Over $108M refunded through Working Families Tax Credit

Check your eligibility to get up to $1,200 back per year

OLYMPIA (Nov. 7, 2023) — Fifteen years ago, the Washington State Legislature created a Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) to assist low- to moderate-income Washingtonians, but it wasn’t until 2021 that legislators approved the funding to implement it. And it wasn’t until this year that the WFTC has become available.

So far in 2023, more than $108 million has been refunded to Washington families through the WFTC.  

The WFTC is a sales-and-use tax remittance rebate to support working families, who pay a disproportionate amount of their income in taxes because of our state’s regressive tax system. It is designed to put up to $1,200 per year back in the pockets of nearly 400,000 taxpayers, helping to balance Washington’s tax code.  

One in six Washington households is eligible for the tax credit and one in four children will directly benefit from the policy. At this time, just under 190,000 applications have been received.

Individuals and families can check their eligibility here, and must meet the following requirements: 

• Have a valid Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. 
• Lived in Washington a minimum of 183 days in 2022.  
• Be at least 25 and under 65 years or age OR have a qualifying child in 2022.  
• Filed a 2022 federal tax return. 
• Be eligible to claim the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on their 2022 tax return.

Applications remain open and can be submitted online or by mail.   

“I’m so excited to see people start to get this support, and there’s still more we can do to lift people out of poverty,” said Rep. My-Linh Thai (D-Bellevue) who sponsored HB 1297 to fund the program. ” Simple expansions to the Working Families Tax Credit would mean more people who need this help can access it.”

“The Working Families Tax Credit is a step toward economic justice for families on the margins,” said Sen. Joe Nguyen (D-White Center), who sponsored the Senate companion bill to HB 1297. “By putting money back into the pockets of those who need it most, we can reduce poverty and build a more equitable society.”

The coalition of organizations that supported passage of the Working Families Tax Credit, including multiple labor unions, have a coalition website at WAtaxcredit.org that serves as an information hub for everything related to the tax credit. It includes resources like posters, toolkits and other materials, answers to frequently asked questions about the WFTC, and much more.