How 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 gross receipts tax. Washington has a 6.50 percent state sales rate, a max local sales tax rate of 4.10 percent, and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 8.86 percent. Washington’s tax system ranks 28th overall on our 2023 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 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: How Does Your State Compare?
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As more and more states move away from throwback or throwout rules, those states that still impose these rules are becoming less attractive for businesses, which are incentivized to relocate their sales activities to non-throwback states.
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California pumps out the highest state gas tax rate of 77.9 cents per gallon (cpg), followed by Illinois (66.5 cpg) and Pennsylvania (62.2 cpg).
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However well-intended they may be, sales tax holidays remain the same as they always have been—ineffective and inefficient.
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Compare the latest 2023 sales tax rates as of July 1st. Sales tax rate differentials can induce consumers to shop across borders or buy products online.
8 min read
At least 32 notable tax policy changes recently took effect across 18 states, including alterations to income taxes, payroll taxes, sales and use taxes, property taxes, and excise taxes. See if your state tax code changed.
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Taxes are the single most expensive ingredient in beer, costing more than the labor and raw materials combined.
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Of all alcoholic beverages subject to taxation, stiff drinks—and all distilled spirits—face the stiffest tax rates. Like many excise taxes, the treatment of distilled spirits varies widely across the states.
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States are in a better position to attract business investment when they maintain competitive real property tax rates and avoid harmful taxes on tangible personal property, intangible property, wealth, and asset transfers.
3 min read
In the United States, tobacco is taxed at both the federal and state and sometimes even local levels. These layers of taxes often result in very high levels of taxation—the highest of any consumer item. The retail price of cigarettes, for instance, is more than 40 percent taxes on average. In some states, like Minnesota and New York, more than 50 percent of the price paid by consumers comes from taxes.
2 min read