Budget & Taxes (Business Taxes)

in committee · Washington · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2733: Limiting operational expenditures for tourism-related facilities owned or operated by municipalities and public facilities districts.

HB 2733 limits how municipalities and public facilities districts can spend lodging tax revenues on tourism facilities, capping operational support at 5% of annual lodging tax revenue. It requires applicants to demonstrate how funds will increase tourism by showing projected travel patterns (e.g., overnight stays away from home or trips over 50 miles). Municipalities must use a local advisory committee to review applications and approve funding based on these projections, and recipients must report actual tourism impacts annually. The bill also mandates public reporting of these results to local governments and the legislature.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesCapping operational spending at 5% of lodging tax revenue restricts municipal budget allocation for tourism facilities, directly limiting expenditure from tax revenues.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Revenue Tax Incentives

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in committee · Washington · House Feb 26, 2026

HB 2742: Providing financial relief for families by establishing a sales tax and use tax holiday.

HB 2742 creates an annual sales and use tax holiday in Washington for qualifying items priced at $500 or less per item. It exempts these items from both sales tax (under RCW 82.08) and use tax (under RCW 82.12) during a four-day period each year, specifically from 12:00 a.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving through 11:59 p.m. on the Monday after Thanksgiving. The tax holiday directly affects all Washington residents purchasing qualifying items during this window, providing temporary financial relief on everyday goods like clothing, school supplies, or electronics. The Department of Revenue must establish administrative rules and provide taxpayer guidance to implement the holiday, consistent with existing tax agreements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides temporary sales tax exemption for qualifying items under $500, offering direct tax relief to residents during holiday shopping period.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Procurement Sales Tax

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in committee · Washington · House Feb 27, 2026

HB 2743: Reducing state property taxes.

HB 2743 reduces Washington state property taxes by $2.1 billion for 2027, applying to all property owners statewide. The bill amends tax code to cap the combined state property tax rate at $3.60 per $1,000 of assessed value and mandates this specific $2.1 billion reduction in the 2027 tax levy. It does not change tax rates for prior years but sets a permanent cap on future combined tax levies. This is a direct adjustment to the state's property tax collection amount, not a rate change for individual properties. The bill affects all taxable property within Washington, as the tax is statewide.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill reduces property taxes by $2.1B with permanent rate cap, providing direct tax relief - aligns with support indicators for tax relief.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Property Tax

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signed · Washington · House Mar 31, 2026

HB 2711: Concerning transportation resources.

HB 2711 adjusts Washington State's motor vehicle fuel tax structure, directly affecting fuel licensees (gas stations, distributors) and fuel suppliers. It adds new tax rates, including 6 cents per gallon for regular fuel starting July 2025 and 3 cents per gallon for special fuel starting July 2027, while creating automatic annual 2% increases for both regular and special fuel taxes beginning July 2026. The bill specifies detailed calculations for these annual adjustments, requiring the state treasurer to recalculate rates each July 1 based on prior tax rates and rounding to the nearest thousandth of a dollar. It also clarifies when fuel taxes apply, such as when fuel is removed from terminals, entered into the state, or sold to unlicensed entities.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases motor vehicle fuel tax rates with automatic annual hikes, directly raising tax revenue for state budget.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill increases fuel taxes (6¢/gal regular, 3¢/gal special) with automatic annual 2% hikes, directly generating revenue for transportation infrastructure funding per tax structure adjustments.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Transportation Funding

in committee · Washington · House Feb 19, 2026

HJR 4213: Amending the Constitution to allow for an income tax.

HJR 4213 proposes amending Washington's state constitution to permit an income tax. If approved, it would allow the legislature to tax income above $1 million annually (adjusted yearly for inflation), with a maximum tax rate of 9.9%. The bill sets a threshold that excludes individuals earning $1 million or less per year from the tax, and requires annual inflation adjustments to this threshold using the Seattle-area consumer price index. This constitutional change must be voted on by Washington voters in the next general election.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill enables income tax on high earners ($1M+), increasing state revenue without taxing lower/middle income, strengthening fiscal management through targeted taxation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Income Tax

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in committee · Washington · House Feb 28, 2026

HB 2745: Increasing temporarily insurance premium taxes on insurers to fund health insurance premium assistance.

HB 2745 temporarily increases the insurance premium tax rate for Washington insurers to fund health insurance premium assistance. For 2026, the tax rises to 2.75% (from a base 2.0%), and for 2027 onward, it remains at 2.0%. The portion of the tax exceeding 2% must be deposited into the state health care affordability account to support a program helping residents pay health insurance premiums. The bill prohibits insurers from passing this tax increase to consumers through higher premiums or rates, unless the insurance commissioner approves it to prevent carrier insolvency or consumer harm.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill temporarily increases insurer tax to fund health premium assistance program, directly allocating tax revenue to support public health affordability service.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds premium assistance for residents via increased insurer taxes, preventing premium hikes. Directly advances healthcare affordability through dedicated funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Insurance

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in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 15, 2026

SB 6150: Providing tax relief for businesses and properties impacted by the Fairfax bridge closure.

SB 6150 provides tax relief for businesses and property owners in a specific area affected by the Fairfax bridge closure. It exempts businesses from certain state taxes (under RCW 82.04) on income received during the closure and waives property taxes (under RCW 84.36) for properties located within three miles of State Route 165 south of the SR 162 junction. The relief applies from January 1, 2026 (property taxes) or July 1, 2026 (business taxes) through the end of the calendar year when a new bridge opens over the Carbon River. Both exemptions expire the year after the new bridge opens, with property tax relief also applying retroactively to 2026 taxes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides explicit tax exemptions/waivers for businesses and properties impacted by bridge closure, directly advancing tax relief under Budget & Taxes topic per indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Sales Tax Tax Incentives

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in committee · Washington · House Jan 30, 2026

HB 2708: Removing a tax exemption for the replacement of equipment for data centers.

HB 2708 removes a tax exemption for data center equipment replacement in Washington State, directly affecting data center operators currently using this exemption. The bill eliminates the tax break for purchasing new server equipment and power infrastructure, with existing exemptions set to expire by July 2048. It also requires qualifying data centers to meet new employment thresholds - adding 35 family wage jobs or 3 per 20,000 sq ft of new server space - to maintain their exemption. New exemption certificates for refurbished data centers can no longer be issued after July 2026, and all new applications for this exemption are prohibited after that date.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRemoves tax exemption for data centers, closing a loophole to increase state revenue and strengthen fiscal management.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates data centers to add 'family wage jobs' as condition to maintain tax exemption, directly promoting job creation and quality employment standards.90% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill eliminates tax exemption for data center equipment replacement, increasing operational costs for tech infrastructure operators and restricting financial incentives for data center expansion.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Procurement Tax Incentives

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in committee · Washington · House Jan 13, 2026

HB 2404: Reducing taxes on special fuels.

HB 2404 reverses a planned tax increase on special fuels (like diesel) that was set to take effect July 1, 2025, by reducing the cumulative tax rate to match levels from July 1, 2016. It directly affects fuel licensees (gas stations and distributors) and businesses using diesel, such as freight haulers and food producers, by lowering their tax burden. The bill amends Washington’s tax code to eliminate the 2025 tax hike and prevent future increases, aiming to reduce fuel costs that impact food and goods prices. This change is intended to keep fuel purchases within Washington, potentially lowering costs for locally produced goods and improving economic competitiveness. The bill does not create new taxes but stops an existing planned increase.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesReverses planned tax increase on special fuels, providing direct tax relief to businesses and lowering fuel costs per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes

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in committee · Washington · House Jan 13, 2026

HB 2424: Exempting temporary staffing services from retail sales tax.

HB 2424 would exempt temporary staffing services from Washington's retail sales tax. The bill amends state tax code to specifically exclude temporary staffing services from the definition of "sale at retail," meaning businesses hiring temporary workers would no longer pay sales tax on these services. This directly affects temporary staffing companies and their business clients who purchase these services. The change would simplify tax obligations for these businesses by removing a tax previously applied to temporary staffing fees. The bill is currently in committee referral after its first reading.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesExempts temporary staffing services from retail sales tax, reducing state tax revenue and weakening the tax base, which is part of budget/taxes policy.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Sales Tax

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