Planning to ship wine home? Read rule changes carefully

Q: Can you clarify the rules regarding shipping wine to our home here in Washington for our personal consumption?

A: A lot more people will be shipping wine now that it has become more difficult to transport it when you travel. Here in Washington, the state Legislature recently passed a law regarding both out-of-state and in-state shipping from wineries to consumers. On the plus side, Washington has changed from being a reciprocity state (limited shipping allowed from other reciprocity states) to being a permit state (unlimited shipping allowed to Washington consumers from any licensed winery in the country).

The only catch is that out-of-state wineries must obtain a wine shipper permit and file monthly sales reports.

Additionally, all such sales are now subject to Washington state taxes. In practical terms, this means that out-of-state wineries must collect and remit to the state a 6.5 percent sales tax on all wine purchases shipping into Washington. The Washington State Liquor Control Board spot checks the accuracy of these reports by occasionally purchasing wine out-of-state and having it shipped here. They can then see if the taxes show up in the tax report submitted.

Paul Gregutt answers questions weekly in the Wine section. He can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com.