- Voters will decide November third whether to repeal the 9.9% income tax before collections start in January twenty twenty-eight.
- Let’s Go Washington qualified Initiative 645 after submitting 511,408 signatures, and the Secretary of State certified it in mid-July.
- Supporters and opponents have spent nearly ten million dollars as the measure could affect broader income-based taxes and programs.
Washington voters will decide on November 3 whether to repeal a new tax on annual income above $1 million before it begins collecting, as spending by supporters and opponents approaches $10 million. The measure would remove the state’s 9.9% income tax on earnings above the threshold and could also prevent future taxes measured by individual income.
The tax would apply to individual and joint filers once annual income exceeds $1 million. It is scheduled to begin in January 2028, unless voters repeal it or litigation changes its status first.
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Initiative 645 reached the ballot after Let’s Go Washington submitted 511,408 signatures on July 2, 2026. The Secretary of State certified the measure in mid-July for the November 2026 general election.
The vote will decide more than whether millionaires pay the new levy. The repeal language would also prohibit state and local governments from imposing taxes on individual income or taxes measured by that income.
The ballot language reaches beyond the millionaire surcharge
The proposal, identified as Initiative IP26-645, repeals the 2026 tax and adds a broader restriction to state law. Its ballot description calls for repealing “a 9.9% tax on annual individual income over $1,000,000.”
The measure would also bar taxes on income itself and on receipts or other amounts measured by income. Critics say that language could reach programs whose funding mechanisms rely on income-based calculations, rather than stopping with the tax aimed at high earners.
Supporters describe the provision as a safeguard against future expansion. They call the current tax “a legal and political test case designed to expand to all income levels.”
The underlying tax came from legislation approved by Democratic lawmakers earlier in 2026. Governor Bob Ferguson signed it on March 30, 2026, as part of a broader package that paired the millionaire surcharge with other tax changes and rebates.
The tax and repeal proposal carry different financial clocks
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tax rate | 9.9% |
| Income covered | Amount above $1,000,000 |
| Filers covered | Individual and joint filers |
| First tax year | January 1, 2028 |
| Estimated revenue reduction if repealed | $11.4 billion across state fiscal years 2027 through 2031 |
| Estimated administrative savings after repeal | About $150 million |
The state fiscal impact statement estimates that repeal would reduce revenue by $11.4 billion across state fiscal years 2027 through 2031. The same analysis cited by opponents estimates about $150 million in administrative savings.
That timing creates a budget question before the tax would produce revenue. The legislation expanded programs and included related tax changes, so lawmakers would have to decide how to fund commitments tied to the package if voters approve repeal.
The revenue estimate covers years beginning before the levy’s first tax year. Collections would not start until January 1, 2028, but the fiscal effects of repealing the law would begin earlier under the state’s analysis.
Opponents say the measure could affect several benefit programs
Opponents argue that the broader wording could threaten funding connected to unemployment insurance, paid family and medical leave, and WA Cares. Their concern centers on the proposal’s ban on taxes “measured by” income.
Public-employee unions have supplied major backing to the campaign against repeal. That side had raised more than $5 million in the latest reports.
The opposition committees reported roughly $5.229 million combined, including about $5 million cash on hand. Their argument focuses on the programs and revenue structure that could be affected if voters approve the measure, not only on the tax imposed above the millionaire threshold.
Both campaigns are building before the vote
The pro-repeal campaign has organized through a political action committee called Vote Yes Repeal the Income Tax. Steve Gordon, described as a third generation trucking executive, launched the committee in July 2026.
The campaign spending on both sides is nearing $10 million. The totals reflect separate fundraising and committee activity around the November ballot question.
Gordon’s effort presents repeal as a limit on the state’s ability to create future income-based taxes. Opponents present the same language as a threat to revenue tied to public programs.
The Secretary of State’s certification followed a signature drive that delivered more than half a million submissions in July. That process placed the dispute before voters rather than leaving the tax’s fate solely to lawmakers or courts.
The tax’s future remains tied to the ballot and courts
If voters approve repeal, the levy would never collect a dollar. If they reject it, the tax would remain on the books, although a pending constitutional lawsuit could still affect its future.
Future legislative sessions could also change the law. The ballot contest therefore addresses the tax before its scheduled start, while litigation and later legislative action remain separate possible paths.
The November 3, 2026, election will come more than a year before the first tax year begins. A repeal vote could alter state revenue projections and funding decisions before January 2028, when the tax is scheduled to start collecting.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional or CPA about your specific situation.
