Washington's major business tax is the business and occupation (B&O) tax.  The B&O tax is imposed on the gross receipts of business activities conducted within the state, without any deduction for the costs of doing business. 

Retail sales taxes are imposed on retail sales of most articles of tangible personal property, digital products, and some services.  A retail sale is a sale to the final consumer or end user of the property, digital product, or service.  If retail sales taxes were not collected when the user acquired the property, digital products, or services, then use tax applies to the value of property, digital product, or service when used in this state.  The state, all counties, and all cities levy retail sales and use taxes.  The state sales and use tax rate is 6.5 percent; local sales and use tax rates vary from 0.5 percent to 3.9 percent, depending on the location.
 
Legislation enacted in 2004 provides a deduction from B&O tax for amounts received by a nonprofit organization from the United States, the state of Washington, or local governments as grants to support salmon restoration purposes.  In 2018, the Department of Revenue issued an interim guidance statement to address the tax-reporting responsibilities of nonprofit conservation organizations receiving income from government agencies to coordinate or facilitate habitat restoration projects for fish and wildlife.  The interim guidance states that generally, nonprofit organizations are subject to B&O tax and retail sales tax unless there is a specific tax exemption or deduction. 

A retail sales tax exemption is provided for a qualifying grant made by federal, state, tribal, and local governments for salmon habitat restoration.  The existing B&O tax exemption is expanded to include grants received by a nonprofit organization from tribal governments.

A salmon recovery grant includes financial assistance provided to primarily benefit the public as a whole by renewing, restoring, or protecting salmon ecosystems or habitats by human intervention. 

PRO:  This agency request legislation is to address taxation of habitat restoration grants received by nonprofit organizations.  Federal, state, and local governments provide funding to nonprofit organizations for habitat restoration.  Generally, funding provided to these nonprofit organizations is subject to taxation unless a specific exemption applies.  In 2018, the DOR issued an interim statement that expires on June 30, 2021.  A stakeholder process identified how taxes apply to restoration grants, and this legislation clarifies what restoration activities would be exempt.  It is critical to ensure the funding goes to its intended purpose of restoring salmon habitat and ecosystems.  Projects and funding can be larger and complex, and the bill takes into account how grant funds are currently being used to implement projects.  Salmon recovery grants are critical for restoring salmon habitat and fish passage, which can include multiple funding sources, including tribes, utilities, and state agencies. 

PRO:  The bill provides the clarity that we need as conservation practitioners.  It will ensure that already very limited funding for salmon recovery efforts will continue to go to these purposes.  The state funds are leveraging millions of dollars of federal funds.  This bill will allow every dollar to go towards salmon recovery efforts.