Washington tax and fee increases by legislative session, 2017–2026

What this chart asks

How many clear tax and fee increases did the Washington Legislature enact in each session from 2017 through 2026?

Why it is shown this way

• Bars suit a count per discrete session; sessions are ordinal, not a continuous time series.
• The y axis starts at zero so bar lengths are proportional to counts.
• Only clear increases (debatable = no) are plotted, the more conservative of the dataset's two counts; all-increase and cut counts are in the saved analysis and the accessible summary.

Chart annotations

These markers provide relevant context for interpreting the chart. Their timing or position does not, by itself, establish causation.

Counts changes, not dollars

Value: 60

Bar height is the number of separate tax or fee changes, regardless of revenue size.

Why this is marked: Readers may otherwise read bar height as fiscal size.

Data and accessibility

Download chart data · Open accessible table · Download PNG · Download SVG

Dataset wa-legislature-tax-fee-changes-2017-2026, analysis counts-by-session

Sources

This chart draws on the sources of the dataset versions it visualizes.

Washington Legislature tax and fee changes, 2017–2026 sessions (itemized)

1. WA Department of Revenue, 2017 Summary of Tax Legislation Primary source for 2017 session tax changes

   Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

   Archived copy captured August 7, 2026

2. WA Department of Revenue, 2018 Summary of Tax Legislation Primary source for 2018 session tax changes

   Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

   Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

3. WA Department of Revenue, 2019 Summary of Tax Legislation Primary source for 2019 session tax changes

   Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

   Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

4. WA Department of Revenue, 2020 Summary of Tax Legislation Primary source for 2020 session tax changes

   Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

   Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

5. WA Department of Revenue, 2021 Summary of Tax Legislation Primary source for 2021 session tax changes

   Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

   Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

6. WA Department of Revenue, 2022 Summary of Tax Legislation Primary source for 2022 session tax changes

   Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

   Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

7. WA Department of Revenue, 2023 Summary of Tax Legislation Primary source for 2023 session tax changes

   Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

   Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

8. WA Department of Revenue, 2024 Summary of Legislation Primary source for 2024 session tax changes

   Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

   Archived copy captured August 7, 2026

9. WA Department of Revenue, 2025 Summary of Legislation Primary source for 2025 session tax changes

   Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

   Archived copy captured August 7, 2026

10. WA Department of Revenue, 2026 Legislative Report Primary source for 2026 session tax changes

    Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

    Archived copy captured August 7, 2026

11. Legislative revenue summary, 2025 ESSB 5801 (transportation revenue) Primary source for the individual 2025 transportation taxes and fees

    Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

    Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

12. Final bill report, 2026 ESSB 6346 (millionaires' income tax and related tax changes) Primary source for 2026 SB 6346 increase and cut rows

    Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

    Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

13. Final bill report, 2022 ESSB 5974 (Move Ahead Washington revenue) Primary source for the individual 2022 transportation fees

    Retrieved October 11, 2026. Washington State public record. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

    Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

14. Clark County November 2019 sample ballot (statewide advisory votes 20-31) Advisory-vote ballot text naming 2019 tax bills and their 10-year cost estimates

    Retrieved October 11, 2026. Public election material; publisher copyright may apply. Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

    Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

15. Washington House Republican Caucus, 'Tax increases passed by Democrats' (2017-2026) Partisan checklist used only as a starting point; every item verified against other sources

    Retrieved October 11, 2026. Publisher copyright (Washington House Republican Caucus). Linked only; not redistributed in this dataset

    Archived copy captured October 12, 2026

Limitations

• Counts individual changes, not bills, and not dollars; one large bill can add many bars' worth of changes (2025 ESSB 5801 alone has about 23).
• Counts are a floor: small agency-set fees and some minor licensing-fee bills may be missing.
• The debatable classification is editorial; see the dataset methodology.
• Cuts and rollbacks are not netted out; several 2025 increases were partly rolled back in 2026.