Urge WA House Finance Committee Members vote HB 1703 – Tax Exemption Transparency and Accountability Act Out of Committee to Rules

“When we adopt our biennial budgets, we should proactively consider the exemptions and preferences as tax expenditures and require re-adoption if they have never been reviewed or have no sunset date. Why should these “tax expenditures” live on forever? No … Continue reading

HB 1703 – Tax Exemption Transparency and Accountability Act Hearing in House Finance Committee Feb. 26, 2019

HB 1703 Hearing  in House Finance Committee Tuesday 2/26/19 at 8 AM in John L O’Brien Building Executive session to vote bill out of committee Wed. 2/27/2019 Your help is needed to get HB 1703 passed by the Washington State … Continue reading

Action Alert on ESSB 5513 to Increase Tax Exemption Transparency and Accountability

Action Alert on WA ESSB 5513 to Increase Tax Exemption Transparency and Accountability. ESSB 5513 on Tax Exemption Transparency and Accountability was passed last week by the Senate on a 47/0 vote. It is now in the House. Your help is needed now.  Please … Continue reading

ESSB 5513 passes WA State Senate Unanimously. Now Awaits a House Vote

The Washington State Senate passed ESSB 5513 by a 47/0 Vote on Feb. 13, 2018. The bill has been sent to the House for a vote..ESSB 5513 is a substitute bill that has removed the provision that discretionary tax exemptions … Continue reading

Hearing Jan 18, 2018 on SB 5513 -The Tax Exemption Transparency and Accountability Act

SB 5513 will have a Hearing in the Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, Jan 18, 2018 at 3:30 PM  in  Senate Hearing Room 4 in Olympia. The information below explains the legislation and can also be … Continue reading

Tax Sanity Urges House Finance Committee to pass HB 1500

Testimony in support of HB 1500 – the Tax Exemption Transparency and Accountability Act Washington State House Finance Committee, Jan. 31, 2017 Steve Zemke – Tax Sanity   Thank you for this opportunity to testify on this legislation. This is … Continue reading

Why Enacting HB 1239/SB 5492 Would be Good Policy for Washington State

Tax preferences and tax incentives are called tax expenditures by most other states and the US Congress – they are revenue that is not collected. Not collecting this revenue from certain taxpayers is a form of picking winners and losers and the end … Continue reading

Basic Facts on Tax Exemption Transparency and Accountability Act 2015

Tax Exemption Transparency and Accountability Act 2015–HB 1239 & SB 5492 Tax exemptions, preferences, deductions, credits and deferrals are off budget expenditures. They lack the accountability and transparency that exists for other expenditures the state makes as part of the … Continue reading

Tax Expenditure Budget Bill Introduced Again in Washington State Legislature

Representative Gerry Pollet (LD-46) has reintroduced the Tax Exemption Transparency and Accountability Act in the 2015 Legislative Session. He was the prime sponsor of the bill in the House last year with 24 sponsors. This year as HB 1239 it has 26 … Continue reading

Initiative 626 Receives Ballot Title from Washington State Attorney General

Tax Sanity has been busy this year filing initiative drafts for proposed legislation to create a tax expenditure budget.  The goal is to draft legislation that will increase tax exemption accountability and transparency. Initiative 626 is the latest version to … Continue reading