The sales tax in Everett, WA is 9.9 percent as of 2026. That rate combines the 6.5 percent Washington state retail sales tax with 3.4 percent in local taxes, and it applies at the register to most retail goods and many services bought in the city.1Washington Department of Revenue. Local Sales and Use Tax Rates Listed by City – Q1 2026 Groceries and prescription drugs are the main things you won’t pay it on. Vehicles are taxed at a higher rate.
How the 9.9 Percent Is Built
The state piece is 6.5 percent, set by statute and the same everywhere in Washington.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.020 – Tax Imposed, Retail Sales, Retail Car Rental The remaining 3.4 percent comes from Everett, Snohomish County, and regional transit levies stacked on top under authority granted by state law.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.14.030 – Sales and Use Tax Authorized for Cities and Counties
The largest slice of the local portion is 1.4 percent for Sound Transit, approved by district voters in 2016 to fund light rail expansion to Everett and other cities in the region.4Sound Transit. Regional Tax Information Because Everett sits inside the Sound Transit district, every taxable sale in the city carries that surcharge whether or not you ever board a train. The rest funds city and county general operations and public safety.
What You Pay It On
If you’re buying a physical product in Everett, assume the 9.9 percent applies. Clothing, electronics, furniture, appliances, home improvement materials, and household goods are all taxed. So are taxable services like construction, repair work, and landscaping.
Groceries vs. Prepared Food
Food and food ingredients sold for home preparation are exempt. The statute excludes prepared food, soft drinks, dietary supplements, and alcohol from that exemption.5Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.0293 – Exemptions, Sales of Food and Food Ingredients Food counts as prepared, and therefore taxable, if it’s sold heated, if the seller combined two or more ingredients to sell it as a single item, or if utensils like plates, forks, or napkins come with it.
A separate rule sweeps in entire stores: if more than 75 percent of a retailer’s food sales are prepared food, that retailer has to charge tax on all food it sells.6Washington Department of Revenue. Retail Sales Tax – Restaurants and Retailers of Prepared Food That’s why restaurants and fast-food chains charge tax on a bottled water, while the same bottle at a grocery store is exempt.
Medicine and Hygiene Products
Prescription drugs dispensed to patients are exempt.7Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.0281 – Exemptions, Drugs for Human Use Over-the-counter medications are taxed at the full rate. Feminine hygiene products, including tampons, pads, and menstrual cups, have been exempt since 2020 under RCW 82.08.798. Diapers are still taxed.
Digital Goods
Washington taxes digital purchases the same as physical ones. Downloaded music, e-books, streaming video subscriptions, and software-as-a-service all carry the full 9.9 percent in Everett, whether you get a permanent download or temporary streaming access.8Washington State Legislature. WAC 458-20-15503 – Digital Products Internet access itself is excluded from the taxable digital services definition.9Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.04.192 – Digital Products Definitions
Buying a Vehicle: 10.4 Percent
Vehicles are taxed at a higher rate. Washington adds a 0.5 percent motor vehicle sales tax on top of the standard rate, which brings a car purchase in Everett to 10.4 percent. The surcharge rose from 0.3 percent to 0.5 percent on January 1, 2026, and funds the state’s multimodal transportation account.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.020 – Tax Imposed, Retail Sales, Retail Car Rental10Washington Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle Sales/Use Tax On a $35,000 car, that works out to $3,640 in sales tax.
A trade-in reduces the taxable amount. The dealer charges tax only on the difference between the new vehicle’s price and the agreed trade-in value, as long as both are documented on the sales agreement and the trade-in is the same general category of property.11Washington Department of Revenue. Trade-Ins Trading a $10,000 truck toward a $35,000 car means you pay 10.4 percent on $25,000. Any cash the dealer hands you as part of the deal doesn’t reduce the taxable price.
Buying from a private party doesn’t skip the tax. The seller normally doesn’t collect it, so you pay use tax at the same rate when you register the vehicle with the Department of Licensing, which collects it at that point.10Washington Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle Sales/Use Tax
Online Orders Delivered to Everett
Washington uses destination-based sourcing, so the tax rate is set by where you receive the goods, not where the seller is.12Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.32.730 – Sourcing of Retail Sales An item shipped to an Everett address is taxed at 9.9 percent regardless of where the warehouse is located.
Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and similar platforms are classified as marketplace facilitators and must collect and remit the correct Washington tax on every order delivered to the state.13Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.0531 – Marketplace Facilitator Collection Obligations Smaller sellers meeting $100,000 in annual Washington sales also have a collection obligation. For most online purchases, the 9.9 percent is already in the checkout total.
When You Owe Use Tax Instead
Use tax covers situations where sales tax should have applied but wasn’t charged. The rate matches sales tax — 9.9 percent for Everett residents — and the buyer reports and pays it directly to the Department of Revenue.14Washington Department of Revenue. Use Tax Common triggers include buying from a state with no sales tax or a lower rate, purchasing from a seller not registered to collect in Washington, and buying through classified ads or other private sales. Shipping and delivery charges are included in the taxable value.
Washington has no income tax, so there’s no return line for this. Individuals file a Consumer Use Tax Return through the Department of Revenue’s My DOR portal or on paper. Marketplace facilitator rules handle most online purchases automatically, so the situations that still catch people are out-of-state private sales, estate items, and goods bought while traveling.