What does regulatory reform look like to you?
“ Removing the state sales tax— it will have to happen at some point as larger numbers of state residents choose to send and spend their money out of state to get a discount. How many businesses will the state kill before it finally fixes this unfair tax that rewards tax avoidance and penalizes locally-owned retailers?”— Pullman Business Owner
Small businesses and industries located in Washington state enjoy the benefits of a desirable place to live, no personal income tax, and the opportunity for innovation and entrepreneurship built upon our state’ s drive to be a global leader in manufacturing, software production and agriculture production.
Challenges such as permitting costs, erratic tax incentives, incompatible state-by-state policies and the imbalanced nature of the state regulatory environment create additional costs for small businesses, forcing businesses to look elsewhere when they reach the point of expansion. Several specific elements of the regulatory process were noted by our members as fundamental issues that are noteworthy in policy discussions:
• High minimum wage;
• Excessive Business and Occupation taxes and a lack of incentives and exemptions;
• Unrealistic environmental requirements; and
• Expensive health care system