Washington Pilots Sales Tax Settlements for Foreign Retailers

Washington will be the first US state to encourage overseas sellers with significant unpaid sales tax liabilities to voluntarily pay part of their debts and agree to abide by tax rules, a senior state audit official said Monday.

Bryan Kelly, regional audit manager at Washington’s Department of Revenue, previewed his state’s temporary voluntary disclosure agreement program for foreign remote sellers, which will launch on Feb. 1, 2026. Kelly offered few details of the program, but said it would include a one year “look-back period,” meaning sellers would only be required to pay off liabilities going back a single year. Most ...