https://komonews.com/news/local/could-state-income-tax-become-a-reality-for-some-washingtonians

Could state income tax become a reality for some Washingtonians?

State lawmakers are heading into the 2026 budget season with an estimated shortfall of $390 million. So, ahead of the 2026 session, lawmakers are working to figure out where cuts will be made and how revenue can be made up in other areas.

KOMO's Natalie Fahmy asked House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon (D-West Seattle) whether Washingtonians should be concerned about a tax increase of any sort.

"You know, we’re always looking at how can our tax code work better for Washingtonians," he said. "I don't think our tax code is working well for Washingtonians right now.”

This is what Fitzgibbon said when asked whether that means imposing an income tax for certain earning brackets:

“I don't want to get ahead of my colleagues on that," he said. "I do think that we have to be willing to have hard conversations about tax reform if we are going to have a state that invests in the people."

While Fitzgibbon could not give a firm yes or no about the possibility of an income tax for the state's highest earners, he did say that "we need to have all options on the table, and figure out who’s doing really well in the economy, who’s struggling, and how can the state help make sure that the people who are struggling have the safety net that they need," he said.

On the other side of the aisle, Chief Budget Negotiator for the Senate Republicans, Senator Chris Gildon (R-Puyallup), said he worries that if one income bracket is subject to an income tax, it is only a matter of time before others are.

"It’s the slippery slope, right," Gildon said. “Anytime that we have a budget shortfall, (Democrats) will just say, 'well, if we just lower the threshold a little bit, then it'll get us through this difficult time,' and eventually it's going to affect every single person in Washington State.”

Gildon said even if an income tax was created, he is not sure it would help the current budget shortfall.

"They would not start collecting that money until about 2028," he said. "Well, they don't need the money for 2028 to bridge the budget shortfall that we're facing this year.”

Gildon said that's because if an income tax creation is put in the supplemental budget, that will not take effect until the summer. And even then, there would need to be a rules process that he said typically takes 12 to 18 months before the tax can be assessed and take effect. He said the last thing he wants to see is that process being ignored and a new tax fast-tracked.

"You see what a disaster that is whenever you push something through without actual rules," Gildon said. "And then by the time that the tax takes effect, the Department of Revenue hasn't yet set out guidelines, businesses are caught unaware, and it just causes so much chaos.”

Overall, Fitzgibbon said the tax conversation is going to be centered around "how we can make the tax code more fair" and ensuring that "people who are doing well" pay more for shared needs.

“How can we make sure that the wealthiest are paying their fair share, but also how can we make our economy more effective," Fitzgibbon said.

In terms of making the economy more effective, Fitzgibbon wonders if the state ought to rely less on business taxes, in order to keep that market competitive.

Meantime, Gildon is not convinced that new tax polices will not ultimately "fall on middle class families, single mothers, people just trying to make ends meet."

“Last year, that was the talking point as well, is 'make the rich pay their share,'" Gildon said. "And what ended up happening was $9.5 billion on middle-class and working families across our state.”

Lawmakers convene for the 2026 legislative session on Jan. 12; the session can last up to 60 days. Lawmakers could start prefiling bills as of Dec. 1. The governor is expected to release his executive budget sometime this month.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5805510&forum_id=2most#49478921)