In my column in the Puget Sound Business Journal today I look at Tax Freedom Day, the level and distribution of the tax burden and how our state’s revenue structure compares with other states. It’s behind the firewall, so access is limited to subscribers. Here’s a sample.

The tax discussion generally comes down to the weight of the tax burden and how it is distributed. Despite the unusual characteristics of our tax system, the weight and distribution of the burden are remarkably mainstream.

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…the [best] benchmark is state and local tax burdens. Here, Washington falls in the middle of a tightly clustered pack, ranking 29th. State and local taxes here claim 9.3 percent of the state economy. At the top end, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut collect 12 percent or more. Alaska comes in at the bottom at 6.3 percent. (The Tax Foundation allocates Alaska’s oil taxes to taxpayers across the country.)

…Washington taxes business heavily. The Council on State Taxation reports that Washington businesses pay 51.2 percent of all state and local taxes, the tenth highest business share in the nation. The business tax amounts to 5.3 percent of gross state product, well above the national average of 4.7 percent.