Tax Amnesty a Bright Spot in our Dismal Economy

State lawmakers in Olympia received a much-needed boost recently in the form of $320 million in new tax revenue, the result of a new tax amnesty program. The amnesty, first proposed in 2009 by State Auditor Brian Sonntag, was vigorously championed by the Association of Washington Business as a way to settle disputed tax assessments.

To use a cliché, the tax amnesty program is a win-win. State and local governments gained vital tax revenue, and taxpayers, many of whom are small employers, gained much-needed certainty about their tax liabilities. In fact, the program is far more successful than...