Sales tax for shipping fees

Question

Has anyone been charged a 'sales' tax on shipping fees? It appears that the sales tax I paid for a DVD/VHS included the shipping fees and my state, WA, doesn't charge a tax on shipping fees.

comics-scifi-collectibles · Answer

@davihol2 Since DVD's are a taxable item the shipping is taxable.

Yes, Washington state charges sales tax on shipping and delivery fees for online purchases, but only if the items being shipped are also subject to sales tax. [1, 2]

The specific rules break down as follows:

Taxable Items: If you buy something that is subject to retail sales tax (e.g., electronics, clothing), the shipping and handling charges are fully taxable.
Exempt Items: If your purchase is exempt from sales tax (e.g., qualifying groceries), the shipping fee for those items is also exempt.
Mixed Orders: If your order contains both taxable and exempt items, the delivery fee must be fairly allocated between them. You will only pay tax on the portion of the shipping cost associated with the taxable goods. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

For official guidelines on how delivery charges are defined and taxed, you can check the Washington Department of Revenue Delivery Charges Guide.