The Brief
- Seattle’s tax collections more than tripled from $900 million in 2013 to $2.8 billion in 2026, outpacing population growth by over five times.
- Businesses now pay 68% ($1.65B) of city taxes, driven by new payroll, social housing, and business occupation taxes passed since 2021.
- Fewer than 20 companies pay $356 million of these new taxes while the city lost 24,000 jobs since 2020; the study notes tax policy impact on job loss remains unproven.
SEATTLE – Seattle’s tax collections have grown dramatically over the past decade, while an increasing share of that tax burden has shifted onto businesses, according to a September 2026 analysis prepared for the Downtown Seattle Association and Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
The report, prepared by ECONorthwest, found that Seattle taxes grew 172% between 2013 and 2025, compared with 31% population growth and 23% employment growth.
The analysis also found that businesses accounted for about 55% of city taxes in 2016, with that share reaching 68% in 2026, or about $1.65 billion.…