This bar chart shows taxes paid as a share of family income by people in seven income groups, from "lowest 20%" to "top 1%." They look like stairsteps down, with the lowest 20% income group paying 17.8% in state and local taxes and the top 1% income group paying 3%.
Why Washington state advocates pushed for tax reform
Taxes can ease inequality, but most states' systems worsen it, requiring poorer residents to contribute a bigger share of their income than richer residents. When the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy examined state and local taxes across the country in 2018, the group found that Washington state's was the least equitable nationwide.
