Washington Sales Tax Calculator
Published: 4 November 2026 · Updated: 4 November 2026
A $100 purchase in Seattle costs $110.55 at the till — 6.5% Washington state sales tax plus 4.05% local tax, one of the highest combined rates in the country. Enter your own price below.
Washington sales tax is 6.5% at state level, with local taxes pushing Seattle to 10.55% combined. Washington has no income tax on wages, so sales tax does the heavy lifting — this calculator adds or reverses it at any Washington rate, instantly and free.
Researched by MixKhazana Team · Last updated 4 November 2026 · Data: Washington 2026 figures from the Washington Department of Revenue local rate table (Oct–Dec 2026): 6.5% state rate, Seattle 10.55% combined, statewide average 9.57% (Tax Foundation, July 2026)
What this calculator does
This calculator works out Washington sales and use tax on any purchase. Washington charges a 6.5% state sales tax and has no personal income tax on wages, so sales tax — plus the Business & Occupation tax on businesses — carries the state's revenue. Every location adds local taxes on top of the state rate: Seattle combines 6.5% state with 4.05% local tax (city, King County, Sound Transit and other districts) for 10.55%, after King County and the City of Seattle each added a 0.1% public-safety tax on 1 January 2026. Tacoma sits at 10.5%, Spokane at 9.1% and Vancouver at 8.9%, and the statewide average is 9.57%. Washington is destination-based, so the delivery address — not the store — decides the rate, and most groceries and prescription drugs are exempt while clothing, electronics, meals and digital goods are fully taxed.
How to use
- Enter your price in dollars.
- Choose Add sales tax for a shelf price or Remove sales tax for a till total.
- Pick the combined rate for your city — 10.55% in Seattle, 10.50% in Tacoma, 9.57% for the statewide average, 6.50% state rate only.
- Click Calculate Sales Tax for the tax amount plus the net and total figures.
The formula
Adding tax: Tax = Net price × rate, and Total = Net price × (1 + rate). Removing tax: Net price = Total ÷ (1 + rate), and Tax = Total − Net price. So at Seattle's 10.55% combined rate, $100 net becomes $100 × 1.1055 = $110.55, while $110.55 at the till strips back to $110.55 ÷ 1.1055 = $100 net with $10.55 of tax. The state/local split inside that 10.55% is 6.5% state + 4.05% local — the split matters for filing, but the customer only ever sees the combined total.
Worked example
Sofia buys a $250 jacket in Seattle, where the combined rate is 10.55%:
- State tax: $250 × 6.50% = $16.25
- Local tax: $250 × 4.05% = $10.13
- Total sales tax: $26.38; till total: $276.38
- Reverse check: $276.38 ÷ 1.1055 = $250.00 net, with $26.38 of tax inside it
Had Sofia bought the same jacket in Vancouver, Washington (8.90%), she would have paid $272.25 — $4.13 less. Try the widget with $250 at 8.90% to see the difference.
Sales tax rates
| Area / case | Split | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle (King County) | 6.50% + 4.05% local | 10.55% |
| Tacoma | 6.50% + 4.00% local | 10.50% |
| Statewide average combined | 6.50% + ~3.07% local | 9.57% |
| Spokane | 6.50% + 2.60% local | 9.10% |
| Vancouver | 6.50% + 2.40% local | 8.90% |
| State rate only | 6.50% + 0% | 6.50% |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Washington sales tax rate in 2026?
Washington charges a 6.5% state sales tax, and every location adds local taxes on top, so combined rates run from 7.6% in the most rural areas to 10.7% in the Puget Sound region. The statewide average combined rate is 9.57% (Tax Foundation, July 2026), and nobody pays the state rate alone.
How much sales tax is on a $100 purchase in Seattle?
In Seattle the combined rate is 10.55%, so a $100 net purchase carries $10.55 of sales tax and costs $110.55 at the till. The split is 6.5% state plus 4.05% local tax from the City of Seattle, King County, Sound Transit and other local taxes.
Why is Seattle's sales tax 10.55%?
Seattle's rate rose to 10.55% on 1 January 2026, when King County and the City of Seattle each added a 0.1% public-safety tax on top of the previous 10.35%. It is one of the highest combined sales tax rates in the United States.
How do I reverse-calculate sales tax from a Washington total?
Divide the total by 1 plus the rate: at Seattle's 10.55%, net = total ÷ 1.1055 and tax = total − net. So $110.55 ÷ 1.1055 = $100 net with $10.55 of tax. Select “Remove sales tax” in the calculator and enter the till total.
What is exempt from Washington sales tax?
Most groceries and prescription drugs are exempt from Washington sales tax, but clothing, electronics, restaurant meals and home goods all carry the full rate. Unlike Illinois, Washington taxes digital goods and SaaS at the same combined rate as physical goods.
Does Washington have a state income tax?
No — Washington has no personal income tax on wages in 2026, which is why its sales tax carries so much weight: the state leans on the 6.5% sales tax plus local add-ons, and on the Business & Occupation tax on gross business revenues. A 9.9% tax on income above $1 million starts in 2028, but it does not apply to ordinary wages.
What official source are the Washington sales tax rates based on?
The 6.5% state rate and the city combined rates come from the Washington Department of Revenue's local sales and use tax table effective 1 October to 31 December 2026: Seattle 10.55%, Tacoma 10.5%, Spokane 9.1%, Vancouver 8.9%. For the exact rate at a specific address, use the Department's free Tax Rate Lookup Tool.