Scott Edwards and Justin Hobson were quoted in a July 11 Puget Sound Business Journal article titled “Brace for Lawsuits: Seattle’s Income Tax on High-Earners Will Likely Face Legal Challenges.” The article discusses Seattle’s new ordinance, passed July 10, which imposes an income tax on individuals earning more than $250,000, or $500,000 for married couples filing a joint tax return. Edwards and Hobson commented on the legality of the income tax.
The income tax expressly violates Washington state law and may violate the state constitution and city charter, according to Lane Powell attorneys Scott Edwards and Justin Hobson.