Double-entry bookkeeping works the same everywhere. What changes state to state is everything around it: whether you owe sales tax and on what, how often you file, where you register as an employer, and which agency you answer to when something is wrong.
In Washington, sales tax is administered by the Washington Department of Revenue at a 6.5% statewide base rate, with local rates stacking on top. Economic nexus for remote sellers sits at $100,000 in sales, and filing frequency is assigned by liability — monthly, quarterly, or annually by liability. Employer registration runs through the Washington Employment Security Department, and the entity itself is registered with the Washington Secretary of State.
White Glove Accounting is a bookkeeping firm — not a licensed CPA firm, public accountancy firm, or registered tax preparer. We keep your books clean so your CPA or tax preparer can do their job.
At a glance
Sales tax authority
Washington Department of Revenue — 6.5% statewide base rate
Economic nexus
$100,000 in sales
Filing cadence
Monthly, quarterly, or annually by liability
Employer registration
Washington Employment Security Department
What trips businesses up in Washington
No income tax, but the Business and Occupation tax applies to gross receipts by activity classification and is reported alongside sales tax.
Washington's Business and Occupation (B&O) Tax
Washington levies the Business and Occupation (B&O) Tax on gross receipts, with no deduction for cost of goods, labor, or any other expense, payable by the business. It is registered and filed separately from sales tax, on its own calendar.
the rate depends on the activity classification — retailing, wholesaling, service, manufacturing — and a business doing more than one reports under more than one. It is filed alongside sales tax on the same return.
Because it falls on revenue rather than on profit, a business can owe it in a year it made a loss. The bookkeeping consequence is specific: because there is no deduction for costs, a business with thin margins pays B&O in years it loses money. Revenue has to be split by activity classification in the books, or the return is guesswork.
What we handle for Washington businesses
- Monthly categorization, reconciliation, and close
- Cleanup and catch-up, quoted at a fixed price
- Profit and loss statement and balance sheet, prepared from your records
- AR/AP, payroll coordination, and 1099 preparation and e-filing
- Washington sales tax tracked, reconciled, and filed on your assigned cadence
- QuickBooks setup, cleanup, and migration — by QuickBooks ProAdvisors
Do you have to be in Washington to work with us?
No — we work remotely with businesses in all 50 states and DC, and most of our clients never meet us in person. What matters is that someone is tracking Washington’s rules against your actual activity, which is what these pages are for.
We keep the books. You run the business.
Categorization, reconciliation, month-end close, and clean financial statements — with nothing left for you to chase.
View pricingHow It Works
Free review
We look at where your books stand and what Washington requires of you.
Scope and quote
A fixed price for cleanup, or a monthly tier recommendation.
Get current
Anything behind is brought up to date, oldest period first.
Close monthly
Reconciled books with Washington deadlines tracked on their cadence.
Washington Guides
Washington Sales Tax Filing
Tracked, reconciled, and filed on the cadence Washington assigns you.
Open guideWashington Tax Agency Directory
Who administers what, with rates and thresholds as of August 2026.
Open guideAll Bookkeeping Services
Monthly close, cleanup, AR/AP, payroll, job costing, and more.
Open guideWashington Bookkeeping by Industry
These industries have bookkeeping that genuinely differs in Washington — sales tax treatment, licensing, payroll, or filing cadence.
Washington — Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to collect sales tax in Washington?
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If you have physical presence, generally yes. For remote sellers, Washington sets economic nexus at $100,000 in sales. We track your activity against that threshold and flag it as you approach — whether to register, and how to handle any prior period, is a decision to make with your CPA or a tax professional.
How often would I file in Washington?
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Washington assigns filing frequency by liability: monthly, quarterly, or annually by liability. We work the monthly close backward from your due dates so everything is reconciled before it is filed.
Do you prepare my income tax return?
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No. We are a bookkeeping firm, not a licensed CPA firm or a registered tax preparer, and we do not prepare or file income tax returns. We prepare and file sales and city tax returns and 1099 information returns, which are bookkeeping functions, and we hand off clean reconciled books to your CPA or tax preparer for anything income-tax related.
Bookkeeping for your Washington business
Book a free consultation. We will look at where your books stand and tell you what it takes to get them current.
- Done-for-you
- Solo or group
- Nationwide
Book Online
Share your details and preferred availability.