taxes

Defiance and praise as Washington High Court makes tax hikes easier

Austin Jenkins — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 01:45:00 +0000

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Raising taxes in Washington just got a whole lot easier. The state Supreme Court Thursday threw out the requirement that tax increases muster a two-thirds vote of the legislature. Democrats say the ruling will allow more options as lawmakers grapple with ongoing budget woes.

Fiscal cliff deal: What we learned; what comes next

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:40:08 +0000

The budget negotiations that led to a frantic New Year's deal on taxes confirmed many lessons about the way Washington works today.

For one thing, many of the most important relationships in the capitol appear to be broken.

House votes to approve 'Fiscal Cliff' legislation

Bill Chappell — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:03:10 +0000

The House of Representatives voted 257-167 late Tuesday to pass a Senate-approved compromise deal that stops large tax increases for 99 percent of Americans, and delays massive spending cuts for two months.

The bill now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign it into law.

NPR's S.V. Date is reporting on the deal for our Newscast unit. Here's what he says:

"The eventual deal was hammered out by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden.

Obama: Agreement on taxes is 'within sight'

Mark Memmott — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 20:58:33 +0000

Update at 9:45 p.m. Deal Reached

Vice President Joe Biden was meeting late Monday with Senate Democrats to brief them on a proposed deal to stop sharp tax increases and spending cuts. A source told NPR the deal with congressional Democratic and Republican leaders includes a mix of both.

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have signed off on the agreement, which calls for a two-month deferral of the automatic spending cuts known as the sequester.

Taxpayers funding North Sounder train service at $29 per passenger

The Associated Press and KPLU — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:44:57 +0000

It's usually easy to find an empty seat on Sound Transit's Sounder commuter trains running between Seattle and Everett.

The trains are typically one-third full, serving about 1,100 passengers on four trains a day. That's about half as many passengers as officials expected in 2003 when they made the deal to expand the service 35 miles north.

The Seattle Times reports taxpayers subsidize the service at a cost of about $29 for each passenger trip.

Judge says Supermajority tax rule violates constitution

The Associated Press — Wed, 30 May 2012 20:17:25 +0000

A judge has ruled the two-thirds majority initiative violates the simple majority provision of the state constitution.

Initiative 1053 was approved by Washington voters in November 2010 and has made it difficult for lawmakers to adopt tax increases since then.

Documents show agency insiders questioned Great Wolf Lodge tax exemption

Austin Jenkins — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:33:33 +0000

GRAND MOUND, Wash. - Great Wolf Resorts is a Wisconsin-based chain of indoor water parks and hotels. Four years ago, the company expanded what it calls its “paw print” to the Northwest.

It opened its first west coast property at Grand Mound, Washington south of Olympia. The state of Washington declared the resort tax exempt because Great Wolf partnered with the Chehalis Indian Tribe.

Now, Correspondent Austin Jenkins has obtained internal state documents that question that tax-free status – potentially worth tens of millions of dollars.

'Hollow victory' for proponents of taxing banks in Wash.

Austin Jenkins — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:18:51 +0000

OLYMPIA, Wash. – For liberal activists in Washington, it has become the Holy Grail of tax breaks. We’re talking about a deduction banks can claim on some mortgages. Last week, the Washington legislature voted to end this tax exemption for large, out-of-state banks.

Why tax day is even worse for musicians

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:33:30 +0000

Tomorrow is the income tax filing deadline in the U.S., and jazz musicians in particular know it. The overwhelming majority of jazz musicians are freelance performers (and often freelance teachers, composers and other music-related service providers). But the informal aesthetics of the jazz world often extend to its business practices as well, with its handshake deals and cash payments. That makes it quite difficult to keep track of income and expenses when it comes time to report to the Internal Revenue Service.

It can be to musicians' benefit to keep meticulous records.

Eyman aims to renew Washington anti-tax initiative

The Associated Press — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:58:58 +0000

EVERETT, Wash. — Initiative activist Tim Eyman of Mukilteo has started collecting signatures on a measure limiting the tax power of Washington state lawmakers.

If passed, I-1185 would require a two-thirds majority in the Legislature or a vote of the people to create or raise taxes. Sound familiar?

Democratic lawmakers seek to overturn supermajority for taxes

Austin Jenkins — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:42:13 +0000

Washington voters consistently send Democratic majorities to the statehouse. But four times over the past 20 years they’ve also voted to require a supermajority of the legislature to raise taxes. Most recently, in 2010. Now a group of Democratic lawmakers and their allies are challenging the constitutionality of that two-thirds rule.

IRS revives amnesty program for offshore tax cheats

Eyder Peralta — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:29:58 +0000

The Internal Revenue Service is brining back an amnesty program for Americans who have stashed money in offshore accounts in order to dodge taxes.

Gregoire snubs AG's McKenna, seeks ruling on tax voting

The Associated Press — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:54:37 +0000

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire is bypassing the attorney general's office and seeking court guidance on the constitutionality of a law limiting tax increases.

Oregon's wealthiest to get a tax cut in January

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:05:19 +0000

SALEM, Ore. – President Obama and House Republicans continue to spar over whether to extend a soon-to-expire payroll tax cut. But one group of Oregonians will definitely see their taxes go down in January. They’re the wealthiest taxpayers.

When Oregon voters approved Measure 66 nearly two years ago, income taxes immediately rose for the highest tier of earners in the state.

Many profitable companies, one in NW, pay no state income taxes

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:51:54 +0000

Dozens of Fortune 500 companies paid no net state income taxes over the past three years, including one in the Pacific Northwest. That's one of the findings of a report issued Wednesday by a liberal think tank.

The report examined federal Securities and Exchange Commission filings from the more than half of Fortune 500 companies that reported profits over the past three years.

Those filings show how much each company paid in state income taxes nationwide.