微软总裁呼吁企业和非营利组织抵制新税收政策。
内容总结：
微软总裁布拉德·史密斯近日再次公开批评华盛顿州及地方政府的税收政策，警告过度征税将动摇该地区经济根基。在出席西雅图都会商会年度会议时，史密斯指出政府近年来将经济发展排除在政治议程之外，强调"若没有健康的企业生态，就无法构建健康的社区"。
这位科技巨头领导人呼吁企业界和非营利组织共同抵制"无止境的增税计划"，并承诺微软将出资开展公众教育活动，帮助政府理解企业发展的实际需求。他特别提到新颁布的遗产税法案可能迫使家族企业撤离本州，并列举微软的慈善捐赠案例，证明企业除纳税外对社区有多元贡献。
尽管华盛顿州在CNBC全美商业环境排行榜中位列第14（科技创新能力高居第4），但企业经营成本排名跌至第48位。史密斯强调当前正处于"关键转折点"，若不能维持经济发展活力，所有社会愿景都将成为空谈。据悉，微软在今年立法会议期间已投入超百万美元用于政治行动委员会运作。
中文翻译：
微软总裁布拉德·史密斯近日继续对华盛顿州及地方政策制定者提出批评，警告称"税收优先"的议程可能危及该地区经济根基。在周二西雅图都会商会年度会议上，史密斯延续了本年度在其他公开论坛的观点，直言华盛顿州的征税方式存在问题，并痛心于经济发展目标正从政治议程中消失。
"过去几年间，我感觉人们——特别是奥林匹亚及华盛顿州西部地区的政策制定者——似乎忘记了企业健康发展才是社区繁荣的基石，"史密斯在与微软企业副总裁、商会候任主席特蕾莎·哈特森的炉边对话中表示。史密斯此番讲话旨在号召微软总部所在地的商业领袖和非营利组织共同抵制他所说的"无休止的新税种探寻"。
"环顾四周，我们不会有援军，"史密斯强调，"若要赢得这场斗争，必须依靠自身力量。我们需要集结队伍，需要整合资源。"他承诺微软将提供资金支持，"用于在本州开展商业繁荣所需条件的认知教育活动"。
史密斯此前曾批评华盛顿州立法者今年提出的税收和预算方案，其中包括最终未获通过的大型企业工资税议案。在本届立法会议期间，微软为政治行动委员会支出了超过100万美元。这个不征收所得税的州今年确实通过了若干新商业税种：扩大零售销售税至数字服务和专业服务领域；提高微软、亚马逊等科技公司的计算服务附加费；以及提高资本利得税。不过财富税提案未获通过。
史密斯特别提到该州新颁布的遗产税法，称"若遗产税维持现行标准，家族企业将难以在此立足"。这位微软资深领导者以公司的慈善投入和捐赠为例，证明企业除缴纳税款外对当地社区的多元贡献。"认为企业对社会唯一的贡献就是纳税的人，显然没有看清全局，"他指出。
在CNBC最新发布的"全美最佳商业州"排名中，华盛顿州综合位列第14名——其中"商业成本"指标排第48位，但"技术与创新"高居第4位。史密斯警示称，该州的成功并非理所当然，社区与城市的发展不会始终直线前进。他认为华盛顿州正处在"关键时刻"。
"我们休戚与共，"史密斯总结道，"若不能维持经济发展，若不能保持健康商业生态，我们就无法拥有强劲的经济基础。而没有强劲经济，人们的所有其他愿景都将成为空中楼阁。"
英文来源：
Microsoft President Brad Smith continued his critique of state and local policymakers in Washington, warning that a tax-first agenda risks undermining the region’s economic foundation.
Speaking at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber’s annual meeting Tuesday, Smith echoed comments he has made in other public forums this year, calling out Washington’s approach to taxation and lamenting what he described as a disappearance of economic development from the political agenda.
“In the last couple of years, I feel that people — especially in Olympia and to some degree in western Washington — have forgotten you can’t have a healthy community if you don’t have healthy businesses,” he said in a fireside chat with Teresa Hutson, a corporate vice president at Microsoft and incoming board chair at the Chamber.
Smith’s message on Tuesday was a call to action for business leaders and nonprofits in Microsoft’s home state to push back against what he said was a “constant quest to find new taxes.”
“Look behind you. There’s no cavalry coming,” Smith said. “If we’re going to win this fight, we’re going to need to fight it ourselves. We’re going to need to rally. We’re going to need to marshal resources.”
He pledged that Microsoft would provide financial support “for the kind of education campaign that this state needs to understand what the business community requires in order to be prosperous.”
Smith has previously criticized tax and budget proposals from Washington lawmakers this year, including a payroll tax on large employers that ultimately did not pass. Microsoft spent more than $1 million on political action committees during this year’s legislative session.
The state — which does not have an income tax — did approve several new business taxes this year, including the expansion of the retail sales tax to a broader range of digital and professional services, as well as an increase in a computing surcharge paid by major tech companies such as Microsoft and Amazon and an increase to the capital gains tax. A wealth tax proposal was not approved.
Smith cited the state’s new estate tax laws, saying that family businesses “will not be able to stay here if the estate tax remains where it is.”
The longtime Microsoft leader pointed to the company’s philanthropic efforts and donations as evidence illustrate that businesses contribute to local communities beyond tax payments.
“People who think that the only thing that businesses do for the greater good is pay taxes are missing what’s going on here,” he said.
Washington ranked No. 14 overall on on CNBC’s latest list of top states for business — coming in 48th for “cost of doing business” but 4th for technology and innovation.
Smith cautioned that the state’s success should not be taken for granted, saying progress for communities and cities is not always linear. He argued that Washington is at a “critical moment.”
“We’re all in this together,” he said. “If we can’t sustain economic development, if we can’t sustain a healthy business community, we will not have a strong economy. And if we do not have a strong economy, none of the other aspirations that people have will be realizable.”