Sales-tax break for Canadians at stake in court case

To lure shoppers from British Columbia, DeWaard & Bode, a home-appliance store in Bellingham, touts great prices made lower by a strong Canadian dollar.

DeWaard & Bode appeared to gain another selling point in May when the state Department of Revenue ruled that starting July 1, British Columbia residents no longer would have to pay Washington sales tax of up to 9.5 percent.