2026 Washington State Income Tax

Washington does not collect a state income tax on wages. There is no state W-4 to file, no state withholding line on your paystub, and no Washington state return for wage income at the end of the year. Federal income tax is your only paycheck-based tax obligation.

The 2026 Washington rate

0% (no state income tax)

Why Washington has no income tax

Washington has never had a broad personal income tax — voters rejected one as recently as 2010. The state constitution has been interpreted by the Washington Supreme Court (Culliton v. Chase, 1933) as treating income as "property" for tax purposes, which requires uniform treatment that a progressive income tax cannot satisfy. So adding a graduated income tax in Washington would require either a constitutional amendment or a reversal of Culliton.

Washington does, however, levy a 7% capital gains tax on the slice of long-term gains above $250,000 per year per filer (effective 2022, upheld by the state Supreme Court in 2023). For wage earners this is irrelevant; for investors realizing large gains, it can matter. The calculator does not model Washington capital gains tax because it is not a paycheck withholding.

What about the capital gains tax?

Washington has a 7% capital gains tax on long-term gains above a high annual threshold but does not tax wage income.

For most filers (anyone whose income is W-2 wages, interest in a normal savings account, or a 401(k)) the short answer remains the same: Washington state tax owed on your paycheck is $0.

What this means for your withholding

When you select Washington in the Breakeven calculator, the state row on your projection will show $0 owed and $0 withheld — you can't under-withhold for a tax that doesn't exist. Your federal projection covers your entire paycheck-based tax bill. The W-4 is the only payroll form you need to worry about.

How Washington compares to states with income tax

Washington funds its government through other sources: typically property taxes, sales taxes, severance taxes on natural resources, or specific industry levies. Total state and local tax burden in a no-income-tax state is not necessarily lower than in a state with an income tax; the mix is just different. For a take-home-pay comparison across states, model your federal projection in the calculator and compare it to federal brackets alone.

Sources

• Washington Department of Revenue — official income-tax landing page (or equivalent).
• Tax Foundation — State Income Tax Rates — cross-reference for the no-income-tax classification.

State payroll surcharges (modeled). Washington collects two state-level payroll programs that come out of W-2 wages: Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) and the WA Cares Fund long-term-care premium. The calculator includes both in the projection. They appear under "Other state-level paycheck deductions." The PFML premium is split between employer and employee, and only the employee share is applied. WA Cares assumes the default contributing status (workers with qualifying private long-term-care insurance can apply for an exemption). See the methodology for the full list of what is included and excluded.

Last cross-checked on 2026-04-28.

Canonical reference: https://www.breakeven.tax/brackets/2026/washington