Sales Tax by State – Washington

Washington State Sales Tax Fact Sheet

Last updated on: April 1, 2021

Washington Sales and Use Tax Rate Lookup by Address:

Use USgeocoder Sales and Use Tax FREE Online Lookup Tool to search state-wide, county, local and special district Sales and Use tax rates and tax reporting details for any physical address and PO Box in Washington State.

Washington Sales tax components:
Statewide tax
Local district tax: County tax, Municipality (incorporated city) tax, and Special district tax

Washington Statewide Sales Tax Rate:
6.50%

Number of Counties in  Washington State:
39

Number of Municipalities (Incorporated cities) in Washington State:
285

Special District Sales and Use Taxes in Washington State:
Public Transportation Benefit Areas (PTBAs)
Regional Transit Authority (RTA)
Hospital Benefit Zone (HBZ)
Tribal Land

Can I Use Zip Codes to Determine Correct Sales Tax Rates in Washington State?
Not recommended

Zip codes cross city boundaries. Different cities might have different local district rates. In addition, city taxes only apply to areas within the respective incorporated city. If an address is in an un-incorporated area, city taxes do not apply. You should look for an address-based solution such as USgeocoder that can identify if the address is within an incorporated city to determine its sales tax rates in Washington.

Learn more about how postal zip codes, mailing cities and incorporated cities work. 

Can I Use County and City to Determine Correct Sales Tax Rates in Washington State?
Not recommended

In Washington State, special district sales tax only applies to incorporated cities and/or certain un-incorporated areas within counties. In addition, these special districts do not align with normal county or incorporated city boundaries. In order to correctly calculate the sales tax rate, you should consider an address-based solution such as USgeocoder to identify if an address is in an incorporated city or an un-incorporated area, and whether it is within the boundary of a particular special district, so you can use such information to determine its sales tax rates.

Are Sales Tax Rates and Use Tax Rates the Same in Washington State?
Yes

Does Washington State Have Tax Codes for Tax Return Reporting Purpose?
Yes

Sales and Use Tax Rate Update Schedule in Washington State:
Update Frequency: Quarterly
Last update: April 1, 2021

Does Washington State Have an Origin-Based or Destination-Based Sales Tax Collection?
Destination

Origin-based: sales tax is charged based on where the seller is located.
Destination-based: sales tax is charged based on where the buy is located

Is Washington State a Full Member of Streamlined State?
Yes

A streamlined Full Member State is a state that has been found to be in compliance with the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA) and its laws, rules, regulations, and policies and bring them into compliance are in effect. See details on Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board’s website.

Does Washington Have Sales Tax Holidays?
No

Wayfair Sales Tax Implementation in Washington State:
Sales Thresholds: $100,000, OR
Transaction Threshold: 200

Wayfair sales tax implementation applies to out-of-state sales, remote sales, Internet sales and online sales. See details on https://dor.wa.gov/find-taxes-rates/retail-sales-tax/marketplace-fairness-leveling-playing-field/wayfairs-impact-marketplace-fairness-act.

Does Washington State Charge Sales Tax on Digital Goods?
Yes
See details on: https://dor.wa.gov/get-form-or-publication/publications-subject/tax-topics/digital-products-including-digital-goods.

Does Washington State Charge Sales Tax on Services?
Some services are subject to sales tax.
See details on: https://dor.wa.gov/find-taxes-rates/retail-sales-tax/services-subject-sales-tax.

Does Washington State Charge Sales Tax on Shipping?
Generally yes.
See details on https://dor.wa.gov/get-form-or-publication/publications-subject/tax-topics/delivery-charges.

Washington State Sales and Use Tax Authority:
Washington State Department of Revenue
Website: https://dor.wa.gov/find-taxes-rates/sales-and-use-tax-rates

Other Resources:

1. More information on how Washington Sales Tax works, see this post for details
2. Sales tax lookup provided by the Washington State Sales and Use Tax Authority: https://webgis.dor.wa.gov/taxratelookup/SalesTax.aspx
3. Public transportation system in Washington State: http://mrsc.org/Home/Explore-Topics/Transportation/Integrating-Transportation-Modes/Public-Transportation-Systems.aspx
4. Local Sales and Use tax rates provided by Washington State Sales and Use Tax Authority: https://dor.wa.gov/taxes-rates/sales-and-use-tax-rates/local-sales-and-use-tax

Looking for an Online Solution that provides real-time sales tax rates for your application? 

Try USgeocoder API. It provides all the information you get from USgeocoder Live Demo.

USgeocoder live demo is free to use. You can use it to lookup sales and use tax rate information one address at a time. However if you have a large number of addresses and would like to save time, USgeocoder can do it for you through batch processing service.

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SALES TAX BY STATE

STATES WITH STATE AND LOCAL SALES TAX:
California, New York, Washington State, George, Colorado, Alabama

STATES WITH NO SALES TAX:
Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon

STATES WITH ONLY STATE-WIDE SALES TAX AND NO LOCAL SALES TAX:
Connecticut (6.35%), District of Columbia (6.00%), Indiana (7.00%), Kentucky (6.00%), Maine (5.5%), Maryland (6.00%), Massachusetts (6.25%), Michigan (6.00%), New Jersey (6.625%), Rhode Island (7.00%)

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DISCLAIMERS:

SALES AND USE TAX INFORMATION ON THIS BLOG REFERS TO THE GENERAL SALES OF TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY. IN MANY STATES, THERE ARE DIFFERENT RATES FOR RENTAL, LEASING, AND TANGIBLE ITEMS SUCH AS VEHICLE, EQUIPMENT, FOOD, OR CLOTHING. SOME STATES HAVE DIFFERENT SALES TAX RATES THAN USE TAX RATES. EACH STATE HAS ITS OWN RULES ON EXEMPTIONS. PLEASE REFER TO THE SALES AND USE TAX LAW OF INDIVIDUAL STATES FOR DETAILS.

USGEOCODER LLC IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN ANY MANNER. ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THIS WEBSITE IS PREPARED FOR GENERAL INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR OWN TAX, LEGAL AND ACCOUNTING ADVISORS TO ADDRESS YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY TRANSACTION RELATED TO SALES AND USE TAX.