Sales Tax Rate in Washington State

The Washington state tax system is one of the high-ranking tax systems, It has a sales tax rate of 6.50% and a district income tax of 4.00% to 10.75% as well as property taxes on real estate.

These are basic local taxes that taxpayers remit to the District of Columbia (Washington DC) and this is in addition to the usual federal income taxes.

The District also has an average effective property tax rate of 0.56%. Of course, all of these taxes have their own specific rules and exemptions.

In the course of reading, you will learn about the sales tax, income tax, and inheritance tax rates in Washington state. You will also learn about the sales tax in the Washington calculator.

About Tax In Washington DC

Washington, D.C. Income Taxes

D.C income tax comprises seven tax brackets with rates ranging from 4%-10.75%. If you have lived in the District of Columbia for at least 183 days during the period of the taxable year then, you are mandated to file a D.C. tax return (though this is only necessary if one is supposed to file a federal tax return). 

The brackets and rates for all filing statuses in D.C. is shown below:

District of Columbia Taxable Income And Rate

• $0 – $10,000 – 4.00%
• $10,000 – $40,000 – 6.00%
• $40,000 – $60,000 – 6.50%
• $60,000 – $250,000 – 8.50%
• $250,000 – $500,000 – 9.25%
• $500,000 – $1,000,000    – 9.75%
• $1,000,000 and more – 10.75%

The D.C. income tax rate is placed on taxable income and this taxable income is derived from federal adjusted gross income (AGI), which includes salaries, wages, interest, dividends, capital, rental income, and royalties. Various modifications can be made to the gross income so as to minimize taxable income.

There are some cases where these modifications are made, for example, part-year residents can remove the income received while they were not living in D.C and any Social Security income that is taxed federally can also be subtracted.

After the changes or modifications have been made, you can apply for deductions. The basic deduction in D.C. as of the 2021 tax year is $12,550 so married couples filing jointly can collect a standard deduction of $25,100.

Washington, D.C. Tax Credits

You may be qualified for a good number of credits that will minimize your income taxes when you have calculated your income tax in Washington D.C. Tax credits for individual taxpayers in Washington D.C. include:

• The Early Learning Tax Credit gives filers up to $1,000 for each dependent under the age of four who goes to a licensed childcare facility.
• The Earned Income Tax Credit is equal to 40% of the federal credit.
• The state income tax credit is a type of credit that is for income taxes paid in other states.

The Alternative Fuel Credit is available to taxpayers who fix alternative vehicle infrastructure in their homes and charging stations, or who change their vehicles from gasoline to fuel.

Washington, D.C. Property Tax

Washington D.C’s listed tax rate on residential property is 0.85%, but that rate is applied to only assessed value, which is not actually equal to a home’s actual market value and it also has some of the lowest property taxes in the country. The effective property tax rate in the district (which is the property tax as a percentage of market value) is nothing more than 0.56%.

Washington, D.C. Gas Tax

The gas tax is not only placed on gasoline but on all fuel types, including diesel, kerosene, ethanol, and benzol. The gas tax in the nation’s capital is 23.50 cents per gallon. 

Washington, D.C. Cigarette Tax

Cigarettes sold to the military and to the federal government are excluded from this tax. Nonetheless, in Washington DC, the cigarette tax is at a rate of $4.50 per pack of 20.

Washington, D.C. Sales Tax

In Washington, D.C, the normal sales tax rate is 6.5%. It is placed on most goods (also known as “tangible personal property”) and some services hence the charge is added to the price given to customers.

A list of services that are not excluded from sales tax in D.C. include: 

• Maintenance of real property (buildings, houses, land, etc.) 
• Landscaping services
• Data processing services such as word processing, business accounting, and data storage; 
• Information services like electronic data retrieval, wire services, scouting services, and surveys. 

Just as there are items that are subject to sales tax, there are also a number of items that are specifically excluded from sales tax in Washington, D.C. They include:

• Prescription and non-prescription drugs 
• groceries and public utilities like gas and electric service. 

Note that public utilities do remit a gross receipts tax of 10%, and this may lead to high prices of items though it is not allotted to the consumers directly.

In addition to this, it should be noted that some goods and services have higher sales tax rates. Some of them are:

• Private parking commercial lots with a tax rate of 18%. 
• Hotels and motels with a tax rate of 14.95%. 
• Restaurants with a tax rate of 10%
• Liquor and rental cars are taxed at 10.25%.

Washington D.C. does take an apportioned motor vehicle excise tax when they give out new certificates of title for any motor vehicle. The rates stated do depend on the market worth and weight of the vehicle. Example:

• Vehicles up to 3,499 pounds are at a rate of up to 8.1%. 
• Vehicles from 3,500 to 4,999 pounds are at a rate of up to 9.1%. 
• Vehicles weighing more than 4,999 pounds are at a rate of up to 10.1%

Washington, D.C. Estate Tax

Estate tax rates start at 11.2%, but the top rate of 16% applies to the portion of any estate beyond $10 million. In Washington, D.C. estate tax is placed on estates that are worth over $4 million. 

However, for estates that are above the benchmark, the rates are given based on the total gross estate, which includes bank accounts, real estate, automobiles, investments, and other valuable property held by the decedent.

Washington, D.C. Alcohol Tax

In Washington, D.C., there are two types of taxes on the sale of alcohol. The first, which is an excise tax, is apportioned to the wholesaler. This type of tax is based on the type of alcohol. Some are listed below:

• Beer is taxed at a rate of 9 cents per gallon. 
• Wine with less than 14% alcohol by volume is taxed at the rate of 30 cents per gallon
• Wine with more than 14% alcohol by volume is taxed at a rate of 40 cents per gallon. 
• Liquor is taxed at a rate of $1.50 per gallon.

Alcohol-specific sales tax is the second type of tax and it is apportioned to the consumer. The rate for this tax is 10.25% and it is added to the purchase price.

Sales Tax In Washington State Calculator

The sales tax rate in Washington state can be calculated using the formula: 

• Sales tax = total amount of sales x sales tax rate

You need to sum up the state, county, and city rates for your area before you will be able to calculate the accurate sales tax rate in Washington state. 

As soon as you get the adequate sales tax rate for your area, you need to check out the price you can give to each client on any goods bought.

If you compare these rates with those in other states, you will find that they are cheaper in some and costlier in others. See the sales taxes in New Jersey, for instance.

What is Sales Tax In Washington State?

The sales tax rate in Washington state is placed on businesses making sales there, and it is taken from their clients. Sales tax in Washington state is a basic source of tax. 

The sales tax rate in Washington state is presently 6.5% but because of local municipalities, the total tax rate could increase to 10.4%.

Washington sales tax may be also imposed at the city/county/school/transportation and SPD (special purpose district) levels.

In Washington state, the marketplace coordinators with no actual presence in the state and more than $100,000 in gross retail sales in the present or previous calendar year are to collect Washington sales tax on taxable sales. 

As of January 1, 2020, the $100,000 benchmark is determined based on cumulative gross income in Washington and not retail sales. The benchmark actually refers to all Washington sales made through the marketplace—its own and third-party sales.

General Information About Sales Tax In Washington State

• State and local components of the tax are combined in Sales tax.
• Sales tax amounts should be paid to the Department of Revenue and they also trust funds.
• If any goods are bought for resale, the business person involved needs to give a reseller permit to the seller and if this is not done, the seller will charge the buyer retail sales tax on the total purchase.
• Businesses do pay the sales tax in Washington state on goods bought for personal use (such as supplies or equipment) that will not be resold.

What is Taxable in Washington State?

It is believed that all services are subject to sales tax, but this is not true as there are some exemptions. Below is a list of services that are subject to a sales tax when provided to consumers:

Construction Services 

• Constructing and improving new or existing buildings and structures. Installing, repairing, cleaning, improving, constructing, and decorating real or personal property for others
• Cleaning, fumigating, razing, or moving structures, including painting and papering, cleaning and repairing furnaces and septic tanks, and snow removal
• Clearing land and moving earth

Installation And Repair Services

• Repairing, cleaning, installing, or decorating personal property for others
• Furnaces, septic tanks, vehicles, appliances, etc.

Retail Recreation Services

• Fishing Charters
• Day trips for sight-seeing
• Service charges on tickets to professional sporting events

Personal Services

• Personal training services
• Tanning
• Tattooing
• Turkish and steam baths, including hot tubs
• Dating and escort services

Miscellaneous services

• Car wash (including self-service facilities) or detailing cars, trucks, campers, boats, etc.
• Catering and personal chefs 
• Extended warranties and maintenance agreements
• Vehicle Towing
• Automobile parking
• Telephone services
• Digital automated services, remote access software, and digital goods
• Escrow services and abstract and title insurance
• Credit bureau services, including creditworthiness and tenant screening services

What Exemptions are Available?

Common exemptions for sales tax in Washington state include:

• Food
• Prescription Drugs
• Sales to Nonresidents
• Federal Government Sales
• Interstate and Foreign Sales
• Manufacturers’ Machinery and Equipment Exemption
• Sales to Indians or Indian Tribes
• Newspapers

Do you Have Nexus in Washington State?

The word “nexus” talks about the commercial connection in the state. When you do have nexus, it means you’re required to collect tax on your sales there. Nexus determines the following questions for a state tax agency: Do you do business here? If so, what kind, and how much? 

So before you talk about sales tax and if you should collect it, the first question to answer is whether you have nexus in Washington.

The points below will describe if your business has a nexus in Washington State:

• A physical presence in Washington: a store, an office, a warehouse or distribution center, storage space, you, an employee, a representative, etc.
• Online ads or links on a Washington-based website, which channels potential customers and new business.
• A significant amount of sales in Washington within twelve months. 

Any kind of economic activity could foster the economic nexus (sales tax nexus determined by economic activity) when your total sales reach a certain benchmark amount.

The benchmark amount in Washington state is $100,000 in yearly sales.

How to Register for Sales Tax in Washington State

It is unlawful to collect tax without a permit. So after discovering your nexus, the next step is to register for a sales tax permit. 

Before you leave for registration, you need to have this basic information:

• Your personal contact info
• Your business contact info
• Social Security number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• A business entity (sole proprietor, LLC, S-Corp, etc.)
• Bank account info (account number and routing number) where you’ll deposit the collected sales tax

When to File Taxes in Washington State

You will be assigned a filing frequency after your registration and you are to file and pay sales tax either monthly, quarterly, or yearly.

High-profit businesses file more frequently than lower-profit businesses – for instance,

Sales Tax In Washington is due on the 25th day of the month following the reporting period but if the exact date falls on a weekend or holiday, then your sales tax filing is moved to the next business day.

Basically, the frequency that will be assigned to you is determined by the amount of sales tax collected in Washington state.

How to File Sales Taxes in Washington

You must do three things when you want to file for when tax time rolls around in Washington, whether it’s monthly or annually.

• Calculate how much sales tax you owe
• File a sales tax return
• Make a Payment

Even though you don’t have any sales tax to report or pay, Washington expects that any vendor with a sales tax permit files a sales tax return on your due date. If you didn’t make a single sale in Washington during the reporting period, you still need to do a “zero tax filing.”

Other Washington Sales Tax Info

Penalties

There are penalties attached if you miss a filing or payment deadline.

Discounts

Discounts are sometimes given so as to enable you to save some money. It is often seen as a bonus for adhering to the sales tax system. 

Sales Tax Holidays

Sales tax rates in Washington state have specific days for sales tax holidays. On these special days, one is not expected to charge sales tax on any taxable goods or services rendered.

Income Tax in Washington State

There are people that establish and take part in business in Washington state- these people are required to pay business and occupation (B&O) and/or public utility tax and this is because Washington state does not operate a personal or corporate income tax system so, there is no income tax. 

The tax they are required to pay is based on their business’s gross receipts. Businesses that provide retail services may be mandated to take and submit retail sales tax.

Several other states have fantastic tax systems, one such is the income tax of new york, you may want to compare it with that of Washington

Inheritance Tax in Washington

Inheritance tax requires recipients to pay taxes on assets and properties handed over to them from a deceased person. In Washington State, there is no inheritance tax but they give estate tax. 

The main aim of estate taxes is on the value of the deceased’s assets and whether it surpasses the estate tax threshold. Inheritance taxes are different from estate taxes in that these taxes are given or placed on the recipient. Only six states impose an inheritance tax and they are:

• Maryland
• Nebraska
• Kentucky
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
•  Lowa.

The place of residence of the deceased determines inheritance tax and not where the beneficiary or recipient resides. In this regard, if you live in Washington and you leave money for someone who lives in one of these states, they will not owe inheritance tax but if you were handed over money from someone who lived in a state that imposes inheritance taxes, you may be expected to give your part.

Conclusion

The Washington (WA) state sales tax rate is currently 6.5% and it depends on local municipalities, the total tax rate can be as high as 10.4%. There are taxable goods and services though there are exemptions. 

You need to have a nexus and register for the sales tax rate in Washington state. Also, there are special days that are kept as holidays, and on these days, no sales tax is charged.

FAQs

Recommendations

• What is the Income Tax Rate for North Carolina
• Income Tax Rates for Ohio
• Total Sales Tax Rates In Texas
• California Tax Refund