Washington State trying to releive eBikes from taxation

[JRA]

Bill to end sales tax on e-bikes moves forward in Washington – should other states follow?

Washingtonians are one step closer to being able to buy an electric bicycle without paying state sales tax. That’s thanks...

electrek.co

I have to admit that I am of two minds about this legislation. First any discount you can get on a costly purchase in these hard times is good. However slim the margin sales tax in WA is what funds the bike infrastructure going in to make cycling safer for all and it seems to be working, especially with the advent of eBikes and their new found popularity although they have been around for over 25yrs..

I am far more concerned about getting the imposed tariff on bike goods stricken from the books as it is not of benefit to anyone and who knows where all that money is being funneled? Bike prices have been steadily rising due to supply and demand and adding the tariff is just making it worse as I don't really have a problem with companies making a profit asa long as they are being ethical about it.

Secretary Pete is a good place to start and is taking messages on the popular social media platforms.

 

[Lightning 123]

I do believe that most of the bike infrastructure comes from grants from the WSDOT which gets its funding from the gas tax.

 

[JRA]

You are right, also if someone wants a tax free eBike that lives in WA all they have to do is go to OR....

 

[6zfshdb]

IMO, this legislation has no down side and is a step in the right direction for bicycle enthusiasts.

This is not the case however for electric vehicles in general. Some states are eyeing similar legislation for electric cars to reduce fossil fuel use and help the environment. The eventual proliferation of EV's will still however cause the same wear and tear on highways & bridges. The resulting loss of the gasoline tax PLUS the loss of sales tax will force states to find new sources of revenue for highway maintenance. Increased licensing & registration fees for EV's is one approach which, under some circumstances, could make EV's more expensive to operate than their fossil fuel counterparts.

Another down side to EV's for bicyclists is their lack of noise. I had a scary moment last summer while riding one of my favorite trails. The trail crosses a road at a curve with a limited sight line. I always rely on listening for vehicles here before crossing. I was almost hit by a nearly silent Chevy Volt as it barreled by!

There is no question that EV's are the "green" way to go but at what cost?

 

[Asher]

WA is also infamous for having a highly regressive tax structure due to low property tax rates, and sales taxes everywhere are also infamous for being regressive.

It's a good idea but should be extended to regular bikes. I'm guessing it's not because ebikes have more political momentum and appeal to politicians as a solution.

Bill to end sales tax on e-bikes moves forward in Washington – should other states follow?

Washingtonians are one step closer to being able to buy an electric bicycle without paying state sales tax. That’s thanks...

electrek.co

I have to admit that I am of two minds about this legislation. First any discount you can get on a costly purchase in these hard times is good. However slim the margin sales tax in WA is what funds the bike infrastructure going in to make cycling safer for all and it seems to be working, especially with the advent of eBikes and their new found popularity although they have been around for over 25yrs..

I am far more concerned about getting the imposed tariff on bike goods stricken from the books as it is not of benefit to anyone and who knows where all that money is being funneled? Bike prices have been steadily rising due to supply and demand and adding the tariff is just making it worse as I don't really have a problem with companies making a profit asa long as they are being ethical about it.

Secretary Pete is a good place to start and is taking messages on the popular social media platforms.

If there's truly a shortage due to demand, cutting the tariff just means putting money in the pockets of manufacturers instead of the US government/public. Put it this way, if you're going to sell out of bikes at $2000, it doesn't matter whether $200 of that is from tariffs or if the manufacturer increases prices $200. The outcome is the same, zero bikes left.

 

[EMGX]

WA is also infamous for having a highly regressive tax structure due to low property tax rates, and sales taxes everywhere are also infamous for being regressive.

It's a good idea but should be extended to regular bikes. I'm guessing it's not because ebikes have more political momentum and appeal to politicians as a solution.

If there's truly a shortage due to demand, cutting the tariff just means putting money in the pockets of manufacturers instead of the US government/public. Put it this way, if you're going to sell out of bikes at $2000, it doesn't matter whether $200 of that is from tariffs or if the manufacturer increases prices $200. The outcome is the same, zero bikes left.

Do you live in Washington?
Oregon next door has a high and progressive income tax but no sales tax.
Yet US News and World Report has ranked WA as the best state for the second straight year, OR is 22nd.
I've lived in both states, give me WA any day.

 

[Asher]

Do you live in Washington?
Oregon next door has a high and progressive income tax but no sales tax.
Yet US News and World Report has ranked WA as the best state for the second straight year, OR is 22nd.
I've lived in both states, give me WA any day.

Why Washington ranks as the worst state for poor residents

Washington ranks as the worst state for low-income earners to live, and it's notably worse than any other state.

www.kuow.org

Washington’s paradox: Progressive politics but regressive tax system

Another study points out Washington's terrible tax system. But this supposedly blue state is in no hurry to change things.

www.google.com

 

[EMGX]

So do you live here?
Oregon does nothing better or more progressive for the homeless than WA. Plenty of poor live in Washington, I've never heard of them flocking to move to "progressive" OR. And it seems everyone from ultra progressive California want to move to Oregon and Washington or just about anywhere else.

 

[Asher]

So do you live here?
Oregon does nothing better or more progressive for the homeless than WA. Plenty of poor live in Washington, I've never heard of them flocking to move to "progressive" OR. And it seems everyone from ultra progressive California want to move to Oregon and Washington or just about anywhere else.

Why does where I live change anything about the reality of WA?

 

[EMGX]

Because if you lived here you would probably love it like most residents do. It isn't perfect but it is great. I am thankful that I don't live in the SeaTac area though.

 

[Lightning 123]

I think that the whole West coast is going for a ride all the way down to the bottom of the county unless they reverse course.

 

[Lightning 123]

I would retract my last post if I could, I didn't mean for it to take a different direction.

 

[BlackHand]

This guy prosposed a 2% additional sales tax on regular bikes AND bike parts in WA:
"It’s time we made everybody contribute and pay for what they use,” said King, of Yakima, the ranking Republican on the state Senate Transportation Committee who represents the 14th Legislative District.

 

[Lightning 123]

Not yet, I live in Renton. King County is buying up hotels around the area and putting homeless people in them. It is starting to turn into a regional problem.

 

[Lightning 123]

If I can get back on topic I'm starting to worry about the security of ebikes around the area.

 

[Cowlitz]

This guy prosposed a 2% additional sales tax on regular bikes AND bike parts in WA:
"It’s time we made everybody contribute and pay for what they use,” said King, of Yakima, the ranking Republican on the state Senate Transportation Committee who represents the 14th Legislative District.

Yup. I object to that one. In case anybody doesn't know, Washington is not all like the Puget Sound (Seattle Tacoma area). I live on the east side of the mountains. It's a lot cheaper here, but for how long? The new apartment construction is targeted for low income people. Rents are lower anyway, as are wages. It's an agricultural area. It reminds me of how Wenatchee used to be. Wenatchee is also on the east side but closer to Seattle so is now quite expensive to live in. Our Chamber of Commerce has been trying to push the move here and you can easily fly your plane to where you want to go. I prefer it not to grow, but as I said, apartments are being built in old orchard areas, and new houses have been springing up.

A developer was going to put in a 400 space mobile home park! They backed out after finding out they were going to have to pay for the work on public roads and sewer. Maybe there was a bike lane required??

I'd pay more for bikes and accessories if we ever got any benefits here. But the infrastructure in my town is 4 arty and kind of not practical bike lock to pipe things. They aren't racks--they would only work for two bikes. There is one bike lane, that I realized was one, in the town that is basically still the same town, and it goes across a river on a bridge. That's it, about 100 yards of unmarked bike lane.

There are two different Washington States. Both are in danger of getting loved to death and losing their reason for living here in the first place.

 

[Cowlitz]

Not yet, I live in Renton. King County is buying up hotels around the area and putting homeless people in them. It is starting to turn into a regional problem.

Last year, there was the usual rumor going around that "Seattle" was giving them bus tickets to here. The problems have slowed down a bit as winter is tough on homeless plus locals were starting, or claiming to, "carry" out of fear.

When bikes are stolen, folks seem to know where the tweaker houses are and go drive by looking for their bikes. I don't know if many are recovered. It really isn't a very big problem here and the stolen bikes are ones that were left unlocked in front yards overnight.

 

[Kayakguy]

WA is also infamous for having a highly regressive tax structure due to low property tax rates, and sales taxes everywhere are also infamous for being regressive.

It's a good idea but should be extended to regular bikes. I'm guessing it's not because ebikes have more political momentum and appeal to politicians as a solution.

If there's truly a shortage due to demand, cutting the tariff just means putting money in the pockets of manufacturers instead of the US government/public. Put it this way, if you're going to sell out of bikes at $2000, it doesn't matter whether $200 of that is from tariffs or if the manufacturer increases prices $200. The outcome is the same, zero bikes left.

We also lack an income tax, which makes our system even more regressive. (Bill Gates and other titans of industry live here, and pay no wealth taxes).

 

[TomD]

You are right, also if someone wants a tax free eBike that lives in WA all they have to do is go to OR....

Not really. Sure, you could drive down to Portland to buy from a LBS, then transport the bike back, but that kind of defeats the purpose of buying from LBS. Several years ago I wasted 6 hours doing that to save sales tax on a $1500 kayak.

Most online retailers now charge tax for WA regardless of whether they have an online presence in the state so if buying online you would need to ship it to someone in OR. Not really practical either.

I personally don't care about the tax either way.