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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for Sales and Use Taxes

Where Do Our Sales Taxes Go?

February 2, 2026  by  Steve Hawley
Category:  Sales and Use Taxes

Have you ever wondered exactly where local sales taxes go, or why one jurisdiction has higher (or lower) sales taxes than another?  MRSC's online tools can help provide some answers.

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November 2025 Ballot Measures: Counties and Special Purpose Districts

December 17, 2025  by  Steve Hawley
Category:  County Officials ,  Port Districts ,  Fire Protection ,  Parks and Recreation Districts ,  Ballot Measures ,  Special Districts ,  Property Taxes ,  Sales and Use Taxes

Levy lid lifts, bond measures, sales taxes, charter amendments, and a ban on cannabis sales and production:These and more were proposed county and/or special purpose district ballot measures voters tackled in the November 2025 general election. 

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2025 Bill Expands Services Subject to Retail Sales Tax

October 1, 2025  by  Eric Lowell
Category:  New Legislation and Regulations ,  Sales and Use Taxes

Beginning October 1, 2025, the types of services that are subject to retail sales tax are expanding. Which new services will need to be covered and how can local governments prepare for these changes? 

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Changes to Sales and Use Tax for Public Facilities in Rural Counties

November 20, 2024  by  Cheryl Grant
Category:  Parks and Recreation Facilities ,  Sales and Use Taxes

Since its inception in 1997, revenue from the Rural Counties Public Facilities Sales Tax has primarily been used for economic development purposes, but there have been a few recent legislative changes clarifying how the funds can be used.

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Three people work on an architectural model of a small city

Financing Tools for Downtown Revitalization

December 20, 2023  by  Eric Lowell
Category:  Financing Economic Development ,  Sales and Use Taxes ,  Downtown Revitalization Series

Whether it's tax-increment financing, a sales tax credit, participation in the statewide Main Street Program, incentives like the multi-family tax exemption, or state-based grants, cities have several fiscal mechanisms for encouraging downtown development. 

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Ballot Measure Results from the 2019 Primary Election

August 13, 2019  by  Steve Hawley
Category:  Emergency Medical Services ,  Fire Protection ,  Ballot Measures ,  Sales and Use Taxes

Senior Communications Coordinator Steve Hawley reviews some ballot measure results from the recent primary election in this blog post. 

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2018 General Election Part 1: Local Sales Tax Edition

November 13, 2018  by  Steve Hawley
Category:  Ballot Measures ,  Sales and Use Taxes

There were a number of interesting sales taxes on the ballot this year for public safety, transit, and TBDs, as well as Tacoma’s first-of-its-kind cultural access program. We’ll also briefly discuss I-1634, which prohibits local soda taxes.

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Reported, Remote Sales Taxes Likely to Increase

October 22, 2018  by  Mike Bailey
Category:  Sales and Use Taxes

Washington local governments should see an increase in reported, remote sales taxes thanks to a recent landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair. This post provides an overview of the case and its potential impact locally. 

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