// Exemption
Digital automated service - data processing
Retail Sales & Use Tax exemption · RCW 82.04.192(3)(b)(xv) · enacted 2010
Before ESSB 5814
Data processing delivered as a digital automated service was excluded from the definition of "retail sale" under RCW 82.04.192(3)(b) and was reported under the service & other activities B&O classification only.
Source: 2024 DOR Tax Exemption Study · RCW 82.04.192(3)(b)(xv)
After
Effective October 1, 2025, ESSB 5814 treats data processing services as an enumerated retail sale subject to retail sales/use tax. Confirm specific facts against ESSB 5814 and DOR's interim guidance.
Source: ESSB 5814 (2025)
Details
- Citation
- RCW 82.04.192(3)(b)(xv)
- Study reference
- E1563-1
- Tax type
- Retail Sales & Use Tax
- Preference type
- Exemption
- Category
- Business
- Year enacted
- 2010
- End date
- None scheduled
Fiscal impact (2024 study estimates)
- Revenue if repealed — local ($M)
- FY 2024: 0 · FY 2025: 9.402 · FY 2026: 10.713 · FY 2027: 11.223
- Revenue if repealed — state ($M)
- FY 2024: 0 · FY 2025: 17.137 · FY 2026: 19.135 · FY 2027: 20.045
- Taxpayer savings — local ($M)
- FY 2024: 9.877 · FY 2025: 10.257 · FY 2026: 10.713 · FY 2027: 11.223
- Taxpayer savings — state ($M)
- FY 2024: 21.964 · FY 2025: 22.808 · FY 2026: 23.822 · FY 2027: 24.956
CTI = confidential taxpayer information · D = unable to disclose
From the 2024 DOR Tax Exemption Study
PDF RCW 82.04.190 "Consumer." "Consumer" means the following: (1) Except as provided otherwise in this section, any person who purchases, acquires, owns, holds, or uses any article of tangible personal property irrespective of the nature of the person's business and including, among others, without limiting the scope hereof, persons who install, repair, clean, alter, improve, construct, or decorate real or personal property of or for consumers other than for the purpose of: (a) Resale as tangible personal property in the regular course of business; (b) Incorporating such property as an ingredient or component of real or personal property when installing, repairing, cleaning, altering, imprinting, improving, constructing, or decorating such real or personal property of or for consumers; (c) Consuming such property in producing for sale as a new article of tangible personal property or a new substance, of which such property becomes an ingredient or component or as a chemical used in processing, when the primary purpose of such chemical is to create a chemical reaction directly through contact with an ingredient of a new article being produced for sale; (d) Consuming the property pur
Does this apply to you?
This is reference data from the 2024 study — not advice, and 2025–26 legislation may have changed it. Three ways to go deeper: