(The Heart Sq.) – The Seattle Metropolis Council is ready to vote on a invoice that might hike JumpStart tax charges to herald an extra $20 million
The JumpStart Payroll Tax requires companies with a minimum of $7 million in annual payroll to pay between 0.7%-2.4% on salaries and wages paid to Seattle workers who make a minimum of $150,000 per yr. Firms akin to Amazon, Meta and Google could be topic to paying the tax.
The proposed adjustment from Seattle Metropolis Councilmember Kshama Sawant would enhance the minimal price to 0.8% and the utmost price to 2.6%. Total, there could be a 6.5% enhance throughout all of the charges, in keeping with Council Bill 119950.
The payroll tax price enhance would end in an extra $20 million in income for town. The funds would switch over to the Seattle Division of Schooling and Early Studying and go in direction of increasing academic assist at Seattle Public Colleges.
The college district would prioritize psychological well being companies, together with school-based psychological well being counselors and culturally particular and responsive programming from community-based organizations.
Throughout the Choose Finances Committee assembly on Nov. 14, Seattle Metropolis Councilmember Lisa Herbold cited findings from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention in 2021 that discovered 42% college students felt persistently unhappy or hopeless and 22% of scholars critically thought of making an attempt suicide and 10% tried suicide.
Complete 2021 payroll tax obligations have been roughly $293 million, however fell to $253 million in 2022. The adopted 2023 forecast is ready at $294 million, whereas the forecast for 2024 has gone from $311.5 million to $289.9 million.
Sawant proposed three amendments to extend the JumpStart Payroll tax. The primary modification would have elevated annual revenues by a minimum of $60 million, whereas the second would have elevated annual revenues by a minimum of $40 million.
Each amendments failed out of town’s choose finances committee, leaving the newest modification to tack on an extra $20 million in payroll tax income as the only survivor within the 2024 finances course of.
Sawant cites will increase in earnings amongst massive tech-companies in Seattle, together with Amazon, Meta and Google, for proposing payroll will increase that might have an effect on these firms.
“Growing the Payroll Expense Tax by 6.5% is another instance of town council taking a ready-shoot-aim method to public coverage: there is no such thing as a acknowledged plan with any outcomes, or stakeholder engagement – solely a tax enhance,” Rachel Smith, president and CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber, informed The Heart Sq. by way of e-mail. “The younger folks advocating to higher equip colleges to assist college students with psychological well being aren’t fallacious, however the council passing a tax with no plan and no course of is misguided.”
The select budget committee voted 5-3 in favor of recommending the proposed tax enhance to the complete metropolis council for a ultimate vote on Nov. 21.
