Washington State SB 6229 Resources
Thanks for taking the time to reach out to your Senator here in Washington State.
Washington State SB 6229 is moving into Executive Session Thursday Feb. 19th. Now’s the time to reach out to your State Senate Representative and give them your opinion of the bill that will remove the Qualified Small Business Stock exemption from startups for both Founders (employees) and Investors.
Find your Senate representative here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/
Please email Senators and their legislative aides. Personal outreach matters. Tell your startup story:
Why did you choose Washington?
Why this company?
How long have you been building it?
What does it mean to you and your team?
How would a 9.9% tax on QSBS impact your future here?
Short. Personal. Direct. That’s what moves votes.
Thank you for continuing to stand up for Washington’s startup ecosystem. This truly matters.
Sample Letter
Subject Line: Concern About SB 6229 and Its Impact on Washington Startups
Dear Senator [Last Name],
I’m reaching out as a startup founder building a company here in Washington.
Starting this company required real risk. I left a stable job, invested my own savings, and work long hours with no guarantee of success. Like many founders, most of my compensation is equity, not salary. The possibility that one day that equity might have value is what makes the risk worth taking.
SB 6229 would eliminate Washington’s alignment with the federal Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) exclusion. For founders like me, that significantly changes the equation.
QSBS isn’t a loophole. It’s one of the few tools designed to encourage people to innovate and invest in small, high-growth companies. It rewards long-term commitment and allows founders and early investors to reinvest in the next generation of startups.
If Washington taxes these gains while other states do not, it sends a signal. Founders will think carefully about where to incorporate. Investors will think about where to deploy capital. Future companies will choose Austin or Miami over Seattle.
I want to build here. I want to hire here. I want to stay here. Repealing QSBS will make it nearly impossible for me to stay here.
I respectfully ask you to reconsider this proposal and its impact on Washington’s startup ecosystem.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Company Name]
[City], Washington
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]
Ways and Means Senators
Senator Email List – seperated by “,” for copy/past
june.robinson@leg.wa.gov, derek.standford@leg.wa.gov, yasmin.trudeau@leg.wa.gov, noel.frame@leg.wa.gov, chris.gildon@leg.wa.gov, nikki.torres@leg.wa.gov, mark.schoesler@leg.wa.gov
perry.dozier@leg.wa.gov, Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov, john.braun@leg.wa.gov, annette.cleveland@leg.wa.gov, steve.conway@leg.wa.gov, manka.dhingra@leg.wa.gov, drew.hansen@leg.wa.gov, bob.hasegawa@leg.wa.gov, claudia.kauffman@leg.wa.gov, ron.muzzall@leg.wa.gov, jamie.pedersen@leg.wa.gov, marcus.riccelli@leg.wa.gov, rebecca.saldana@leg.wa.gov, keith.wagoner@leg.wa.gov, judy.warnick@leg.wa.gov, lisa.wellman@leg.wa.gov, claire.wilson@leg.wa.gov,
Washington State Tech Facts
According to a recent economic report from the Washington Technology Industry Association, the tech sector “shoulders a disproportionate share of state business taxes,” providing more than $4.3 billion to the state’s coffers. Through their purchases, tech workers contribute another $1.5 billion in state sales taxes. Washington’s tech sector generates nearly four times the state B&O tax revenue of aerospace, and over the past 15 years, Tech’s B&O tax contributions have grown by 86%.
Washington’s technology sector accounts for 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs, and for everyone new tech job created, three additional jobs are generated across the broader economy. The tech sector powered Washington through the last two recessions, and tech employment has grown 155% since the Great Recession. One national study now estimates that tech represents 22% of Washington’s economy — the highest share of any state in the nation. Without tech, Washington’s economy would look far more like North Dakota than a global innovation leader.
Tech is, by far, the largest corporate giver in Washington, providing billions of dollars to support affordable housing and contributing directly to food banks, shelters for families experiencing homelessness, student scholarships, meals for families in need, and infrastructure projects like playgrounds, trails, and parks. Unlike some public funds, these private contributions are flexible and can be deployed quickly to meet urgent community needs. Tech has also proven to be a reliable partner to the state in moments of crisis. During COVID, the tech sector processed 500,000 surge calls for the Washington State call center, hosted multiple vaccination clinics, and distributed 3.5 million free at-home COVID tests to Washington residents in just two days.