The sales tax rate in Clarkston, WA is 8.4 percent as of 2026. That combines Washington’s 6.5 percent state sales tax with a 1.9 percent local rate shared between Asotin County and the city.1Washington Department of Revenue. Local Sales and Use Tax Rate Table It applies to most retail purchases of goods and many services inside city limits.
How the Rate Is Built
The 6.5 percent state portion is set by statute and applies to every retail sale in Washington.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.020 – Tax Imposed, Retail Sales, Retail Car Rental The 1.9 percent local layer comes from county and city authority to levy general sales tax, plus voter-approved or legislatively authorized add-ons for purposes like criminal justice, public safety, and transportation.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.14.030 – Sales and Use Tax Imposed by Counties, Cities, and Transportation Benefit Districts
If you’re shopping in unincorporated Asotin County rather than inside Clarkston city limits, the combined rate is slightly different because the city increment doesn’t apply. The Department of Revenue’s rate lookup tool confirms the exact rate for any specific address.
What the 8.4 Percent Applies To
Tangible personal property sold to consumers is the core category: clothing, electronics, furniture, building materials, and similar goods all carry the full rate.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.020 – Tax Imposed, Retail Sales, Retail Car Rental Digital goods, including downloaded music, movies, and e-books, are taxed the same way their physical equivalents would be.4Washington Department of Revenue. Digital Products Including Digital Goods Leasing or renting tangible property also triggers sales tax, collected on each payment as it comes due.5Cornell Law Institute. Washington Administrative Code 458-20-211 – Leases or Rentals of Tangible Personal Property
Many services fall under sales tax too. Washington law defines a “retail sale” to include labor that installs, repairs, cleans, alters, or improves tangible personal or real property for consumers.6Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.04.050 – Sale at Retail, Retail Sale In practice that captures construction work, landscaping, janitorial cleaning, and vehicle repair, all taxed at Clarkston’s 8.4 percent rate.7Washington Department of Revenue. Retail Sales Tax Most purely professional services, like those provided by doctors, dentists, and attorneys, have historically fallen outside the retail sales tax, though Washington periodically revisits which services are taxable.
Hotel and Motel Stays Are Higher
Short-term lodging in Clarkston runs higher than the standard rate. On top of the 8.4 percent sales tax, the city adds a 2 percent special hotel-motel tax, so a hotel room is taxed at 10.4 percent total.8Washington Department of Revenue. Lodging Rates and Changes This applies to rooms rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days.
What’s Exempt
Two exemptions matter to most Clarkston shoppers: groceries and prescription medications.
Groceries
Food and food ingredients sold for home consumption are exempt from sales tax.9Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.0293 – Exemptions, Sales of Food and Food Ingredients The exemption covers raw and packaged grocery items. It does not cover prepared food (anything sold heated, combined by the seller into a ready-to-eat item, or served with utensils), soft drinks, dietary supplements, or candy. A bag of rice from the store is tax-free; a hot deli sandwich from the same store is taxable.
Prescription Drugs
Prescription medications, both human and veterinary, are exempt.10Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.0281 – Exemptions, Sales of Prescription Drugs The exemption also extends to certain medical devices sold to patients for treatment or prevention of disease. Over-the-counter medications without a prescription generally remain taxable.
Buying From Idaho or Online
Clarkston sits across the river from Lewiston, Idaho, and a lot of residents shop in both states. If you buy something in a state with no sales tax, or from an online seller that doesn’t collect Washington tax, you still owe Washington’s use tax at the same 8.4 percent rate that would have applied locally.11Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.12.020 – Use Tax Imposed Individuals are expected to self-report use tax on a consumer use tax return; businesses report it on their regular excise tax return.
Most large online retailers now collect Washington sales tax automatically. Marketplace facilitators like Amazon, Etsy, and eBay are required to collect and remit tax on sales made through their platforms once they cross a $100,000 Washington sales threshold.12Washington Department of Revenue. Marketplace Facilitators The same threshold applies to any out-of-state seller shipping into Washington.13Washington Department of Revenue. Out of State Businesses Reporting Thresholds and Nexus Use tax typically comes into play with smaller sellers, private purchases, or anything you carry back yourself from Idaho.
Which Rate Applies to Deliveries
Washington uses destination-based sourcing, so the rate is set by where the buyer receives the goods rather than where the seller sits.14Washington Department of Revenue. Destination-Based Sales Tax Overview A furniture store in Spokane shipping a couch to your Clarkston address collects Clarkston’s 8.4 percent. For in-person purchases where you walk out with the item, the rate is based on the store’s location. The distinction matters most for delivery orders and online purchases that aren’t already handled by a marketplace facilitator.