DIVORCE FOR DOLLARS! WA Millionaire Tax Makes SPLITTING WAY Cheaper Than Marriage

This episode of 'News For Reasonable People' examines Washington State's newly passed 9.9% income tax on earnings over $1 million, dubbed a 'millionaire's tax' but criticized for creating a severe marriage penalty. The host argues that for high-earning couples, getting divorced may become financially advantageous due to the tax's structure, which treats married couples as a single taxable unit rather than two individuals. This means a dual-income household earning $600,000 each could face a $99,000 tax bill if married—zero if single—making divorce a rational financial move despite emotional or social costs. The episode highlights how this policy, driven by Democratic supermajority leadership, could incentivize couples to split legally, even if they remain together, and warns of broader economic consequences including the exodus of tech giants like Amazon and Starbucks, and high-profile figures like Jeff Bezos and Howard Schultz who have already relocated to lower-tax states like Florida and Texas. The host frames this as a symptom of 'tax and spend' liberalism, leading to a 'doom loop' of business flight and economic decline in the state.