Tax Reform

Budget cuts: Costly. Our Quality of life: Priceless.

From roads and utilities to schools and parks, police and firefighters to safety inspectors and environmental scientists, everyone benefits from steady investment in public structures that yield well-educated citizens, profitable businesses, safe communities and a healthy environment.

But our state suffers from a structural deficit, with tax revenues over time growing at a slower pace than the economy and demands for public services. By failing to capture revenue from a changing economy, we are starving our economy of the very resources we need for long-term growth and broad economic opportunity.

Washington needs new sources of revenue to support investments in early learning, K-12 and higher education. EOI is putting forward concrete proposals for new sources of revenue to bring our education system up to modern standards, support important public investments, while making our tax system more equitable for everyone.

Featured Publications

Building a Responsible Budget for Washington State

03.28.2013 | Washington’s legislature must adopt a budget for the two year period beginning in July 2013. Our elected leaders can improve K-12 education, expand access to early learning and higher education, and protect basic public health and safety by: 1) Raising the Business and Occupation tax rate for services from 1.5% to 2.5%, and 2) Ending tax breaks that are outmoded or of lesser priority than educational opportunity.

Fact Sheet »

Washington State Budget 101

UPDATED 11.27.2012 | Where does state revenue come from, and how is it spent? Why does Washington face budget deficits - and how big have budget cuts really been? Get answers to these and other important budget and tax policy questions in this convenient sheet.

Fact Sheet »

House of Straw: How Washington’s tax system undermines our economic future – and how to fix it

10.01.2012 | Washington’s tax structure is out of step with today’s economy. It was designed in the 1930s when agriculture, extractive industries, and manufacturing were the drivers of economic growth and wealth. With each passing year the gap grows wider between the revenues our tax system generates and the services state residents and businesses need.

Full Report »

Prev 1 | 2 | 3 | Next

Choose a policy focus

Policy Success

EOI’s analysis and public education efforts have helped slow down the proliferation of special interest tax breaks and raised interest in modernizing our tax system and making it fairer.