Washington DC alcohol tax permits and rules

DTC License Required: No

District Sales Tax: Only wineries with more than $100,000 of gross receipts from retail sales delivered into the District or more than 200 separate retail sales delivered in the District.

Direct Sales Tax Rate: 10.000%

Local Sales Tax: No

Sales Tax on Shipping: No

No additional alcohol tax is collected on DTC wine shipments in Washington, D.C.

Consumer Limit: One case per individual per month

Per State Aggregate: Unlimited

Sales and Use Tax: Monthly by the 20th

Excise Tax: N/A

Direct Shipment: N/A

Record Retention: N/A

Product Restrictions: None

Product Registration: None

Registration Fees: None

Product Requirements: None

*Nearly all states have some kind of rule regarding how wine must be labeled when being shipped direct to consumer. Please check for the unique rule for your state.

Tax can get complicated when it comes to direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipments. The beverage alcohol industry is different from other industries in that licensed alcohol shippers are required to register for sales tax in most states, independent of economic or physical nexus.

Depending on the state, sales and use tax can be applied at the state, county, city, or special district levels. Address accuracy is important to determine if a location falls into an incorporated or unincorporated section of a county or a special district.

On top of the sales tax requirements, alcohol taxes also apply to DTC shipments. Several states have “markup” taxes, where the retail value of the alcohol is multiplied by a percentage rate. Most of these markup taxes are either required or can be passed through to the consumer. 

Traditional “gallonage”-based excise taxes are also usually due on DTC shipments. Most of the time these are factored into the price of the item and not passed through to the consumer. In a few cases, these excise taxes are required to be passed on to the consumer. 

Rules and regulations for your winery, brewery, or other beverage alcohol business change frequently. Avalara for Beverage Alcohol helps distill the beverage alcohol compliance process so you can focus on your business.

Washington DC DOR site

Please note: Tax rates, rules, and regulations change frequently. Although we hope you'll find this information helpful, this page is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal or tax advice.