Exemption
Digital automated service - online education
Retail Sales & Use Tax exemption · RCW 82.04.192(3)(b)(ix) · enacted 2009
No 2025–26 change identified — this preference was reviewed against the 2025–26 session laws and is unchanged from the 2024 study baseline.
Details
- Citation
- RCW 82.04.192(3)(b)(ix)
- Study reference
- E1554-1
- Tax type
- Retail Sales & Use Tax
- Preference type
- Exemption
- Category
- Business
- Year enacted
- 2009
- End date
- None scheduled
Fiscal impact (2024 study estimates)
- Revenue if repealed — local ($M)
- FY 2024: 0 · FY 2025: I · FY 2026: I · FY 2027: I
- Revenue if repealed — state ($M)
- FY 2024: 0 · FY 2025: I · FY 2026: I · FY 2027: I
- Taxpayer savings — local ($M)
- FY 2024: I · FY 2025: I · FY 2026: I · FY 2027: I
- Taxpayer savings — state ($M)
- FY 2024: I · FY 2025: I · FY 2026: I · FY 2027: I
CTI = confidential taxpayer information · D = unable to disclose
From the 2024 DOR Tax Exemption Study
82.04.192(3)(b)(ix) - Digital automated service - online education Description Digital automated services are retail sales. However, the definition of digital automated services excludes online educational programs provided by either: - A public or private elementary or secondary school. - An institution of higher education as defined in sections 1001 or 1002 of the federal higher education act of 1965 (Title 20 U.S.C. Secs. 1001 and 1002), as existing on July 1, 2009. An online educational program must encompass the institution's accreditation. As a result, charges for online educational programs, as described above, are not subject to sales tax. Purpose Decrease taxes for online educational programs. Taxpayer ($ in millions): savings FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026 FY 2027 State Taxes Indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Local Taxes Indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Repeal of Repealing this exemption would have an indeterminate impact on revenues. exemption Potential ($ in millions): revenue gains FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026 FY 2027 from full repeal State Taxes $0.000 Indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Local Taxes $0.000 Indeterminate Indetermi
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This is reference data from the 2024 study — not advice, and 2025–26 legislation may have changed it. Three ways to go deeper: