taxes Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

Governor Dusts Off Washington Capital Gains Tax Idea, Proposes Insurance Tax To Fund Public Health

By Austin Jenkins December 18, 2020

On Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled his budget proposals for the next two-year budget cycle. Among his proposals is a new tax on health insurance premiums to fund public health.

The tax measures are contained in the governor's two-year, $57.6 billion operating budget proposal released Thursday in advance of the 2021 Legislative session. Separately, the Democratic governor also released proposed capital construction and transportation budgets. Read More

Hunter Biden Says He Is Under Federal Investigation For Tax Matter

By NPR News December 9, 2020

Hunter Biden makes an address virtually to the Democratic National Convention in August. Democratic National Convention Committee via Getty Images

Joe Biden's son Hunter said he learned that "the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel ... that they are investigating my tax affairs." Continue Reading Hunter Biden Says He Is Under Federal Investigation For Tax Read More

Washington Beer Lobby Goes On The Offensive To Drown A Tax That Isn’t Even On Tap

By Austin Jenkins October 26, 2020

In a letter sent to Gov. Jay Inslee and legislative leaders in October 2020, representatives of the beer, grocery and hospitality industry urged policymakers “not to increase taxes on beer.” But state lawmakers say they're not considering such a tax at this point ahead of the 2021 legislative session. CREDIT: Scott A. Leadingham/NWPB

There's no indication a beer tax is on tap in Olympia. But the industry isn’t taking any chances. Especially after what happened in 2010. That’s when state lawmakers imposed an increase in the beer tax as part of a plan to balance a budget hammered by the Great Recession. Read More

Washington Supreme Court Unanimously Strikes Down I-976, Tim Eyman’s $30 Car Tab Initiative

By NWPB News October 15, 2020

Professional initiative sponsor Tim Eyman, right, holds a photo from his first successful $30 car tabs initiative in 1999. Eyman says he has collected almost enough signatures to qualify a 2019 car tabs rollback initiative to the 2019 Legislature. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

On Thursday, the state Supreme Court struck down Initiative 976, a measure Washington voters approved last November to reduce the cost of annual vehicle licensing fees. The measure has been on hold for nearly a year as legal challenges worked their way through the court system. Read More

President Trump Dismisses New York Times Report That He Paid Little To Nothing In Federal Taxes

By NPR News September 28, 2020

President Trump takes a question during a news conference at the White House on Sunday, where he dismissed reporting from The New York Times that he has paid little or no federal income taxes in recent years as "fake news." CREDIT: Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

President Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017, according to the Times, which also says he's fighting an IRS audit that could cost him over $100 million. Continue Reading President Read More

Payroll Tax Delay To Boost Take-Home Pay, But Don’t Spend It Yet

By NPR News August 12, 2020

Employers are supposed to stop withholding the payroll tax on Sept. 1. But companies need guidance from the IRS on exactly who is eligible to have their taxes suspended and how to keep track so those taxes can eventually be repaid. CREDIT: Elaine Thompson/AP

President Trump has directed the Treasury Department to stop collecting payroll taxes this fall in an effort to boost workers' paychecks. But the move is temporary, and could spark headaches in 2021. Continue Reading Payroll Tax Delay To Boost Read More

Idaho Asks U.S. Supreme Court To Block Signature Gathering For Education Funding Ballot Initiative

By NWPB News July 15, 2020

In-person signature gathering efforts from Reclaim Idaho were put on ice during the coronavirus pandemic. CREDIT: Reclaim Idaho via Facebook

Idaho Gov. Brad Little wants the U.S. Supreme Court to stop Reclaim Idaho from gathering signatures online, as the group tries to get its education funding initiative on November’s ballot. Continue Reading Idaho Read More

Supreme Court Says Trump Not ‘Immune’ From Records Release, But Hedges On House Case

By NPR News July 9, 2020

The Supreme Court justices, pictured in November 2018, start a new term on Monday. CREDIT: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

In two 7-2 rulings written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court allowed a subpoena in a New York criminal case but told a lower court to consider separation of powers when it comes to Congress. Continue Reading Supreme Read More

It’s An Election Year. But That’s Not Scaring Washington Democrats From Talking Taxes

By Austin Jenkins June 11, 2020

In this 2012 file photo, then Gov. Chris Gregoire talks about the state budget. During the Great Recession, Democrats largely addressed plummeting revenues through budget cuts instead of tax hikes. The response to the COVID-19 recession may be different. CREDIT: Austin Jenkins/N3

Unlike during the Great Recession, when the budget was largely balanced through spending cuts, this time around majority Democrats and their allies, like labor unions, are already signaling that tax increases are almost certain to be part of any solution. Read More

Federal Tax Deadline Extended To July 15 Over Coronavirus Pandemic

By NPR News March 20, 2020

The U.S. Treasury Department says the tax filing deadline has been extended to July 15, 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

U.S. taxpayers will have a three-month extension to file their taxes because of the coronavirus pandemic, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday. He said that at the president's direction, "we are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15." Read More

Boeing Asked Washington State Lawmakers To Raise Its Taxes. They Did.

By Tom Banse March 12, 2020

Boeing wants to give up a sizeable state tax break to defuse a trade dispute with the European Union and WTO. CREDIT: Boeing Company

Washington state is on the verge of ending a large tax break for the Boeing Company and its parts suppliers. This is happening at Boeing's bidding to head off a bigger hit from threatened European tariffs. Continue Reading Boeing Asked Read More

Tim Eyman Promises ‘Aggressive’ Run For Governor, Switches From Independent To Republican Bid

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa February 13, 2020

Tim Eyman addresses a crowd of supporters in his home town of Yakima Wednesday, Feb. 12. He announced he’s running for governor of Washington as a Republican, not an independent, as he previously said in November. CREDIT: Enrique Pérez de la Rosa/NWPB

The announcement was met with jubilant cheers from supporters at a campaign event at Yakima’s McCormick Air Center. Eyman said he initially considered running as an independent because initiatives he sponsored in the past — from $30 car-tabs to a ban on affirmative action in 1998 — were nonpartisan. Read More

Washington Lawmaker Wants To End ‘Better-Than-Boeing’ Tax Break For Prescription Drug Warehouses

By Austin Jenkins February 11, 2020

File photo. Distributors of opioids and other prescription drugs in Washington kept their better-than-Boeing tax break this year, despite a lawsuit against the industry's three largest players. CREDIT: Kevin Mooney/N3

Democratic state Rep. Lauren Davis says Washington’s current approach to helping people with substance use disorders is like a stool that’s missing two legs. While Medicaid pays for treatment, it doesn’t fund pre-treatment services which Davis calls the first leg of the stool. Read More

After 2 Years, GOP Tax Cuts Prove More A Lump Of Coal Than A Shiny Economic Gift

By NPR News December 21, 2019

President Trump prepares to sign the tax legislation in the Oval Office on Dec. 22, 2017. The GOP tax cut did not pay for itself, as promised, nor did it deliver a sustained boost to economic growth. CREDIT: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Two years ago, Republicans in Congress passed a sweeping tax cut. It was supposed to be a gift-wrapped present to taxpayers and the economy. But in hindsight, it looks more like a costly lump of coal. Continue Reading After 2 Read More

Road Ahead May Charge Drivers By The Mile, But Change Rolls Out Slowly On Northwest Roads

By Tom Banse December 17, 2019

The Washington State Transportation Commission recommended implementing a pay-per-mile road charge at a meeting Tuesday, Dec. 17. CREDIT: WSDOT

The panel that sets highway and bridge tolls in Washington is recommending the state follow Oregon's lead and phase in a pay-by-the-mile road tax to make up for expected declines in gas tax revenue. The nonbinding recommendation to the Washington Legislature from the state Transportation Commission drew flak from skeptical taxpayers and faces a bumpy road ahead in the 2020 Read More

Washington’s $30 Car Tabs Initiative On Hold, And Tim Eyman Calls For People Not To Pay Anything

By Tom Banse December 5, 2019

Initiative sponsor Tim Eyman spoke outside the Washington State Supreme Court on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. CREDIT: Tom Banse/N3

Thursday was supposed to be the day that a Washington state ballot measure to lower car registration fees took effect. But the state Supreme Court has let an injunction stand against what is known as the $30 car tabs initiative. That means hundreds of thousands of drivers will get full price bills in the coming months that they thought they had voted to reduce. Read More

Garfield County Is Washington’s Least Populous. It’s Joining A Suit To Stop I-976’s $30 Car Tabs

By NWPB News November 25, 2019

Garfield County Transportation Authority driver Gene Smith helps 96-year-old resident Louise Munday board a commuter bus on Nov. 15, 2019. Munday uses local transit five days a week and, with her limited mobility, the service to her door is necessary. CREDIT: Emily McCarty/Crosscut

As expected, the initiative’s passage prompted legal action, led by Seattle-area governments and public transit supporters protesting a projected $4.2 billion cut in revenue for transportation and transit projects over the next six years. But there has been an unexpected addition to that Puget Sound-centric group: the Garfield County Transportation Authority. Read More

Anti-Tax Ballot Initiative Sponsor Tim Eyman Says He Is Running For Governor Of Washington

By Austin Jenkins November 21, 2019

Eyman says his decision to run is motivated in part by legal efforts to overturn Initiative 976, his car tabs measure that voters just approved. Continue Reading Anti-Tax Ballot Initiative Sponsor Tim Eyman Says He Is Read More

President Trump Asks Supreme Court To Block New York Subpoenas For His Tax Records

By NPR News November 14, 2019

An appeals court has ruled President Trump's accounting firm must turn over his tax returns to the Manhattan DA. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

The president and his lawyers are fighting two separate legal battles to gain access to his tax records. The other involves a subpoena for the documents issued by the House of Representatives. Continue Reading President Trump Read More

Cascadia Bullet Train Proposal For I-5 Corridor Urged On Despite Electorate’s Anti-Tax Mood

By Tom Banse November 8, 2019

After bemoaning that the state's highways, bridges, ferries and rail cars "are on a glide path to failure," Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary Roger Millar laid out the case for building an ultra-high speed railway on dedicated track. Read More

I-976, Washington’s $30 Car Tabs Measure From Tim Eyman, Passing As Of Tuesday Night

By NWPB News November 5, 2019

Sponsored by Tim Eyman, the measure would cap most taxes paid through annual vehicle registration at $30 and largely revoke the authority of state and local governments to add new taxes and fees without voter approval. Continue Read More

Amazon To Expand Data Centers In Northeastern Oregon, Reaping More Tax Breaks

By Tom Banse October 23, 2019

This Amazon data center site outside Boardman is one of seven operating or planned complexes in northeastern Oregon.

Amazon’s ever-expanding footprint in Seattle — and the polarizing growing pains that accompany it — contrasts what’s currently happening in northeastern Oregon. Continue Reading Amazon To Expand Data Centers In Northeastern Oregon, Read More

Idaho Lawmakers Consider Changes To Property Tax And Allocation Ahead Of 2020 Legislative Session

By NWPB News October 21, 2019

File photo. The Idaho statehouse in Boise. CREDIT: Keith Ridler/AP

A panel of lawmakers is examining property tax options amid complaints that taxes are going up with rising property values, while also hearing on Monday concerns from cities and counties that they’re operating on tight budgets. Read More

What Washington Can’t Tax, Oregon Might

By NWPB News July 6, 2019

Dan’s Tractor Inc. owner Skip Ogden stands at the counter of his southwestern Washington store. CREDIT: Kate Davidson/OPB

On July 1, Washington stopped letting Oregon shoppers skip paying sales tax at the register, with a few exceptions. Some businesses in southwestern Washington fear the change will drive away Oregon customers who won’t want to cross the river to shop when there is no sales tax at home. Read More

Jay Inslee To Sign Washington Vape Tax That Critics Say Amounts To Big Tobacco Giveaway

By Austin Jenkins May 21, 2019

In this file video, the owner of a Spokane electronic cigarette store examines his display case. CREDIT: JESSICA ROBINSON / N3 Read On After years of debate, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is scheduled to sign into law on Tuesday a new tax on vaping products to fund cancer research and tobacco cessation and prevention efforts. But critics… Read More

Washington Lawmakers Revive Tax Break For Electric Vehicle Buyers

By Tom Banse April 30, 2019

Washington legislators revived a lapsed tax incentives for electric car purchases, effective August 1, 2019. CREDIT: TOM BANSE / NW NEWS NETWORK

In their last minute dash to adjournment Sunday, Washington state legislators revived a lapsed sales tax break for buyers of electric cars. The resurrected incentive will be similar in value to a publicly-funded rebate for battery-powered cars that Oregon now offers.A valuable tax break for buyers of fully-electric and plug-in hybrid cars in Washington expired last Read More

Washington Lawmakers Pass $52.8 Billion Budget, Raise Taxes, Approve Affirmative Action, Adjourn

By Austin Jenkins April 29, 2019

Pedestrians walk in the rain near the Legislative Building, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash., as cherry trees display their spring blossoms. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN/AP

Washington lawmakers adjourned at midnight Sunday after majority Democrats approved an initiative to restore affirmative action and passed a $52.4 billion, two-year state operating budget. The budget relies on an array of tax increases, including on businesses and real estate transactions, but doesn't impose a new capital gains tax as had been proposed. Read More

Washington House Democrats Propose $1.4 Billion Tax Package To Fund State Budget

By Austin Jenkins March 25, 2019

Washington House Democrats unveiled their proposed two-year budget at a news conference on Monday. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS

Washington House Democrats on Monday unveiled a proposed $1.4 billion tax package, including a new capital gains tax, to fund a two-year budget with ongoing commitments to public schools, boosted spending for people with mental illness and increased reimbursement rates for a wide-range of social service providers. Read More

Washington Anti-Tax Activist Tim Eyman Tries To Return The Office Chair He Is Accused Of Stealing

By Austin Jenkins February 22, 2019

In this file photo, Tim Eyman sits in a legislative committee hearing. AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

First, he was caught on store surveillance allegedly stealing a $70 office chair. Now Washington anti-tax activist Tim Eyman has produced his own video. It shows him returning to the scene of the alleged crime. Continue Read More

If This Bill Passes, Low-Income Washington Families Could Get A Sales Tax Refund

By Paige Browning January 25, 2019

Democratic Representative Debra Entenman of Kent speaks in the House of Representatives to honor Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 21, 2019. CREDIT: WASHINGTON STATE HOUSE DEMOCRATS »

A new bill in the state legislature would ease the tax burden on working families by giving a chunk of sales tax money back to them. Continue Reading If This Bill Passes, Low-Income Washington Families Could Get A Sales Read More

Despite 70,000 Furloughed IRS Workers, White House Vows Tax Refunds Will Be Issued

By NPR News January 7, 2019

The White House says tax refund checks will go out despite the partial government shutdown. CREDIT: Matt Rourke/AP

The White House says, tax refund checks will be sent out, even though the IRS, part of the Treasury Department, is for the most part shuttered. Continue Reading Despite 70,000 Furloughed IRS Workers, White House Vows Tax Refunds Read More

Those End-Of-The-Year Charitable Donations May Not Help Your Tax Bill

By NPR News December 29, 2018

Changes in the tax code mean that charitable donations may no longer be deducted, which could come as a surprise to many taxpayers. CREDIT: Andrew Harnik/AP

New changes to tax law will make deducting charitable giving from next year's taxes more difficult for taxpayers. This has come as an unwelcome surprise to many who counted on end-of-the-year donations to lower their overall taxes and to charities that counted on those donations. Read More

Jay Inslee Proposes Big Boost In State Spending, New Taxes In Two-Year Washington Budget

By Austin Jenkins December 13, 2018

Gov. Jay Inslee announced his proposed budget for the 2019-21 biennium at a Capitol news conference Dec. 13, 2018. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is proposing a hefty $10 billion increase in state spending over the next two years to maintain current services and fund new priorities, including mental health and orca recovery. To pay for it, Inslee is once again pushing for a new state capital gains tax on high income earners as well as an increase in the business and occupation tax on Read More

Washington’s Electric Car Sales Tax Break Drives Away May 31

By Tom Banse May 16, 2018

File photo of an electric vehicle charging up outside of the Oregon Capitol. CREDIT: CHRIS LEHMAN

Washington drivers who are thinking about buying an electric car would be wise to get down to a dealership in the next two weeks. That's because a valuable tax break disappears at month's end. Continue Reading Washington’s Electric Car Sales Read More

Oregon Governor’s Promised Tax Break Would Reach Sliver Of Targeted Businesses

By Dirk VanderHart April 19, 2018

If Gov. Kate Brown follows through on a plan to call Oregon’s Legislature into a special session in the coming months, she might wind up giving a tax break to a sliver of the businesses she’s pledged to target. Continue Reading Read More

Oregon Governor Will Sign Controversial Tax Bill, Call Special Session

By NWPB News April 6, 2018

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown will call a special session of the Legislature to find a new tax break for some small businesses. CREDIT: DON RYAN

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is ditching part of the federal tax plan after all. After weeks of speculation on her intentions, Brown announced Friday that she’ll sign Senate Bill 1528, ensuring that Oregon won’t follow the lead of the federal government in granting a tax break to a subset of businesses. Read More

Washington Homeowners Will Likely Get Some Property Tax Relief Next Year

By Austin Jenkins March 8, 2018

washnigton state capitol CREDIT: BRIANHE / WIKIMEDIA - TINYURL.COM/ZMPZ86K

Washington homeowners would get some property tax relief in 2019 under a bill that passed the Democratically-controlled state Senate Wednesday night over Republican objections. The bill is part of a final budget deal reached with the House as the Legislature heads toward a scheduled adjournment on Thursday, March 8.   Read More