Cash supervisor Brian Heywood mentioned he left California for the Seattle space greater than a decade in the past partly to flee taxes. Now, he fears his present income-tax-free house is headed in California’s path after introducing levies on capital positive aspects.

“The capital positive aspects tax to me is the camel’s nostril below the tent,” mentioned Heywood, the founding father of Taiyo Pacific Companions, which oversees $2.4 billion of property principally in Japan and India. He worries the levy is “the gateway to get an earnings tax.”

Heywood has already spent virtually $7 million of his personal cash to get six poll initiatives in entrance of Washington State voters this November, half of them tied on to taxes.

One seeks to repeal the two-year-old capital positive aspects levy, one other would ban public officers from ever pursuing an earnings tax and a 3rd would get rid of the state’s carbon tax.

The essential query for Heywood and his allies is whether or not Washington will protect its business-friendly local weather, or pursue progressive insurance policies that opponents say might drive rich residents to hitch their friends from New York, Illinois and California heading south for sunnier and extra tax-friendly climes.

Relocating has turn out to be so much simpler for the reason that pandemic period, and Heywood factors to Ken Fisher’s choice to maneuver Fisher Investments to Texas final yr as a harbinger of what’s to return.

Like these different blue states, Washington is dominated by the Democratic Celebration. It hasn’t elected a Republican governor in additional than 4 many years.

Heywood has tried to revive native conservative efforts, donating practically $500,000 to the state GOP since 2022, in keeping with Federal Election Fee knowledge compiled by Open Secrets and techniques.

State Taxes & the Rich

To be clear, Washington isn’t California relating to taxation.

High earners within the Golden State pay roughly 13% in earnings and capital positive aspects taxes, on high of their federal obligations. Washington has zero state earnings tax however since 2022 has charged a 7% levy on capital positive aspects over $250,000, elevating $900 million its first yr.

Earlier than then, Washington had been in uncommon firm as certainly one of a handful of states — together with Florida and Texas — that didn’t tax capital positive aspects in any respect.

Washington misplaced its richest resident to Florida final yr when Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos mentioned he was departing. He didn’t point out taxes on the time, saying he wished to be nearer to household.

Supporters of the capital positive aspects tax — together with many wealthy residents of the Seattle space — brush off the concept that rising levies will convey a couple of mass exodus of wealth from millionaires and billionaires like Invoice Gates, Steve Ballmer and Howard Schultz.

Sonya Campion, a philanthropist whose husband based the Zumiez attire model, pointed to broad assist for the capital positive aspects tax from the highest 0.2% of Washingtonians who would truly pay it. She mentioned even with this new levy, there simply aren’t that many locations within the U.S. providing a greater tax deal for rich households.

“These are states with totally different values, and the folks that transfer right here need good faculties, need public lands and a wholesome economic system,” Campion mentioned. “I really feel actually assured about folks seeing that is the form of state that we wish to dwell in.”