AN ACT Relating to providing small business tax relief; amending RCW 82.32.045 and 82.04.4451; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

(2) The legislature categorizes these tax preferences as ones intended to provide tax relief for certain businesses or individuals, as indicated in RCW 82.32.808(2)(e).

(3) It is the legislature's specific public policy objective to reduce the tax burden on individuals and businesses imposed by the existing business and occupation tax rates.

(4) If a review finds that there is an increase in businesses taking advantage of the credit provided in section 3 of this act as a result of the tax preferences created in this act, then the legislature intends to extend the expiration date of these tax preferences.

(5) In order to obtain the data necessary to perform the review in subsection (4) of this section, the joint legislative audit and review committee may refer to any data collected by the state.

Sec. 2.  RCW 82.32.045 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 23 s 1103 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, payments of the taxes imposed under chapters 82.04, 82.08, 82.12, 82.14, and 82.16 RCW, along with reports and returns on forms prescribed by the department, are due monthly within twenty-five days after the end of the month in which the taxable activities occur.

(2) The department of revenue may relieve any taxpayer or class of taxpayers from the obligation of remitting monthly and may require the return to cover other longer reporting periods, but in no event may returns be filed for a period greater than one year. For these taxpayers, tax payments are due on or before the last day of the month next succeeding the end of the period covered by the return.

(3) The department of revenue may also require verified annual returns from any taxpayer, setting forth such additional information as it may deem necessary to correctly determine tax liability.

(4) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2) of this section, the department may relieve any person of the requirement to file returns if the following conditions are met:

(a) The person's value of products, gross proceeds of sales, or gross income of the business, from all business activities taxable under chapter 82.04 RCW, is less than:

(i) ((Twenty-eight)) one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars per year; or

(ii) ((Forty-six thousand six hundred sixty-seven)) One hundred fifty thousand dollars per year for persons generating at least fifty percent of their taxable amount from activities taxable under RCW 82.04.255, 82.04.290(2)(a), and 82.04.285;

(b) The person's gross income of the business from all activities taxable under chapter 82.16 RCW is less than twenty-four thousand dollars per year; and

(c) The person is not required to collect or pay to the department of revenue any other tax or fee which the department is authorized to collect.

Sec. 3.  RCW 82.04.4451 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 23 s 1102 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In computing the tax imposed under this chapter, a credit is allowed against the amount of tax otherwise due under this chapter, as provided in this section. Except for taxpayers that report at least fifty percent of their taxable amount under RCW 82.04.255, 82.04.290(2)(a), and 82.04.285, the maximum credit for a taxpayer for a reporting period is ((thirty-five)) fifty dollars multiplied by the number of months in the reporting period, as determined under RCW 82.32.045. For a taxpayer that reports at least fifty percent of its taxable amount under RCW 82.04.255, 82.04.290(2)(a), and 82.04.285, the maximum credit for a reporting period is ((seventy)) one hundred eighty-five dollars multiplied by the number of months in the reporting period, as determined under RCW 82.32.045.

(2) When the amount of tax otherwise due under this chapter is equal to or less than the maximum credit, a credit is allowed equal to the amount of tax otherwise due under this chapter.

(3) When the amount of tax otherwise due under this chapter exceeds the maximum credit, a reduced credit is allowed equal to twice the maximum credit, minus the tax otherwise due under this chapter, but not less than zero.

(4) The department may prepare a tax credit table consisting of tax ranges using increments of no more than five dollars and a corresponding tax credit to be applied to those tax ranges. The table shall be prepared in such a manner that no taxpayer will owe a greater amount of tax by using the table than would be owed by performing the calculation under subsections (1) through (3) of this section. A table prepared by the department under this subsection must be used by all taxpayers in taking the credit provided in this section.

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