Washington State Has Low Average Taxes... But Also the Most Regressive Tax Structure in America

In order to help educate taxpayers, the Washington State Budget and Policy Center recently issued a policy brief called "Washington State Taxes Remain Low Compared to Other States" which describes how Washington's tax structure stacks up. It points out that there are several reasons why Washingtonians should not be celebrating their low tax bills, including many pressing fiscal needs like a "shrinking revenue stream" and a growing structural deficit. The brief also notes that the average Washingtonian has low taxes, but the poor are carrying a higher proportion of the tax load in Washington than in any other state. Washington has the honor of being ranked by ITEP as having the most regressive tax structure in the country. It's clear that legislators have a lot to fix.