Are digital products taxable in Washington in 2026?

For 2026, Washington follows its existing "specified digital products" definition. Where the product is taxable, Washington applies the 6.50% state rate plus any applicable local rates at the buyer's address; non-taxable categories (often live services or specific exemptions) remain outside collection. Confirm category-by-category status with the Washington Department of Revenue before invoicing.

Does Washington tax digital downloads (eBooks, music, etc.)?

Washington has specific rules for "specified digital products". Some states treat all digital goods as taxable; others exempt specific categories. Check the current Washington DOR guidance for your product type.

Are online courses taxable in Washington?

Live-instruction courses are usually non-taxable services. Pre-recorded or on-demand courses are often taxable as specified digital products. Check Washington's specific definitions.

Do I apply Washington's general rate to digital products?

Yes — if the product is taxable, the 6.50% state rate plus applicable local rates apply at the buyer's address.

Are digital software subscriptions taxable in Washington in 2026?

Digital software subscriptions usually fall outside the "specified digital products" rules and are taxed instead under Washington's prewritten ("canned") software and SaaS rules. If Washington taxes electronically delivered software or SaaS, the subscription is taxable at the 6.50% state rate plus local rates; if Washington treats SaaS as a non-taxable service, the subscription is not taxed. Check the Washington SaaS guide and confirm with the Department of Revenue before invoicing.

Washington Digital Products Sales Tax Guide — 2026

Updated 2026-05-26

Guide content last reviewed: 2026-06-04

If your Digital Products business sells $100,000 into Washington in a calendar year, you have economic nexus and must register, collect, and remit Washington sales tax.

Sales tax on digital products in Washington

“Digital products” covers eBooks, audiobooks, video downloads, online courses, streaming subscriptions, digital artwork, stock photos, music, and similar non-physical delivered goods. Whether Washington taxes them depends on how the state classifies the product — “specified digital products”, “electronic transfer of canned software”, or a service. Rules vary more than for physical goods.

If taxable in Washington, the product is subject to 6.50% state rate plus any applicable local rate based on the buyer's address.

Which digital products does Washington tax?

Most states sort digital goods using the Streamlined Sales Tax definition of “specified digital products”, which splits them into three subcategories a state can tax or exempt independently:

Digital audio-visual works — downloaded or streamed movies, shows, and recorded events. Streaming video subscriptions fall here.
Digital audio works — downloaded or streamed music, podcasts, audiobooks, and ringtones. Streaming music subscriptions fall here.
Digital books — eBooks. Newspapers, periodicals, blogs, and databases are excluded from the “book” definition and follow their own rules.

Because a state may tax one subcategory and exempt another, “are digital products taxable” rarely has a single yes/no answer. Where Washington taxes a subcategory, the charge is subject to the 6.50% state rate plus any local rate at the buyer’s address. Software subscriptions (SaaS and electronically delivered “canned” software) sit outside this framework and follow Washington’s separate software-taxability rule — see the SaaS guide for that determination.

Framework source: Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board — “Specified Digital Products” definition (SSUTA §332). date_retrieved: 2026-06-04. State-by-state taxability still varies; verify each subcategory with the Washington Department of Revenue before invoicing.

Key distinctions

Specified digital products. Many states (adopting Streamlined Sales Tax definitions) tax SDPs — digital audio/video/books.
Online courses and education. Most states treat live-instruction courses as non-taxable services but treat pre-recorded course access as taxable digital products. Watch for this split if you sell both.
Subscriptions. Bundled subscription boxes with mixed digital + physical content are often taxed as a single taxable bundle — you can't allocate across taxable and non-taxable components unless the invoice separately states them.
B2B vs B2C. Some states exempt B2B digital products when bought for resale or when the buyer has a direct-pay permit. Keep certificates on file.

Common digital-product mistakes in Washington

Treating all digital products the same across states — eBook tax treatment differs from SaaS, which differs from streaming.
Bundling digital + physical goods without a line-item breakdown. Most states tax the full bundle at the physical rate if not itemized.
Applying origin-based sourcing (your state's rate) when most states source digital products to the buyer's billing or shipping address.

Washington nexus note

Washington sales tax nexus and economic nexus threshold: $100,000 in gross receipts sourced or attributed to Washington in the current or prior year (eff. 2020-01-01). The transaction-count threshold was eliminated when this unified threshold took effect. Crossing the threshold registers a remote seller for both retail sales tax AND Business & Occupation (B&O) tax — Washington classifies remote-seller revenue under the Retailing B&O classification, and a "No Local Activity" deduction is available when the seller has no in-state physical B&O nexus. Marketplace facilitator law (RCW 82.08.0531; marketplace facilitator defined at RCW 82.08.010(15)) applies the same $100,000 Washington-receipts threshold to marketplaces — Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and Walmart collect and remit Washington sales tax on third-party transactions they facilitate, and have provided monthly Washington-sales reports to their sellers since 2019-07-01. Direct-to-consumer Washington sales you make outside any marketplace continue to count toward your own $100,000 economic-nexus calculation.

What to do next

Read the full Washington overview for thresholds, filing frequency, marketplace facilitator rules, and registration links. Use the nexus calculator to check whether you have crossed the threshold. For background on the post-Wayfair economic nexus framework, see the pillar guide.

Frequently asked questions

Are digital products taxable in Washington in 2026?: For 2026, Washington follows its existing "specified digital products" definition. Where the product is taxable, Washington applies the 6.50% state rate plus any applicable local rates at the buyer's address; non-taxable categories (often live services or specific exemptions) remain outside collection. Confirm category-by-category status with the Washington Department of Revenue before invoicing.
Does Washington tax digital downloads (eBooks, music, etc.)?: Washington has specific rules for "specified digital products". Some states treat all digital goods as taxable; others exempt specific categories. Check the current Washington DOR guidance for your product type.
Are online courses taxable in Washington?: Live-instruction courses are usually non-taxable services. Pre-recorded or on-demand courses are often taxable as specified digital products. Check Washington's specific definitions.
Do I apply Washington's general rate to digital products?: Yes — if the product is taxable, the 6.50% state rate plus applicable local rates apply at the buyer's address.
Does Washington charge sales tax on digital streaming services in 2026?: Under the "specified digital products" framework most states use, streaming video is a "digital audio-visual work" and streaming music is a "digital audio work." Where Washington taxes that subcategory, the streaming charge is subject to the 6.50% state rate plus any local rate at the buyer's address; where Washington exempts it, the subscription is not taxed. States can tax one subcategory and exempt another, so confirm Washington's current treatment with its Department of Revenue.
Are digital software subscriptions taxable in Washington in 2026?: Digital software subscriptions usually fall outside the "specified digital products" rules and are taxed instead under Washington's prewritten ("canned") software and SaaS rules. If Washington taxes electronically delivered software or SaaS, the subscription is taxable at the 6.50% state rate plus local rates; if Washington treats SaaS as a non-taxable service, the subscription is not taxed. Check the Washington SaaS guide and confirm with the Department of Revenue before invoicing.

Sources

date_retrieved: 2026-05-26