POS system and accounting software for Washington State
Washington charges sales tax by destination, with a 6.5% state rate and local add-ons that push Seattle above 10%. Sero, based just across the border in British Columbia, runs counters and books for businesses from Seattle to Spokane.
Washington, handled by Sero
Destination-based rates
Washington taxes at the delivery address; SeroBooks applies the rate where goods go, and SeroPOS uses each store’s own rate.
Local rates per store
Set the combined state and local rate for each location, from Seattle to Yakima.
Cross-border friendly
SeroBooks handles CAD and USD, foreign-currency bills and both Canadian and US tax in one company file.
Nexus in 50 states
SeroBooks watches your sales into each state against its economic nexus threshold, including Washington’s $100,000 test.
US payroll in SeroBooks Pro
Federal withholding, W-2 EFW2 files and 1099-NEC slips for Washington staff, in the same ledger.
Coffee-country POS
Nested modifiers with upcharges, loyalty and fast checkout for espresso bars and bakeries.
One company, one login, three products that share their numbers
SeroPOS
The point of sale built for the rush.
Point of sale for restaurants and retail — tables, kitchen tickets, inventory, loyalty and online ordering on iPad, Android, Windows and Mac.
SeroBooks
The books, the store, the bank. One ledger.
Accounting that runs the whole business — invoicing, inventory, banking, sales tax, payroll and year-end for Canada and the United States.
SeroPayroll
Payroll for every province. Right to the cent.
Canadian payroll for all 13 provinces and territories — CPP, EI, QPP, vacation, stat holidays, remittances, T4s and ROEs.
Washington’s destination-based sales tax
Washington’s state retail sales tax rate is 6.5%, administered by the Department of Revenue. Cities, counties and transit authorities add local rates, so combined rates across the Puget Sound region commonly run above 10%. Grocery food is generally exempt, while prepared food and restaurant meals are taxable. Spirits carry their own additional state taxes.
Washington is a destination-based state: when you deliver goods, the local rate is the one at the customer’s address, not your shop’s. For a counter sale, that is your store. For a Tacoma retailer delivering furniture to Bellevue, it is Bellevue’s rate. SeroPOS uses each store’s rate for walk-in sales, and SeroBooks applies the right rate on invoices and keeps tax collected by location code for the return.
Beyond sales tax: B&O and the cost of doing business
Washington has no personal income tax, but it does have a business and occupation (B&O) tax on gross receipts, which applies whether or not a business is profitable. B&O is reported on the same combined excise tax return as retail sales tax but under its own classifications and rates. Sero does not file B&O for you, but SeroBooks reports gross receipts by category, which is what the B&O lines are built from.
Restaurants in Seattle and Spokane also deal with local minimum wages, tip pooling rules and, for spirits, specific state taxes collected at purchase. Keeping food, beer and wine, and spirits on separate tax codes in SeroPOS makes every one of those reports easier to put together at month end. Reports export to Excel or PDF.
- State retail sales tax: 6.5%, plus local rates
- Sourcing: destination-based for delivered goods
- B&O tax: on gross receipts, separate from sales tax
- Economic nexus: $100,000 in Washington retail sales
Selling across the BC–Washington border
Sero Technologies is based in the Vancouver and Surrey area of British Columbia, about half an hour from the Peace Arch crossing. Plenty of businesses operate on both sides: BC companies with a Bellingham warehouse, Washington brands with Canadian customers, Amazon sellers on both Amazon.ca and Amazon.com. Each side has its own paperwork.
SeroBooks is built for both countries. One company can hold CAD and USD bank accounts, foreign-currency bills, Canadian GST/PST and Washington sales tax. SeroBooks for Amazon covers Amazon.ca and Amazon.com settlements, including the marketplace-facilitator tax split. Each side keeps its own tax rules and its own currency. That cross-border setup is a strength of being a Canadian company that also built for the US from the start.
Payroll and nexus in Washington
SeroPayroll is Canada-only. US payroll is part of SeroBooks Pro at $300 a month, with federal and state withholding, W-2 files in EFW2 format and 1099-NEC slips. Washington has no state income tax to withhold, but it does run its own employer and employee programs, such as paid family and medical leave and workers’ compensation through Labor & Industries, so talk to us about your requirements before you move payroll.
Washington’s economic nexus threshold is $100,000 in cumulative retail sales into the state in the current or prior calendar year. SeroBooks watches nexus across all 50 states, so a Seattle brand selling online sees when its sales into California, Texas or Illinois are getting close to those thresholds. Amazon sales are split out as marketplace-facilitated.
Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Vancouver
SeroPOS serves espresso bars on Capitol Hill, bakeries in Ballard, food trucks in South Lake Union, breweries in Spokane, retailers in Tacoma and gift shops in the San Juans. It runs on iPad, Android, Windows and Mac, with offline mode and kitchen display. Loyalty points, customer profiles and QR self-ordering are built in, and Shopify and WooCommerce sync keeps online stock in line.
Sero supports Washington customers remotely by US phone at +1 (213) 265-9014, email and in-app chat, and from Canada at +1 (604) 800-0897. There is no Washington office. SeroPOS starts at $29.99 a month and SeroBooks at $79.99, with a 14-day free trial. Prices are in US dollars, with annual billing available.
Frequently asked questions
What is the sales tax rate in Washington State?
The state rate is 6.5%. Cities, counties and transit districts add local rates, so combined rates often exceed 10% in the Seattle area. Washington uses destination sourcing, so delivered goods are taxed at the customer’s location. SeroBooks applies rates per location.
Does Washington have an income tax?
Washington has no personal state income tax, but it has a business and occupation (B&O) tax on gross receipts, reported on the combined excise tax return. Sero does not file B&O, but SeroBooks reports gross receipts by category to help prepare it.
What is Washington’s economic nexus threshold?
Remote sellers must collect Washington sales tax once their retail sales into Washington exceed $100,000 in the current or prior calendar year. SeroBooks watches your sales into every state against its threshold and flags when you approach one. Marketplace sales may be counted differently.
Can SeroBooks handle a business in both BC and Washington?
Yes. SeroBooks supports CAD and USD, foreign-currency bills, Canadian GST and PST, and US sales tax, and it watches US economic nexus. SeroBooks for Amazon covers both Amazon.ca and Amazon.com settlements. Sero is itself based in British Columbia. Support is available from both a Canadian and a US phone line.
Does Sero do payroll for Washington employees?
Yes, in SeroBooks Pro at $300 a month, with federal and state withholding, W-2 EFW2 files and 1099-NEC slips. SeroPayroll is Canada-only. Washington’s own programs, like paid family leave, have specific rules, so discuss them with us before switching. Payroll posts to the same ledger as sales.