Confidentiality of consumer information

The Washington State Department of Revenue protects the confidentiality of all participants in the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement as well as the privacy of consumers who deal with Model 1 sellers.

What are Model 1 sellers?

A Model 1 seller is a seller who has selected an agent (referred to as a certified service provider) to perform all their sales and use tax functions, such as tax calculation, remittance and reporting.

Personally identifiable information

The fundamental rule in Model 1 is to preserve the privacy of consumers by protecting their anonymity. With very limited exceptions, a certified service provider may perform its sales and use tax functions without keeping the personally identifiable information of consumers. The term "personally identifiable information" means information that identifies a person.

Any personally identifiable information collected from a Model 1 seller that is no longer required to verify the validity of an exemption will not be kept by the Department.

When personally identifiable information is kept, the Department will provide those individuals reasonable access to their own information and a right to correct any inaccurately recorded information.

If anyone other than the state, or a person authorized by Washington law, requests personally identifiable information, a reasonable and timely effort to notify the individual will be made.

All information received  from participants in the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement system and consumers who deal with Model 1 sellers will be kept confidential as required by RCW 82.32.330.