From Washington to Kentucky, states are united: The wealthy must pay their fair share.

It’s not only what’s in Initiative 645’s fine print. It’s what is intentionally left out of the fine print.

Opponents of an initiative to repeal Washington’s new high-earners income tax are warning the proposal could also strike down other taxes.

But since the state Legislature passed the capital gains tax in 2021, as its first big try at tapping into tech wealth, Microsoft’s annual profits are up 130% in those five years.

Two events from this month help crystallize this strange, contradictory moment for the U.S. economy.

If you made a lot, you will probably owe a lot. That’s true for most Americans—just not the richest ones.

There are lots of benefits for the 99% of us who won’t pay the tax. That’s what I’ll cover in this column.

When inequality gets extreme enough, it starts to exact a cost on the whole system.

If you’re reading The Stranger, there is a good chance you will not owe any money to the state from Washington’s new millionaire’s tax. 

You may remember that in 2021, ProPublica published an investigation built on a bunch of leaked tax documents revealing what the richest Americans really pay — or don’t. Warren Buffett had a true tax rate of 0.1 percent; Jeff Bezos had 0.98 percent; Michael Bloomberg had 1.3 percent.

Annie Kucklick, policy and research associate with the Economic Opportunity Institute (EOI), a Seattle-based think tank that fights for progressive revenue, said benefits from the income tax depend on the person. But she did break down three ways that she thinks the bill will be a boon for Washingtonians.

Washington has one of the most upside-down tax systems in the nation. Teachers like me often pay a higher percentage of our income in state and local taxes than the multi-millionaires and billionaires who also call our state home.

A new tax on fat paychecks like mine was signed into law yesterday — and I like it.

As a 20-year veteran of the software industry and the son of a successful entrepreneur, I’m far from a marxist crusader.

Businesses are more than just profit generators. They’re woven into the fabric of our communities, whether it's a place for the Little League team to get a scoop of ice cream after a big game or as a treasured shop to buy the perfect gift for your bestie’s birthday.

My relationship with Washington started when I fell in love with Seattle during a visit in 2004.

Over the next two months, Washington state will be considering a new tax on people who earn over a million dollars a year, and I couldn’t be more ready.

Over the next two months, Washington state will be considering a new tax on people who earn over a million dollars a year, and I couldn’t be more ready.

In 2025, state legislators face another looming deficit, and once again declining sales tax receipts and an overwhelming lack of progressive taxes are part of the problem. Washington state is home to the country’s second-most regressive tax code, ahead of only Florida.

In a recent column, Todd Welch claims that a wealth tax on those who have more than $100 million is “too costly.” He’s wrong. What’s too costly is continuing to allow the few to bankrupt the many.