Steps to change to inactive status in Washington State
All new business registrations in Washington will automatically create an active Excise Tax account—even when you are only registering for a new hire working remotely.
Follow the steps below to change the account status to “Active Non-Reporting (ANR)” so you won’t need to file zero dollar returns:
1) Login to SAW
2) Click Business Licensing and Taxes provided by Department of Revenue
3) File zero dollar return for any existing annual retuns
a) Click File Return
b) Check the box for "Report No Business"
c) Fill out the Submitter Information and click Submit
4) Go to "More Options" -> "Send Message"
5) Click Excise Tax
6) Click "This message doesn't concern a specific period"
7) Click Excise Tax Filing Frequency
8) Add the following to the Subject line and Message body
Subject: Change to ANR
Body: Change to active non-reporting.
Registered in Washington only for an employee and no reportable income.
9) Click Submit. You will receive a confirmation page indicating your message was sent.
10) Once the request is approved, you will receive a confirmation message that the filing frequency has changed. You will now no longer have an annual return due starting next year.
