Working Families Tax Rebate by Legislative District

In facing our economic and fiscal situation, we need a balanced and responsible approach including tax increases.  Full funding for the Working Families Tax Rebate (WFTR) -- a tax rebate for lower and moderate income working Washingtonians – should be a key element of any revenue strategy.  While tax increases are necessary to preserve basic public services like health care and education, the WFTR is needed to offset the added costs for vulnerable families in Washington. 

The Working Families Tax Rebate will refund a portion of the state retail sales tax to the 350,000 Washington households that qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit. Statewide, 12 percent of households were eligible for the EITC in 2006 and would have therefore been eligible for the WFTR. The map below shows the share of tax filers who would have been eligible for the WFTR by legislative district. The districts with the highest percentages of eligible Washingtonians live in rural and small metropolitan areas. For example, one in four tax filers in the Yakima area would have been eligible for the WFTR. In general, all communities in Washington would benefit.

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