H-1845

AN ACT Relating to business and occupation tax on the handling of hay, alfalfa, and seed; amending RCW 82.04.120; reenacting and amending RCW 82.04.260; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 82.04.120 and 1989 c 302 s 201 are each amended to read as follows:

"To manufacture" embraces all activities of a commercial or industrial nature wherein labor or skill is applied, by hand or machinery, to materials so that as a result thereof a new, different or useful substance or article of tangible personal property is produced for sale or commercial or industrial use, and shall include the production or fabrication of special made or custom made articles.

"To manufacture" shall not include: Conditioning of seed for use in planting; cubing hay or alfalfa; or activities which consist of cutting, grading, or ice glazing seafood which has been cooked, frozen, or canned outside this state.

Sec. 2. RCW 82.04.260 and 1996 c 148 s 2 and 1996 c 115 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of buying wheat, oats, dry peas, dry beans, lentils, triticale, canola, corn, rye and barley, but not including any manufactured or processed products thereof, and selling the same at wholesale; the tax imposed shall be equal to the gross proceeds derived from such sales multiplied by the rate of 0.011 percent.

(2) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of manufacturing wheat into flour, barley into pearl barley, soybeans into soybean oil, canola into canola oil, canola meal, or canola byproducts, or sunflower seeds into sunflower oil; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the value of the flour, pearl barley, oil, canola meal, or canola byproduct manufactured, multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent.

(3) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of splitting or processing dried peas; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the value of the peas split or processed, multiplied by the rate of 0.275 percent.

(4) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of manufacturing seafood products which remain in a raw, raw frozen, or raw salted state at the completion of the manufacturing by that person; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the value of the products manufactured, multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent.

(5) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of manufacturing by canning, preserving, freezing, processing, or dehydrating fresh fruits and vegetables, or selling at wholesale fresh fruits and vegetables canned, preserved, frozen, processed, or dehydrated by the seller and sold to purchasers who transport in the ordinary course of business the goods out of this state; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the value of the products canned, preserved, frozen, processed, or dehydrated multiplied by the rate of 0.33 percent. As proof of sale to a person who transports in the ordinary course of business goods out of this state, the seller shall annually provide a statement in a form prescribed by the department and retain the statement as a business record.

(6) Upon every nonprofit corporation and nonprofit association engaging within this state in research and development, as to such corporations and associations, the amount of tax with respect to such activities shall be equal to the gross income derived from such activities multiplied by the rate of 0.484 percent.

(7) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of slaughtering, breaking and/or processing perishable meat products and/or selling the same at wholesale only and not at retail; as to such persons the tax imposed shall be equal to the gross proceeds derived from such sales multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent.

(8) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of making sales, at retail or wholesale, of nuclear fuel assemblies manufactured by that person, as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the gross proceeds of sales of the assemblies multiplied by the rate of 0.275 percent.

(9) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of manufacturing nuclear fuel assemblies, as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the value of the products manufactured multiplied by the rate of 0.275 percent.

(10) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of acting as a travel agent or tour operator; as to such persons the amount of the tax with respect to such activities shall be equal to the gross income derived from such activities multiplied by the rate of 0.275 percent.

(11) Upon every person engaging within this state in business as an international steamship agent, international customs house broker, international freight forwarder, vessel and/or cargo charter broker in foreign commerce, and/or international air cargo agent; as to such persons the amount of the tax with respect to only international activities shall be equal to the gross income derived from such activities multiplied by the rate of 0.363 percent.

(12) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of stevedoring and associated activities pertinent to the movement of goods and commodities in waterborne interstate or foreign commerce; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the gross proceeds derived from such activities multiplied by the rate of 0.363 percent. Persons subject to taxation under this subsection shall be exempt from payment of taxes imposed by chapter 82.16 RCW for that portion of their business subject to taxation under this subsection. Stevedoring and associated activities pertinent to the conduct of goods and commodities in waterborne interstate or foreign commerce are defined as all activities of a labor, service or transportation nature whereby cargo may be loaded or unloaded to or from vessels or barges, passing over, onto or under a wharf, pier, or similar structure; cargo may be moved to a warehouse or similar holding or storage yard or area to await further movement in import or export or may move to a consolidation freight station and be stuffed, unstuffed, containerized, separated or otherwise segregated or aggregated for delivery or loaded on any mode of transportation for delivery to its consignee. Specific activities included in this definition are: Wharfage, handling, loading, unloading, moving of cargo to a convenient place of delivery to the consignee or a convenient place for further movement to export mode; documentation services in connection with the receipt, delivery, checking, care, custody and control of cargo required in the transfer of cargo; imported automobile handling prior to delivery to consignee; terminal stevedoring and incidental vessel services, including but not limited to plugging and unplugging refrigerator service to containers, trailers, and other refrigerated cargo receptacles, and securing ship hatch covers.

(13) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of disposing of low-level waste, as defined in RCW 43.145.010; as to such persons the amount of the tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the gross income of the business, excluding any fees imposed under chapter 43.200 RCW, multiplied by the rate of 3.3 percent.

If the gross income of the taxpayer is attributable to activities both within and without this state, the gross income attributable to this state shall be determined in accordance with the methods of apportionment required under RCW 82.04.460.

(14) Upon every person engaging within this state as an insurance agent, insurance broker, or insurance solicitor licensed under chapter 48.17 RCW; as to such persons, the amount of the tax with respect to such licensed activities shall be equal to the gross income of such business multiplied by the rate of 0.55 percent.

(15) Upon every person engaging within this state in business as a hospital, as defined in chapter 70.41 RCW, that is operated as a nonprofit corporation or by the state or any of its political subdivisions, as to such persons, the amount of tax with respect to such activities shall be equal to the gross income of the business multiplied by the rate of 0.75 percent through June 30, 1995, and 1.5 percent thereafter. The moneys collected under this subsection shall be deposited in the health services account created under RCW 43.72.900.

(16) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of making sales at wholesale of seed conditioned for use in planting or cubed hay or alfalfa; the tax imposed shall be equal to the gross proceeds derived from such sales multiplied by the rate of 0.011 percent.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 1997.