Who collects Washington sales tax on dropshipped orders?

You do, as the retailer. Your dropshipper invoices you at wholesale; you invoice the customer at retail. Collection duty follows the retail transaction — that's you.

Will my dropshipper charge me Washington sales tax on the wholesale?

Only if your dropshipper has Washington nexus AND you can't provide a valid WA resale certificate. Obtain resale certificates for every state where your dropshipper operates.

Does dropshipping trigger economic nexus in Washington?

Yes, your retail revenue into Washington still counts toward the $100,000 threshold, independent of how fulfillment happens.

Washington Sales Tax for Dropshipping Sellers — 2026 Guide

Updated 2026-04-27

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

Dropshipping sales tax in Washington

Dropshipping into Washington raises three distinct tax questions. First, you (the retailer) have to collect and remit Washington sales tax on your retail sales if you exceed $100,000. Second, your dropship supplier may charge YOU sales tax on the wholesale invoice if they have Washington nexus and you can't present a valid resale certificate. Third, the marketplace (if any) handles its own tax on facilitated transactions.

Washington applies 6.50% as the base state rate; local add-ons average 3.01%.

Resale certificate rules

If you have a Washington sales tax permit, you can usually issue your dropshipper a WA resale certificate to avoid being charged sales tax on the wholesale invoice.
Some states (notably California, Florida, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and a few others) require the buyer to hold an IN-STATE registration before issuing a resale certificate — a home-state certificate isn't enough.
Streamlined Sales Tax (SST) states accept the uniform Multistate Certificate; others have their own forms.

Common dropshipping mistakes in Washington

Treating your dropshipper's nexus as if it obligates them to collect from the end customer — no, they invoice you at wholesale; you invoice the customer at retail. Only the retail transaction is subject to collection duty.
Forgetting that your retail revenue into Washington still counts toward the economic nexus threshold, independent of the dropshipping arrangement.
Not keeping resale certificates on file — your supplier will charge you tax (and you'll have already collected from the customer), eroding margin.

Washington nexus note

Economic nexus triggers at $100,000 in cumulative gross receipts from Washington sales in the current or previous calendar year. The transaction-count threshold was removed in 2020. Washington also imposes B&O tax on nexus-triggering activity.

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

Who collects Washington sales tax on dropshipped orders?: You do, as the retailer. Your dropshipper invoices you at wholesale; you invoice the customer at retail. Collection duty follows the retail transaction — that's you.
Will my dropshipper charge me Washington sales tax on the wholesale?: Only if your dropshipper has Washington nexus AND you can't provide a valid WA resale certificate. Obtain resale certificates for every state where your dropshipper operates.
Does dropshipping trigger economic nexus in Washington?: Yes, your retail revenue into Washington still counts toward the $100,000 threshold, independent of how fulfillment happens.