Washington Personal Property Tax Exemption, Amendment 81 (1988)

Washington Constitution
Articles
I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII • XIX • XX • XXI • XXII • XXIII • XXIV • XXV • XXVI • XXVII • XXVIII • XXIX • XXX • XXXI • XXXII
Amendments

State of Washington Constitutional Amendment 81, also known as Referendum Bill 4222, was a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment to the Washington State Constitution. It was on the November 8, 1988 ballot in the State of Washington, where it was approved.

Amendment 81 amended Article VII, Section 1 of the Washington State Constitution.

It was the 81st amendment approved to the Washington State Constitution subsequent to its adoption in 1889.

Election results

Amendment 81
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		1,248,183	78.65%
No		352,807	21.35%

Before Amendment 81

Immediately prior to the adoption of Amendment 81 in 1988, Section 1 of Article VII contained the text that had been approved in 1930 when Washington Classifying Property for Tax Purposes, Amendment 14 (1930) was approved.

"The power of taxation shall never be suspended, surrendered or contracted away. All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property within the territorial limits of the authority levying the tax and shall be levied and collected for public purposes only. The word "property" as used herein shall mean and include everything, whether tangible or intangible, subject to ownership. All real estate shall constitute one class: Provided, That the legislature may tax mines and mineral resources and lands devoted to reforestation by either a yield tax or an ad valorem tax at such rate as it may fix, or by both. Such property as the legislature may by general laws provide shall be exempt from taxation. Property of the United States and of the state, counties, school districts and other municipal corporations, and credits secured by property actually taxed in this state, not exceeding in value the value of such property, shall be exempt from taxation. The legislature shall have power, by appropriate legislation, to exempt personal property to the amount of three hundred ($300.00) dollars for each head of a family liable to assessment and taxation under the provisions of the laws of this state of which the individual is the actual bona fide owner."

Amendment 81

The text of Section 1 of Article VII once Amendment 81 was enacted was:

"The power of taxation shall never be suspended, surrendered or contracted away. All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property within the territorial limits of the authority levying the tax and shall be levied and collected for public purposes only. The word "property" as used herein shall mean and include everything, whether tangible or intangible, subject to ownership. All real estate shall constitute one class: Provided, That the legislature may tax mines and mineral resources and lands devoted to reforestation by either a yield tax or an ad valorem tax at such rate as it may fix, or by both. Such property as the legislature may by general laws provide shall be exempt from taxation. Property of the United States and of the state, counties, school districts and other municipal corporations, and credits secured by property actually taxed in this state, not exceeding in value the value of such property, shall be exempt from taxation. The legislature shall have power, by appropriate legislation, to exempt personal property to the amount of three thousand ($3,000.00) dollars for each head of a family liable to assessment and taxation under the provisions of the laws of this state of which the individual is the actual bona fide owner."

After Amendment 81

Section 1 of Article VII was altered again in 2006, with the enactment of Washington Property Tax Exemption, HJR 4223 (2006).

"The power of taxation shall never be suspended, surrendered or contracted away. All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property within the territorial limits of the authority levying the tax and shall be levied and collected for public purposes only. The word "property" as used herein shall mean and include everything, whether tangible or intangible, subject to ownership. All real estate shall constitute one class: Provided, That the legislature may tax mines and mineral resources and lands devoted to reforestation by either a yield tax or an ad valorem tax at such rate as it may fix, or by both. Such property as the legislature may by general laws provide shall be exempt from taxation. Property of the United States and of the state, counties, school districts and other municipal corporations, and credits secured by property actually taxed in this state, not exceeding in value the value of such property, shall be exempt from taxation. The legislature shall have power, by appropriate legislation, to exempt personal property to the amount of fifteen thousand ($15,000.00) dollars for each head of a family liable to assessment and taxation under the provisions of the laws of this state of which the individual is the actual bona fide owner."

See also

Suggest a link

• List of ballot measures by state
• List of ballot measures by year
• List of Washington ballot measures
• Washington 1988 ballot measures
• 1988 ballot measures

External links

• Washington State Constitution
• 1988 Washington Ballot Measures Election Results
• 1988 Voter Guide Washington Ballot Measures

References

---

This state ballot measure article is a stub. You can help people learn by expanding it.