Credit card processing and merchant services in Bellevue, WA
Bellevue businesses collect 10.3% sales tax from customers and owe the city a separate B&O tax on gross receipts, plus a square footage tax if they keep an office in town.
A sale in Bellevue gets taxed twice: once where the customer sees it and once where they don't. The visible one is sales tax, 10.3% combined, a 3.8% local rate on top of Washington's 6.5%, under location code 1704 for October 1 through December 31, 2026. Washington taxes deliveries at the rate where the customer receives them, so a $1,000 order delivered to a Seattle client carries $105.50 in tax at Seattle's 10.55%, not the $103.00 you'd collect on a pickup in Bellevue.
The second tax is the City of Bellevue's business and occupation tax on gross receipts. For 2026 the rate is 0.1596% in every classification, which works out to $159.60 for each $100,000 of taxable receipts. A business reporting $215,000 or less in taxable receipts for 2026 is exempt, but it still has to file a return. Quarterly and monthly filers are expected to keep checking their receipts against that annual threshold as the year goes on.
An office in the city can add a third line. Businesses with a physical location in Bellevue also report under the square footage tax, which mainly reaches administrative work and activity supporting sales delivered outside the city. The 2026 rate is about 33 cents per taxable square foot per quarter, so 1,000 square feet of office space comes to about $330 a quarter. Offices of 250 square feet or less are exempt. The city has published proposed changes to these exemptions, so confirm the figures for the year you're filing.
Bellevue had 154,193 residents in the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. The state rules on our Washington page apply here too, including sales tax on advertising, live presentations and temporary staffing since October 2025, and our Tacoma page shows how another city runs its B&O tax.
Neither tax is up for negotiation. Your card rate is. A free statement review breaks down your effective rate, and our virtual terminal handles invoices and payment links for firms that bill clients.
Rules that matter in Bellevue
Bellevue business and occupation tax
The City of Bellevue's gross receipts business and occupation tax rate for 2026 is 0.1596%, and it applies to all gross receipts classifications. That's $159.60 for each $100,000 of gross receipts.
Businesses reporting $215,000 or less in taxable receipts for 2026 are exempt from the gross receipts tax but must still file a return. Quarterly and monthly filers have to reconcile their receipts to the annual threshold during the year and pay if they go over it.
Sources: City of Bellevue, Gross receipts B&O tax; City of Bellevue, Business and occupation taxes
Square footage tax for Bellevue locations
Businesses with a physical location in Bellevue also report under the square footage tax classification. It mainly applies to administrative activities and activities that support sales delivered outside the city, and a business with taxable gross receipts activity in Bellevue can deduct the share of its office space tied to that activity.
The 2026 rate is $0.3297475 per taxable square foot per quarter, and offices with 250 taxable square feet or less are exempt. The city's tax notices describe proposed changes to the exemptions and rate, so check the current rules with the Tax Division.
Sources: City of Bellevue, Square footage B&O tax; City of Bellevue, Tax notices: Square footage tax
Payment services we provide
Guides worth reading next
All guidesFees and pricing
Tiered pricing for credit card processing, explained
Tiered pricing sorts card sales into qualified, mid-qualified and non-qualified rates. Why sales slip into the pricey tiers, and how to spot it on a statement.
Fees and pricing
Credit Card Competition Act: what merchants should know
The Credit Card Competition Act would require large issuers to enable a second credit network. What the bill says, its 2026 status and what it means for you.
Fees and pricing
Hidden fees in credit card processing and how to spot them
Hidden fees in credit card processing: PCI penalties, statement and batch fees, minimums, exit fees and rate creep. How to spot each and what's negotiable.
Common questions
How much sales tax does a Bellevue store collect?
10.3% on sales received in Bellevue: a 3.8% local rate plus the 6.5% state rate, under location code 1704 for October 1 through December 31, 2026. A $250 sale carries $25.75 in tax. The Department of Revenue posts new rates every quarter, so check the next table before January.
Do I still file a Bellevue B&O return if my receipts are under the exemption?
Yes. Businesses reporting $215,000 or less in taxable receipts for 2026 are exempt from Bellevue's gross receipts B&O tax, but the city still requires a return. It's up to you to reconcile your receipts and confirm you're under the threshold, and quarterly or monthly filers who pass it during the year have to pay.
Does the square footage tax apply to my Bellevue office?
If you have a physical location in Bellevue, you report under it. The tax mainly reaches administrative work and activity supporting sales delivered outside the city, and you can deduct the share of space tied to activity already taxed on gross receipts in Bellevue. Offices of 250 taxable square feet or less are exempt, and the 2026 rate is about 33 cents per square foot per quarter.
Which rate applies when a Bellevue business delivers to Seattle?
Seattle's. Washington sources delivered sales to where the customer receives them, so a delivery to a Seattle address carries 10.55% instead of Bellevue's 10.3%. Services performed at a customer's location work the same way. The Department of Revenue's lookup tool gives the rate for any Washington address, and our Seattle page has that city's details.
Do Bellevue consultants and agencies charge sales tax now?
Some do. Since October 1, 2025, Washington has treated advertising services, live presentations with real-time interaction, temporary staffing and some technology services as retail sales, with new exclusions from July 1, 2026. If what you sell is on the Department of Revenue's list, charge tax at the rate where the client receives the service, and make sure invoices from your virtual terminal include it.
Disclaimer: general information, not professional advice
This page is general educational information, not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Rules and rates vary by place and change, so confirm them with the official source and a qualified professional before you act. Full terms are in our Terms of Service.
Let's talk about your payments
Tell us about your business and how you take payments now, and a Clearo rep will reach out within one business day.