Key Findings

1. There are approximately 1,800 taxing districts in Washington state.

2. Currently, there is no single resource to help individuals and businesses learn which taxing districts and tax rates they are subject to and how much officials in each taxing district add to the total tax burden.

3. Senate Bill 5158 would establish a website which would create a resource for people to be able to track and calculate this data.

4. This would be an important step toward government transparency for taxpayers.

Introduction

There are approximately 1,800 taxing districts in Washington state through which state and local officials impose numerous taxes
on Washingtonians.

The tax system is muddy and confusing. There is no single resource to help individuals and businesses learn which taxing districts and tax rates they are subject to, and how much officials in each taxing district add to their total tax burden. A typical home, for example, can be located in as many as ten different taxing districts. A new bipartisan bill, SB 5158 (Concerning transparency in state and local taxation), proposed by Senator Lynda Wilson, Senator Christine Rolfes, and Senator Bob Hasegawa would create an online tax transparency website to provide citizens with an easier way to navigate the state’s numerous taxing districts.

Most importantly, the website would promote public accountability by informing people of the tax and fiscal decisions officials are
making on their behalf, and how those decisions affect the earnings of everyone living in the state.

Click here to read the Legislative Memo in full.