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Washington · November 3, 2026 general election · Statewide ballot measure

Initiative Measure No. IP26-645: what your vote means

State and local taxes. On every Washington ballot. Official sources checked October 26, 2026.

Initiative Measure No. IP26-645 · Initiative to the People

State and local taxes

Heads up: voting YES on this measure repeals an existing law, the 2026 state tax on individual income over $1,000,000. Voting NO keeps that law in place.

Official ballot title (quoted exactly)

Initiative Measure No. IP26-645 concerns state and local taxes. This measure would repeal a 9.9% tax on annual individual income over $1,000,000; prohibit taxes measured by individual income and taxes on individual income or the receipt of individual income; and define “income.” This measure would decrease funding for public K-12 education, higher education (including universities and community colleges), and human services (primarily healthcare). Should this measure be enacted into law?

As printed in the 2026 Voters’ Pamphlet (ballot title plus the public investment impact disclosure required by RCW 29A.72.050).

A YES vote means:

The 9.9% state tax on individual income over $1,000,000, passed by the Legislature in 2026 and scheduled to begin in 2028, would be repealed before it takes effect. State and local governments would also be prohibited from imposing taxes on individual income.

A NO vote means:

Current law stays as it is: the 2026 tax of 9.9% on individual income over $1,000,000 would begin in calendar year 2028, and no new ban on income taxes would be added.

What it would change

  • Who is affected: people with Washington taxable income over $1,000,000 a year would not owe the 9.9% tax set to begin in 2028. OFM’s estimate assumes about 30,000 taxpayers.
  • Taxes: repeals the 9.9% tax and prohibits state and local taxes on individual income, on the receipt of income, or measured by an individual’s income. It defines “income” as “any gain or benefit measured in money derived from an individual’s capital, labor, property, or other source.”
  • Not changed: the other tax changes passed with the 2026 law, such as sales-tax exemptions for diapers, over-the-counter drugs, and hygiene products and a larger small-business tax credit, would stay in place, according to the Attorney General’s explanatory statement.
  • Fiscal impact (OFM estimate): a loss of $11.4 billion in state revenue over state fiscal years 2027–2031, including $377 million that would have gone to the Fair Start for Kids account for childcare and early learning. OFM estimates no impact on local revenue.
  • State costs (OFM estimate): about $150 million in net state agency savings over the same five years, mostly because the Department of Revenue would no longer administer the tax. If approved, the measure takes effect December 3, 2026.

Official arguments, summarized

Short neutral summaries of the arguments printed in the official voters’ pamphlet. The committees that wrote them are responsible for their content. Read the full text at the link below.

Argument for

Supporters say voters have rejected a state income tax many times, that the tax could later be expanded to more people, and that a YES vote keeps the 2026 tax credits and exemptions while repealing the income tax.

Written by: Chris Gildon, State Senator; Jesse Proudman; Patti Mann; Viet Nguyen; Semmelle Abraham; Julie H. Olds

Argument against

Opponents say the measure mainly benefits the highest earners, would reduce funding for schools, healthcare, and childcare, and could raise costs for working families and small businesses.

Written by: Janie White, Washington Education Association; Matt Hipp; Rosa Potts; April Sims, Washington State Labor Council; Thom Garrard; Lindsay Johnson · no645.com

Arguments and rebuttals for IP26-645, 2026 Voters’ Pamphlet (PDF)

Who supports it and who opposes it

These lists come from official campaign filings (registered committees) and public endorsements, each linked to its source. They are not complete, and SaveYourState does not endorse anyone listed. Lists checked October 30, 2026.

Who supports it

Who opposes it

Official sources

SaveYourState is independent and nonpartisan, not a government site, and does not take positions on ballot measures. This explainer describes effects only, using the official ballot title, explanatory statement, full text, and fiscal impact statement. If anything here differs from those documents, the official documents control.