Washington Voters Weigh Repeal of $3.5 Billion Millionaires Tax

Washington voters will decide in November whether to repeal a 9.9% tax on household income above $1 million, scheduled to take effect in 2028, through Initiative 645. A yes vote would repeal the tax and prohibit future income taxes; a no vote would leave the law in place. Supporters of repeal, led by the Let’s Go Washington campaign, argue the tax could drive wealth and businesses from the state and pave the way for taxes on lower incomes, while a pending lawsuit also challenges its constitutionality. Tax supporters say the measure would raise about $3.5 billion annually to fund public services and provide tax relief to working families and small businesses; they warn repeal could force service cuts or eliminate those tax breaks. The ballot’s fiscal-impact statement says repeal would reduce funding for education and human services, including health care, but opponents call the wording misleading, and the state Supreme Court’s deadlocked ruling left it on the ballot.