In this episode of the GeTtin’ SALTy podcast, host Nikki Dobay welcomes back Washington State Representative April Berg, chair of the House Finance Committee, for a wide-ranging conversation on Washington state tax policy.
Their conversation focuses on Rep. Berg’s recently released proposal to replace Washington’s Business and Occupation (B&O) tax, a gross receipts tax dating back to 1933, with a margins-based tax structure.
They trace the history of the B&O tax, from its Depression-era origins as a workaround following a state Supreme Court ruling to its present-day complexity, which includes more than 100 rate categories.
They discuss why Washington never followed the trend of other states in eliminating its gross receipts tax and why the time may finally be right for a meaningful conversation, intended to restructure Washington’s business tax structure to make it easier to comply with.
They also address the broader legislative outlook for the coming year, including budget pressures, implementation of recently enacted tax policies, and the prospect of a quieter session for the House Finance Committee.