The state Legislature passed a major expansion of Washington’s sales tax this spring, and starting Oct. 1, that law will hit businesses and Washingtonians across the state.

For the first time, digital advertising, IT support, custom website development, live presentations, temporary staffing and security services will be taxed like goods at the store.

What will that look like?

A small business that hires a firm to design a website will now pay sales tax on that service. Employers’ costs for advertising and IT work may increase as much as 10%, depending on their local sales tax rate. Registration fees will go up for conferences, seminars and workshops in Washington due to the tax on live presentations, both in-person and virtual.

There are many reasons to be concerned. It puts Washingto

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