Seattle Business License Tax Certificate — Seattle
Most businesses operating in Seattle must hold a city Business License Tax Certificate, renewed annually, in addition to the Washington State business license.
Overview
In addition to the state license, Seattle requires its own Business License Tax Certificate, renewed annually. Apply/renew online through FileLocal (have your state UBI ready). It is required even pre-profit, and even for businesses based outside Seattle that do business in the city.
If you start business on/after July 1, you pay half the first-year fee; branch locations add $10 each. Effective 2026: businesses with ≤$4,000 of city gross income and no physical place of business in Seattle are exempt.
What SpoonSeal tracks
The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.