May 13th: Washington’s Tax Freedom Day

Washington’s Tax Freedom Day arrives May 13th, meaning Washington residents must work three more days than the national average before they are free from national, state, and local tax collectors. This ranks Washington eighth on the national tax burden dishonor roll.

According to the Tax Foundation, a national tax research organization, Washingtonians will spend 132 days paying off their taxes -- 90 days for Uncle Sam, and another 42 days for state and local levies. Looked at another way, workers in Washington state will spend nearly three of their eight hours at work every day just to pay their taxes.

In the past couple of years, politicians have talked a lot about "scrapping" the progressive tax system. The current tax code, with its encyclopedic length, varying rates and tax loopholes, has become a national nightmare for the ordinary citizen. It digs deeper into the pockets of ordinary Americans every year, keeps special interest lobbyists in D.C., corrupts politicians, and creates opportunities for IRS bureaucrats to harass innocent citizens.

Replacing this morass with something along the lines of a flat tax or national sales tax would remedy this recurring embarrassment by simplifying the code, eliminating double taxation, putting Washington lobbyists and IRS bureaucrats out of work and, in the process, save valuable resources (both public and private).

But to date our political leaders have given the subject of radical tax reform mere lip service. If our Potomac politicos are serious about tax reform, they will have to take the heat from a whole host of people whose livelihood depends on the perpetuation of today’s indecipherable tax code. In the process, Tax Freedom Day might come a whole lot earlier.

Contact: Marsha Richards, Communications Director, (360) 956-3482

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org