SB5794 eliminates 20 tax exemptions, such as those for in-state hauling and gold-bullion sales.
The Washington State House of Representatives passed SB5794 on April 23, 2025 by a vote of 53 to 45. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill effectively raises taxes on various goods and services, including those involving real money such as gold and silver. Taxing transactions involving precious metals not only penalizes the use of constitutionally recognized money under Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution, but also discourages economic independence and savings in sound assets. Furthermore, increasing taxes by removing exemptions is a deceptive and immoral way to expand government revenue at the expense of individual liberty, free-market principles, and fiscal restraint.
