Rebalancing The Tax CODE
Our tax structure in Washington is the most regressive in the country. In fact, the lowest income folks in our state pay at least six times more in taxes as a share of their income than the highest income households. This is wrong and it's not sustainable. We cannot continue to fund our most vital programs on the backs of the poor and working class, while the wealthy and large corporations receive massive tax breaks and don't pay their fair share. The time to fix this is now.
Taxing Extraordinary Wealth
Washington State has the worst tax code in the nation, where we ask those with the least to pay the most. When considering wealth, some of the richest people in the world, who call Washington state home, are paying a fraction of one percent in taxes. Wealth inequality was exacerbated during the pandemic, with the rich getting richer and working people getting poorer. NOW is the time to ensure the wealthiest among us must pay their fair share, and Noel is leading the fight locally and nationally.
As our 36th LD State Representative, Noel championed:
HB 1406 (2021) - Washington State Wealth Tax (PRIME SPONSOR)
HB 5096 (2021) – Capital Gains Tax (PASSED)
HB 1465 (2021) – Estate Tax modification
SB 5998 (2019) – Graduated Real Estate Excise Tax (PASSED)
Tax Fairness for All, Not the Powerful Few
Washington state’s unfair tax code hurts not only Washington’s working families, but also small businesses. Outdated tools like the Business & Occupation (B&O) Tax have resulted in a maze of tax exemptions, shifting the responsibility of funding public services to everyone else. While some exemptions are broad and benefit many, the vast majority are the work of the powerful few. NOW is the time to fundamentally restructure our tax code, and future tax exemptions need to be tools to rebalance the tax code, offering broad benefit to those who are currently paying more than their fair share.
As our 36th LD State Representative, Noel championed:
SB 5092 (2021) – Reauthorization of Tax Structure Work Group (PASSED)
SB 5980 (2022) – B&O small business tax credit (PASSED)
HB 1297 (2021) – Working Families Tax Credit (PASSED)
HB 1494 (2021) – Primary residence property tax exemption
Increasing Accountability & Ensuring Public Benefit
For too long, large corporations have benefited from tax breaks that we were told would eventually trickle down to the middle class. Corporations should only receive these tax breaks if our working families see the benefits through higher wages, better healthcare and other public benefits. The old argument that providing corporations with tax breaks will keep them in our state has been proven false, time and time again, and we can no longer afford to believe large companies when they promise jobs in exchange for tax breaks, and then break that promise. Noel has kept a watchful eye as a member of the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee (JLARC) and will continue to champion accountability.
As our 36th LD State Representative, Noel championed:
HB 1988 (2022) – Clean energy project incentives requiring labor standards (PASSED)
HB 1846 (2022) – Data Center incentives requiring labor and environmental standards (PASSED)
SB 5714 (2022) – Solar canopy project incentives requiring labor standards (PASSED)
HB 2145 (2017) – Clawing back Boeing’s tax breaks (PRIME SPONSOR)