State’s gas tax is high because we don’t pay state income tax

Regarding the Dec. 7 letter to the editor asking why gas taxes are so high in Washington state: Seven states don’t have a state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Alaska and Texas receive revenues from oil, Florida from tourists, Nevada from tourists and what is called the “sin” tax, South Dakota doesn’t have the challenges of the mountains and the ferry system.

According to website FiveThirtyEight.com the high end of the per capita tax revenue is 8.3 percent and the low end is 1.7 percent. The average of all 50 states per capita tax revenue is 2.78 percent. Washington state’s per capita tax revenue 2.8 percent.

We as an electorate have chosen to not pay income tax, so our revenue comes from the current taxes available.

Hopefully this helps you and others understand why the gas tax is what it is.

Alan Hall

Camano Island