WA Cares Act Delayed 18 Months

The long-term WA Cares Act is delayed and premium collection won’t begin until July 2023. On January 27, Gov. Inslee signed bill 1732 to postpone collection of a new worker payroll tax for now. He says this pause allows the State to get the program right.

Updated program information and guidance is available on the WA Cares website.

For now, employers should:

• Stop withholding WA Cares premiums from employee earnings.
• Reimburse employees for WA Cares premiums within 120 days of the date premiums were collected.
• Continue to maintain copies of exemption approval letters for workers who’ve provided them.

Questions about exemptions?

The Employment Security Department won’t accept any WA Cares premium payments for the first quarter of 2022 and is continuing to monitor legislation that could affect exemptions.