Bill > HB2071

This bill introduces a new monthly excise tax on owners of online dating applications that have Washington state resident users. The tax would be $1 per resident individual member each month, with the revenue specifically designated for domestic violence services. An "online dating application" is defined as a website or service primarily focused on matching users for romantic or social connections, and an "owner" is a business entity with at least 50% ownership of such an application. A "resident individual" is a person living in Washington who can be identified by their address or IP address, excluding temporary visitors. The tax would not apply to user accounts that have been inactive for 24 consecutive months. The collected taxes will be deposited into a newly created domestic violence services account, which can only be used for domestic violence intervention treatment and crime victim assistance. Owners of online dating applications must maintain detailed records, file monthly returns with the state department, and continue filing returns until they have no tax liability for 12 consecutive months. The bill is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and will be added as a new chapter to Title 82 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).

Budget and Finance

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2071&Year=2025&Initiative=false