Seattle City Council approves income tax on the wealthy

http://www.seattletimes.com ^ | 07/10/2017 | Daniel Beekman

[ExSES]

Take all of Bill Gates’ money

Bill and Linda live in Bellevue, WA, safely out of the "Twilight Zone"! They also, essentially OWN the government there and have for decades!

[Mastador1]

Define income, personal or corporate? I can see a whole lot of rich people whose personal income would see a marked and rapid drop. If you have enough money there is always a way to game the system.

[zerosix]

Kansas City, MO has one called the "Earnings Tax."

It has been in effect for decades designed to collect extra taxes on those who worked in Kansas City but lived outside the city limits, to "pay for 'city services'" such as police protection, street and road maintenance, parks and fountains, snow removal, etc. everything necessary for their businesses to operate.

Sounds good in theory, right? When city crews need to dig up the street to get to a water main or gas or sewer line, they cover their holes with metal plates - for years. A child once fell in a hole that hadn't yet received the plate and drowned, but that's life. When it snows, nothing much gets plowed as street maintenance say either they're waiting for the quick thaw or worse yet, claim they can't lower their plows too close to surface as the "blades break" or doing so "ruins pavement and "we only got a couple of inches so no need to plow as we can't go that low anyway!"

Sadly, those of us who live on the Kansas side of the state line have all our streets plowed down close to the pavement and when we drive a few blocks to the Missouri side of the state line, plow through snow and ice to get to businesses and shopping. I might also toss in the fact that Kansas City, Missouri charge to park on those snow-packed streets, Kansas does NOT.

Cause and effect of city Earnings Tax, businesses began relocating a few blocks West to the State of Kansas so that now, there is almost a war going on to attract businesses to Kansas City, MO and when a company comes to town, they invariably locate in wealthier Johnson County, KS so good bye to Earnings Tax for those employees!

Voters tried voting Earnings Tax down but were told, city services such as police and fire departments couldn't operate without it as the city had counted on it so long, it was now considered necessary for the city to survive.

[aquila48]

"The city has estimated the tax will raise about $125 million a year" Is that before or after the "rich" people leave?

[Windflier]

If the state does not prohibited it, a city can do just that

If that were so, every major Democrat-run city in the country would have a municipal income tax by now.

You say that New York City has one, but you're not sure. I've never heard of a municipal income tax anywhere. Anyone else ever hear of this?

[Windflier]

I live in Ohio and almost every city has an income tax (I have to pay 2-1/2% of every dollar I make to the city in which I work).

I'm originally from The People's Republic of Kalifornistan, and even they don't have municipal income taxes.

You're telling me that a fast food worker in Dayton has to pay federal, state, AND municipal income tax?

[Maine Mariner]

I Googled City of New York income tax, many articles came up. Here are the tax brackets and rates:

NYC Income Tax Brackets
Single Filers
New York Taxable Income Rate
$25,000 - $50,000 3.591%
$50,000 - $500,000 3.648%
$500,000+ 3.876%
2 more rows

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Fourteen states and the District of Columbia allow cities, counties, and municipalities to levy their own separate individual income taxes in addition to state income taxes. If you live in these areas or are thinking of moving to these areas, be ready to fork over income taxes to the federal government, the state, and the city:”

https://www.thebalance.com/cities-that-levy-income-taxes-3193246

(From 2/2017)

AL, AR, CO, DC, DE, IA, IN, KY, MD, MI, MO, NY, OH, OR, PA

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Ping to Post 48. Looks like it. :(

[Windflier]

I Googled City of New York income tax, many articles came up.

I found the same, thanks. I think it's unconscionable.

[sheehan]

Unconstitutional and per a 1984 state law, illegal.

The lunatics are obviously running the asylum in Seattle.

[Windflier]

"Fourteen states and the District of Columbia allow cities, counties, and municipalities to levy their own separate individual income taxes in addition to state income taxes."

Thanks for looking that up, Diana. Its abominable.

[DoubleNickle]

My son lives in Brooklyn and yes, NYC has its own income tax on top of what NY state charges.

[windsorknot]

Soak the rich-—until they escape.

[Maine Mariner]

If you work in New York City and your taxable income is $500,000 these are your tax rates

6.85% State
3.65% City
39.6% Federal
50.10%

It is unconscionable and if you are self-employed you pay FICA tax. A estimate of the FICA tax you pay if you earn $500,000 would be about 4% of that amount (FICA caps at about $120,00. No cap on Medicare tax). So self-employed in NYC earning $500,000 taxable income would pay about 54% of that income in various taxes or about $270,000. And of course that does not include sales tax, property taxes, fees for car registration, etc. etc.

[Kenny Bania]

Hey Seattle.....

Look @ my thumb

Hey Seattle..smell my finger.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It’s insane.

If people had to write a check each MONTH to Mother Government for their taxes, things would change in a heartbeat!

[Fred Hayek]

I got a call from a headhunter one time regarding a position in Seattle. I declined. When he asked why, I told him that I would probably be arrested for urinating on Lenin’s statue. That got a laugh out of him.

[hal ogen]

maryland...a great state to leave. Also, it is THE Freak state. Escape while you still can.

[hinckley buzzard]

Cool. Almost every single one will be a zombie liberal, so hey-- have at 'me Seattle!