[WSBAPT] WA Estate Tax Legislative Update - Proposed increase to Estate Tax Rates

Fri Mar 21 12:59:48 PDT 2025

That fits what one other person who knows how this all works told me: that when the House and Senate majority caucuses (or whatever they’re called) meet to finalize the overall package, this may be one thing on the table that could be interwoven to some master deal, but that otherwise, probably, “nothing to see here.”

From: wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com> On Behalf Of Brent Williams-Ruth
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2025 12:51 PM
To: WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt at lists.wsbarppt.com>
Subject: Re: [WSBAPT] WA Estate Tax Legislative Update - Proposed increase to Estate Tax Rates

From what I have heard from 1 Republican legislator and 1 Democratic legislator - "unless there is a budgetary need for this legislation" all of these bills are dead.

So, it is likely that they are dead.

Brent Williams-Ruth (pronouns: he/him)
Attorney-At-Law

Law Offices of Brent Williams-Ruth, a division of BWR Consulting, PLLC

Physical Address: 500 S 336th Street, Suite 214; Federal Way, WA 98003

Mailing Address: PO BOX 3319; Federal Way, WA 98063

Office/Scheduling Phone: (253) 285-7751

For All Meetings & Scheduling: info at williams-ruthlaw.com<mailto:info at williams-ruthlaw.com>

e-mail<mailto:Brent at Williams-RuthLaw.com> / website<http://www.williams-ruthlaw.com/> / facebook<http://www.facebook.com/bwrlaw> /

On Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 11:58 AM Joshua McKarcher <josh at mckarcherlaw.com<mailto:josh at mckarcherlaw.com>> wrote:
Liberty or anyone else on the chain – any updates or insight on how one or more of these bills are faring in the legislature?

From: wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com<mailto:wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com> <wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com<mailto:wsbapt-bounces at lists.wsbarppt.com>> On Behalf Of Liberty Upton
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2025 1:59 PM
To: 'WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv' <wsbapt at lists.wsbarppt.com<mailto:wsbapt at lists.wsbarppt.com>>
Subject: [WSBAPT] WA Estate Tax Legislative Update - Proposed increase to Estate Tax Rates

This is an update on the proposed bills that impact the Washington estate tax exemption and estate tax rates.

  *   NEW HB 2019 - making the estate tax more progressive: a hearing is scheduled for Tuesday 2/25 at 8:00 AM. This does not give us enough time to write another group letter to present at the hearing. If you want to make your opinion known on this bill, please sign up to submit oral or written testimony here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/House?selectedCommittee=31643&selectedMeeting=32893

     *   This bill does increase the estate tax exemption to $3M for deaths after 1/1/2025, and it does fix the CPI index name issue.
     *   BUT it also significantly changes the estate tax rates as follows:

[cid:image001.png at 01DB9A61.1E986290]

  *   HB 1375 - adjusting the estate tax exclusion amount for inflation: there was a hearing on 2/20/25 by the House Committee on Finance https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=1375&Year=2025&Initiative=false

     *   Thank you to everyone who signed on to support this bill (it was discussed in the hearing). Unfortunately, it is unlikely that this bill will move forward because a new bill (HB 2019) that proposes more extensive changes to RCW 83.100.020 was added to the docket on Friday. In short, HB 1375 adds to the budget deficit and is unlikely to move out of the committee. Whereas HB 2019 will bring in more revenue for the state.

  *   SB 5405 - updating the inflation adjustment for the estate tax exclusion amount: there was a hearing on 2/4/25 by the Senate Committee on Ways & Means https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5405&Year=2025&Initiative=False

Liberty Upton
Attorney
[cid:image002.png at 01DB9A61.1E986290]
Tel (206) 382-4414  (ex. 232) / Fax (206) 382-4412 / lupton at khbblaw.com<mailto:lupton at khbblaw.com>
705 Second Avenue / Suite 800 / Seattle, WA 98104 / www.khbblaw.com<http://www.khbblaw.com/>

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