Washington has no state income tax on wages, so it leans heavily on sales tax. The state rate is 6.5%, but nobody actually pays just 6.5%: every city and county adds local taxes on top. Here are the combined rates from the Washington Department of Revenue’s rate file for October 1 to December 31, 2026.
The short version
- State rate: 6.5%. Combined rates: 7.6% to 10.7%.
- Highest: Edmonds and Lynnwood at 10.7%. Seattle is 10.55%.
- Lowest: unincorporated Klickitat County at 7.6%.
- Rates can change every quarter, so check the effective dates.
Major cities
| City | County | Combined rate |
|---|---|---|
| Edmonds | Snohomish | 10.7% |
| Lynnwood | Snohomish | 10.7% |
| Seattle | King | 10.55% |
| Tacoma | Pierce | 10.5% |
| Renton | King | 10.5% |
| Tukwila | King | 10.4% |
| Federal Way | King | 10.4% |
| Kent | King | 10.4% |
| Redmond | King | 10.4% |
| Bellevue | King | 10.3% |
| Olympia | Thurston | 10.0% |
| Everett | Snohomish | 9.9% |
| Bellingham | Whatcom | 9.2% |
| Spokane | Spokane | 9.1% |
| Vancouver | Clark | 8.9% |
| Kennewick | Benton | 8.8% |
| Yakima | Yakima | 8.6% |
On Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor and Langley are 9.3%, and Coupeville and unincorporated Island County are 9.1%. All 329 cities and county areas are listed on our local sales tax page.
Why rates differ from city to city
The combined rate is the state’s 6.5% plus a stack of local taxes that cities, counties and transit authorities can levy, each approved locally. A large piece in the Seattle area is the regional transit authority (RTA) tax that funds Sound Transit. That is why most cities in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties sit above 10%, while rural counties in eastern and central Washington are often near 8%. The single most common combined rate in the state file is 8.0%, used by 51 locations.
A few cities, such as Bellevue and Auburn, include areas outside the RTA boundary that pay a slightly lower rate. For an exact street address, use the Department of Revenue’s tax rate lookup.
Which rate applies to a purchase
Washington taxes a sale based on where the buyer receives the goods. Buy a TV in a Tukwila store and carry it out, and you pay Tukwila’s 10.4%. Have it delivered to a home in Yakima, and the Yakima rate of 8.6% applies.
Example
Hannah is buying a $1,200 sofa. Delivered to her apartment in Seattle, the tax is $126.60 (10.55%). Delivered to her parents’ house in Spokane, it would be $109.20 (9.1%). The store is the same; the delivery address changes the tax by $17.40.
What sales tax doesn’t cover
- Most groceries are exempt from Washington sales tax; prepared food is taxed.
- Hotels, rental cars and vehicle purchases carry extra taxes on top of the sales tax.
- Items bought out of state without Washington tax may owe use tax at your local rate.
To work out tax on any amount, use our sales tax calculator with your city’s rate, or see the Washington sales tax page.
How often rates change
Washington local rate changes take effect at the start of a quarter: January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1. The Department of Revenue publishes the new rates ahead of time. The rates in this guide are from the October 1 – December 31, 2026 file. Our local pages are re-checked each quarter.
Tax on common purchases in Seattle
| Purchase | Tax at 10.55% | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $25 | $2.64 | $27.64 |
| $100 | $10.55 | $110.55 |
| $500 | $52.75 | $552.75 |
| $1,500 | $158.25 | $1,658.25 |
Lowest rates in the state
At the other end, unincorporated Klickitat County is 7.6%, and Bingen, Goldendale, Cusick and unincorporated Cowlitz County are 7.7%. The most common combined rate in the state file is 8.0%.
Other cities people ask about
- Oak Harbor (Island County): 9.3%
- Coupeville (Island County): 9.1%
- Spokane Valley: 9.0%
- Shoreline: 10.5%
- Mill Creek: 10.6%
