POPULATION: 6,733,300 (April 2010)
LABOR FORCE: 3,554,620 (April 2010)
RIGHT TO WORK: No
TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIES: Aerospace, information and communication
technology, clean
technology, life sciences/global
health, forest products, valueadded
agriculture, food processing,
marine technology
EXPANDING INDUSTRIES: Advanced technology, biotechnology,
clean energy, electronics,
telecommunications, software,
environmental services, international
trade services, tourism, marine
services, scientific instruments,
machinery, value-added agriculture
COLLEGE GRADUATES: (Age 25 and over) 30.3%
BASIC BUSINESS TAXES:
Business and Occupation Tax:
Washington imposes this tax on
most businesses; it is based on
gross receipts and there are few
deductions available; the rate for
manufacturers, distributors, and
wholesalers is 0.484 percent; the
rate for retailers is 0.471 percent;
services are now subject to a uniform
B&O tax rate of 1.8 percent;
other B&O tax rates vary from
0.138 percent to 1.63 percent.
Sales and Use Tax: Sales tax must
be collected on retail sales of tangible
personal property, as well as
cleaning, repairing, altering, or
improving real property and tangible
personal property, including
labor charges; use tax is due on
the value of tangible personal
property used in the state on
which retail sales tax has not been
paid; exemptions include groceries
and prescription drugs; the
state sales tax is 6.5 percent; the
local rate varies from 0.5 to 3.0
percent depending on the location
where the customer receives
the goods or the services are
performed.
Property Tax: Local tax with
rates based on appraised value
and varying by location; the
average statewide effective
property tax is $9.72 per $1,000
of assessed value
BUSINESS INCENTIVES
Sales and use tax exemption on
machinery and equipment
Business and Occupation Tax
credits
Rural County Business &
Occupation Tax Credit Program
High-Technology Business &
Occupation Tax Credit Program
Rural county sales and use tax
deferral for eligible data centers
High-Technology Sales and Use
Tax Deferral/Exemption Program
Customized Job Training B&O
Tax Credit
High unemployment county
sales and use tax deferral
Industrial Development Revenue
Bonds
Community Economic Revitalization Board funding
Development Loan Fund
Forest Products Division's
Revolving Loan Fund
Washington State Job Skills
Program
Community Empowerment
Zones
Enterprise communities
Foreign-trade zones
Main Street Tax Credit Incentive
Program
Renewable energy incentives
