Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is the cremation tax legal?
A. It is legal until a court or the Washington State legislature declares it illegal, which may be the fate of this ill-conceived action. Unfortunately this will take time.
Q. If a court declares the tax illegal, will the county be required to repay all the families who paid the tax?
A. That is a question the court should answer.
Q. How much is it going to cost the medical examiner's office to administer the tax?
A. If this question had been considered by the King County Council, they probably would have rejected the idea in the first place.
Q. The ordinance is levied against resident's of King County. If a resident of another county dies in a King County hospital, is that non-resident liable for the tax?
A. This and many other questions remain to be answered.