Could Washington's Next Tax Be a Statewide Payroll Tax?
Governor Bob Ferguson promised again last week to veto any attempt to lower the income tax threshold below a million dollars. He's said it before — in capital letters. Charlie Harger, who has been tracking Ferguson's chess game on taxes for months, says watch the piece he's holding up and you might miss the one that's about to move.
A statewide payroll tax on wages above $125,000 is already in the mix. The state is staring at a roughly $4 billion shortfall. Nobody in the majority wants deep cuts. And if the million-dollar line holds while a payroll tax fills the gap, Ferguson keeps every word of his promise — and the burden spreads anyway, under a different name. Pre-filing for the 2027 session begins Dec. 7.
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