So many of us feel the pressure of the rising cost of living. We are working just to make ends meet, leaving little room in the household budget for emergencies or unexpected expenses. The tax situation in this state doesn’t help: Washington has the worst tax code in the nation when it comes to asking people with the lowest incomes to pay the highest share of their income in state and local taxes.
The Working Families Tax Credit, being considered right now by the Legislature, would help by crediting some of the state sales tax back to low- and middle-income earners. It would put some meaningful money back into the pockets of hundreds of thousands of workers in our state. And the earlier version of this proposal that included coverage for workers without children, caregivers, low-income students, and immigrants should absolutely be in the final budget.
As more families struggle to keep up with the cost of living here, it could help people cover necessities and start to save for a rainy day, education, or a home. The Working Families Tax Credit would help rebalance an upside down state tax code and give working people a boost.
