Op-Ed: State income tax proposal will destroy minority-owned businesses and hurt our communities

Washington’s proposed state income tax on earnings above $1 million threatens to undermine the progress and stability of minority-owned businesses at a time when our state’s entrepreneurial diversity is finally gaining momentum.

As co-chair of the Seattle Ethnic Chamber of Commerce, I’ve seen firsthand how tax policy shapes opportunity in our communities. Introducing this new tax will disproportionately burden many minority entrepreneurs whose business income flows directly to personal tax returns, turning what appears as “high earner” income into a tax hit on revenue needed for payroll, business growth, and survival.

Recent data underscores what’s at stake. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2025 Washington profile (based on 2022 Census figures), minority-owned businesses (including Hispanic, Asian, Black, American Indian and Hawaiian owners) represent a growing share of our economy. Roughly one in five businesses statewide qual...