Washington is no longer a no-income-tax state. A new 9.9% tax on household income above $1 million takes effect in 2028 — and for founders, investors, and high earners, the decisions you make before that deadline could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This guide — written by startup and tax attorney Joe Wallin (NYU LL.M. in Taxation, 25+ years advising founders and investors) — gives you a practical, plain-English roadmap for exactly what to do before 2028. Whether you're a founder sitting on QSBS, an executive with a large income event on the horizon, or an advisor counseling Washington clients, this is the guide you need right now.
$49.99 — Digital edition with ongoing updates as the law evolves.
Who It's For
- High earners and executives with household income over $1 million
- Startup founders and angel investors holding QSBS
- CPAs, financial advisors, and attorneys counseling Washington clients
- Professional athletes and their agents dealing with Washington's new duty-day rules
What's Inside
- How the 9.9% tax works and exactly who it hits
- QSBS gains and why Section 1202 is still your most powerful tool
- Domicile planning — what moving out of Washington actually requires
- Cliff planning in 2026 and 2027 — how to accelerate income before the tax kicks in
- The marriage penalty and how it affects joint filers
- The constitutional challenge and what it means for planning today
- Athletes, NIL, and nonresident income — the duty-day rules explained
About the Author
Joe Wallin is a startup and tax attorney with 25+ years of experience advising founders, investors, and executive teams on exactly these kinds of high-stakes decisions. He holds an LL.M. in Taxation from NYU, has spent years on the front lines of QSBS planning and equity compensation, and has been writing about Washington State tax issues longer than almost anyone. When Washington's new income tax became law, Joe started fielding the same urgent questions from clients over and over — so he wrote this guide to answer all of them in one place.
Related Blog Posts
Explore these in-depth articles on specific planning strategies covered in the guide:
- The Pass-Through Entity Tax Election, Explained — What the PTE election is, why it exists, and how Washington’s version works
- C Corp vs. S Corp vs. LLC Under Washington’s Income Tax — How the new 9.9% tax changes entity choice for founders
- Deferred Compensation and Washington’s Income Tax — What executives need to know about RSUs, options, and deferred comp
- Installment Sales and Structured Exits — How to spread gain and manage the $1M threshold
- Crypto and Digital Assets Under Washington’s Income Tax — What crypto investors need to know
- Roth Conversions Before 2028 — Why the window is closing for Washington residents
- Tax Loss Harvesting to Manage the $1M Threshold — Using harvested losses to stay below the tax trigger
Ready to Plan Ahead?
The tax doesn't take effect until 2028 — but the best planning opportunities close well before that. The Washington State Tax Planning Guide for High Earners is available now on Gumroad, in digital format with ongoing updates as the law evolves.
$49.99 — Instant digital download.
Have questions about how this applies to your situation? Feel free to book a free introductory call.