WashingtonWashington lets sellers round in-person cash totals to five cents
Sellers may round in-person cash totals to five cents, and state agencies may do so when pennies are unavailable.
What it does
Sellers may round an in-person cash total to the nearest five cents. Totals ending in 1, 2, 6, or 7 round down; those ending in 3, 4, 8, or 9 round up.
Sellers calculate taxes and fees using the amount before rounding. Rounding does not change sales or use tax, and businesses cannot deduct rounding-down adjustments under the business tax chapter.
When pennies are not available, a state agency may round a cash payment to the nearest five cents. It must calculate any charge sent to the state before rounding.
Argument forCheckout may be simpler when cash totals round to five cents, while customers with exact cash can still pay the exact amount.
Argument againstCash buyers could pay a few cents more when a total rounds up, and local governments cannot restrict rounding allowed by state law.
More detail
A seller may round an in-person cash total or change due to the nearest five cents. This applies to in-person payments, not payments by card, electronic transfer, or other noncash methods. Rounding applies only to payments made with U.S. coins or bills, and only to the cash portion of a mixed payment. The sale price, taxes, fees, surcharges, and noncash amounts do not change. A customer with exact cash may pay the unrounded total. Local governments may not restrict or penalize rounding allowed by state law. The rounding alone is not an unlawful price difference or a consumer protection violation. These rules took effect June 11, 2026.
Sellers must calculate and send taxes and fees based on the amount before rounding. These rules apply to sellers and to taxes or fees imposed by state or local taxing authorities. Rounding does not change the sales or use tax owed. For the business tax chapter, rounding-up amounts are not counted as amounts received, and rounding-down amounts cannot be deducted. These rules took effect June 11, 2026.
A state agency may round a cash transaction total to the nearest five cents when pennies are not available. This applies to state agencies accepting cash payments when pennies are not available. The agency must send any tax, fee, or similar charge to the state based on the amount before rounding. A customer with exact cash may pay the unrounded total. This rule took effect June 11, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 23Effective date 6/11/2026.Latest
- Mar 23Chapter 138, 2026 Laws.Major
- Mar 23Governor Bob Ferguson signed.Became Law
- Mar 12Delivered to Governor.To Governor
- Mar 12President signed.Major
- Mar 11Speaker signed.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Final Passage as Amended by the Senate (#4). Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 11Passed final passage; yeas, 80; nays, 15; absent, 0; excused, 3.Passed House
- Mar 11House concurred in Senate amendments.
- Mar 5Third reading, passed; yeas, 45; nays, 2; absent, 0; excused, 2.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage as Amended by the Senate (#37). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 5Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Mar 5Committee amendment(s) adopted as amended.
- Mar 5Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.Minor
- Mar 2Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Feb 27Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Feb 27Minority; do not pass.Minor
- Feb 27TRAN - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Business, Trade & Economic Development.Minor
- Feb 27Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 2:30 PM.
- Feb 25Referred to Transportation.Minor
- Feb 25And refer to Transportation.Minor
- Feb 25BTE - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).Minor
- Feb 25Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Business, Trade & Economic Development at 8:00 AM.
- Feb 18Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Business, Trade & Economic Development at 8:00 AM.
- Feb 16First reading, referred to Business, Trade & Economic Development.Minor
- Feb 12Third reading, passed; yeas, 89; nays, 6; absent, 0; excused, 3.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#25). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 12Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 121st substitute bill substituted (FIN 26).Major
- Feb 11Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Feb 9Referred to Rules 2 Review.Minor
- Feb 6Minority; do not pass.Minor
- Feb 6FIN - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.Major
- Feb 6Executive action taken in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM.
- Feb 4Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Finance at 4:00 PM.
- Jan 22Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 1:30 PM.
- Jan 12First reading, referred to Finance.Minor
- Jan 8Prefiled for introduction.Introduced
Consumer ProtectionTaxes & Budget