington is no exception. Use the tabs below to compare Washington taxes with other states and to see how Washington raises tax revenue. You can also browse our tax maps, which are compiled from our annual publication, Facts & Figures 2026: How Does Your State Compare?
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The State Tax Competitiveness Index enables policymakers, taxpayers, and business leaders to gauge how their states’ tax systems compare. While there are many ways to show how much state governments collect in taxes, the Index evaluates how well states structure their tax systems and provides a road map for improvement.
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Facts & Figures serves as a one-stop state tax data resource that compares all 50 states on over 40 measures of tax rates, collections, burdens, and more.
2 min read
Individual income taxes are a major source of state government revenue, accounting for more than a third of state tax collections. How do income taxes compare in your state?
9 min read
Retail sales taxes are an essential part of most states’ revenue toolkits, responsible for nearly a quarter of combined state and local tax collections.
18 min read
Forty-four states levy a corporate income tax, with top rates ranging from a 2 percent flat rate in North Carolina to an 11.5 percent top marginal rate in New Jersey. Four states—Georgia, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania—reduced their corporate income tax rates effective January 1, 2026.
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Property taxes are the primary tool for financing local governments. While no taxpayers in high-tax jurisdictions will be celebrating their yearly payments, property taxes are largely rooted in the benefit principle of taxation: the people paying the property tax bills are most often the ones benefiting from the services.
9 min read
At the end of 2025, the individual tax provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) expire all at once. Without congressional action, most taxpayers will see a notable tax increase relative to current policy in 2026.
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States have generally tried to encourage capital investment. Throwback and throwout rules are an unfortunate example of penalizing it.
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Here’s how much NFL players can expect to pay in state and local income taxes—to all relevant states—at multiple salary levels, by team.
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One relatively easy but meaningful step policymakers can take to make future tax seasons less burdensome is to modernize their state’s nonresident income tax filing, withholding, and reciprocity laws.
7 min read
Facts & Figures serves as a one-stop state tax data resource that compares all 50 states on over 40 measures of tax rates, collections, burdens, and more.
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Savings and investment are critical activities, both for individuals’ and families’ financial security and for the health of the national economy as a whole. As such, policymakers should consider how they can help mitigate—rather than add to—tax codes’ biases against saving and investment.
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With state tax revenues receding from all-time highs, there’s been a great deal of handwringing about whether states can afford the tax cuts adopted over the past few years. Given that 27 states reduced the rate of a major tax between 2021 and 2023, is there reason for concern?
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Reforming economic nexus thresholds would not only be better for businesses but for states as well. It is more cost-effective for states to focus on—and simplify—compliance for a reasonable number of sellers than to impose rules that have low compliance and are costly to administer.
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Do taxes affect individuals’ decisions regarding where to live and work? Can high taxes cause the outmigration of wealthy individuals?
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Does your state have a small business exemption for machinery and equipment?
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