Business License Tax
Finance & Administrative Services Department - Fred Podesta, Director
Seattle Municipal Tower,
700 5th Ave
Suite 5200,
Seattle,
WA 98104
Utilities Tax
The utilities tax is applied to businesses that provide public utility services.
Both private utility companies and municipalities that provide utility services must pay the tax. The types of public utility services subject to the tax are:
- gas
- water
- electricity
- steam
- wastewater and rainwater drainage
- telecommunications and telephone
- cable television
- waste collection and recycling
Guidelines to follow
Register for the utilities tax when you apply for a Seattle business license.
Read the code
You can read the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) for legal details about the utilities tax.
SMC Chapter 5.48 covers the utilities tax.