SEATTLE — The names are familiar, Subway, McDonald’s, Jack in the Box. All are national chains with locally owned outlets.
Each outlet pays a franchise fee to national headquarters, and lawmakers say it's those national corporations that haven't been paying the taxes they owe on the franchise fee.
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“You don't just get to not pay your taxes in our state, that is a responsibility that we all owe,” said Anacortes state Rep. Kristine Lytton (D-40th District).
So lawmakers are offering the national corporations a deal, pay four years of back taxes with interest -- and the state will forgo legal action and penalties.
The deal will raise $46 million dollars, money that will go to help with the teacher shortage, to improve mental health facilities like Western State Hospital.
Lytton says it's time those big out-of-state corporations pay their fair share.
"One of the things that we did prevent in this budget is another tax break for large national corporations that are making huge profits."