Entities conducting business in Washington state reported $135 billion in taxable retail sales in 2015, an increase of 8.4 percent over calendar year 2014. Sales made in the retail trade sector helped drive the increase, jumping 5.9 percent to nearly $60 billion. The construction sector also rose significantly in 2015, with $24.5 billion in taxable sales.

The figures were released today by the Washington State Department of Revenue (Revenue). The agency reports on a quarterly and annual basis the total taxable retail sales figures reported by businesses on their Washington tax returns. The agency uses Census Bureau classifications to report the sales revenues by sector.

Taxable retail sales figures are just one indicator of economic health in Washington state.

Highlights from 2015

• Sales of vehicles and parts hit $14.9 billion last year, a 10.7 percent increase. The majority of those taxable transactions were recorded by new and used auto dealers, which can include vehicle sales, parts and service.
• New building construction drove $13.8 billion of the overall $24.5 billion in taxable sales tallied by the construction sector.
• The accommodations and food services sector also increased, up 9.1 percent to $15.7 billion.

Revenue provides an in-depth breakdown of taxable retail sales figures by city and county on its website.

Visit the Quarterly Business Review 2015 page to access the quarterly and annual reports by city and county. To see sector results by county, select either the PDF or Excel version of Table 3: Taxable Retail Sales for Counties by Industry. A similar report is available for a select list of 50 cities in Table 4: Taxable Retail Sales for Selected Cities by Industry.