BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to an exemption from the special fuel tax; amending RCW 82.38.080, 35A.82.010, and 82.38.150; and reenacting and amending RCW 82.08.0255 and 82.12.0256.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 82.38.080 and 1996 c 244 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

There is exempted from the tax imposed by this chapter, the use of fuel for: (1) Street and highway construction and maintenance purposes in motor vehicles owned and operated by the state of Washington, or any county or municipality; (2) publicly owned fire fighting equipment; (3) special mobile equipment as defined in RCW 46.04.552; (4) power pumping units or other power take-off equipment of any motor vehicle which is accurately measured by metering devices that have been specifically approved by the department or which is established by either of the following formulae: (a) Pumping propane, or fuel or heating oils or milk picked up from a farm or dairy farm storage tank by a power take-off unit on a delivery truck, at the rate of three-fourths of one gallon for each one thousand gallons of fuel delivered or milk picked up: PROVIDED, That claimant when presenting his claim to the department in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, shall provide to said claim, invoices of propane, or fuel or heating oil delivered, or such other appropriate information as may be required by the department to substantiate his claim; or (b) operating a power take-off unit on a cement mixer truck or a load compactor on a garbage truck at the rate of twenty-five percent of the total gallons of fuel used in such a truck; and (c) the department is authorized to establish by rule additional formulae for determining fuel usage when operating other types of equipment by means of power take-off units when direct measurement of the fuel used is not feasible. The department is also authorized to adopt rules regarding the usage of on board computers for the production of records required by this chapter; (5) motor vehicles owned and operated by the United States government; (6) heating purposes; (7) moving a motor vehicle on a public highway between two pieces of private property when said moving is incidental to the primary use of the motor vehicle; (8) transportation services for persons with special transportation needs by a private, nonprofit transportation provider regulated under chapter 81.66 RCW; ((~~and~~)) (9) motor vehicles that are: (a) Owned and operated by an institution of higher education; and (b) used solely in research and development activities for the testing of alternative fuels to power vehicles; and (10) notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, every urban passenger transportation system and carriers as defined by chapters 81.68 and 81.70 RCW shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter requiring the payment of special fuel taxes. For the purposes of this section "urban passenger transportation system" means every transportation system, publicly or privately owned, having as its principal source of revenue the income from transporting persons for compensation by means of motor vehicles and/or trackless trolleys, each having a seating capacity for over fifteen persons over prescribed routes in such a manner that the routes of such motor vehicles and/or trackless trolleys, either alone or in conjunction with routes of other such motor vehicles and/or trackless trolleys subject to routing by the same transportation system, shall not extend for a distance exceeding twenty-five road miles beyond the corporate limits of the county in which the original starting points of such motor vehicles are located: PROVIDED, That no refunds or credits shall be granted on fuel used by any urban transportation vehicle or vehicle operated pursuant to chapters 81.68 and 81.70 RCW on any trip where any portion of said trip is more than twenty-five road miles beyond the corporate limits of the county in which said trip originated.

Sec. 2. RCW 35A.82.010 and 1995 c 274 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

A code city shall collect, receive and share in the distribution of state collected and distributed excise taxes to the same extent and manner as general laws relating thereto apply to any class of city or town including, but not limited to, funds distributed to cities under RCW 82.36.020 relating to motor vehicle fuel tax, RCW 82.38.290 relating to use fuel tax, and RCW 82.36.275 and 82.38.080((~~(9)~~)) (10).

Sec. 3. RCW 82.08.0255 and 1983 1st ex.s. c 35 s 2 and 1983 c 108 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) The tax levied by RCW 82.08.020 shall not apply to sales of:

(a) Motor vehicle fuel used in aircraft by the manufacturer thereof for research, development, and testing purposes; and

(b) Motor vehicle and special fuel if:

(i) The fuel is purchased for the purpose of public transportation and the purchaser is entitled to a refund or an exemption under RCW 82.36.275 or 82.38.080((~~(9)~~)) (10); or

(ii) The fuel is purchased by a private, nonprofit transportation provider certified under chapter 81.66 RCW and the purchaser is entitled to a refund or an exemption under RCW 82.36.285 or 82.38.080(8); or

(iii) The fuel is taxable under chapter 82.36 or 82.38 RCW.

(2) Any person who has paid the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020 on the sale of special fuel delivered in this state shall be entitled to a credit or refund of such tax with respect to fuel subsequently established to have been actually transported and used outside this state by persons engaged in interstate commerce. The tax shall be claimed as a credit or refunded through the tax reports required under RCW 82.38.150.

Sec. 4. RCW 82.12.0256 and 1983 1st ex.s. c 35 s 3 and 1983 c 108 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply in respect to the use of:

(1) Motor vehicle fuel used in aircraft by the manufacturer thereof for research, development, and testing purposes; and

(2) Special fuel purchased in this state upon which a refund is obtained as provided in RCW 82.38.180(2); and

(3) Motor vehicle and special fuel if:

(a) The fuel is used for the purpose of public transportation and the purchaser is entitled to a refund or an exemption under RCW 82.36.275 or 82.38.080((~~(9)~~)) (10); or

(b) The fuel is purchased by a private, nonprofit transportation provider certified under chapter 81.66 RCW and the purchaser is entitled to a refund or an exemption under RCW 82.36.285 or 82.38.080(8); or

(c) The fuel is taxable under chapter 82.36 or 82.38 RCW: PROVIDED, That the use of motor vehicle and special fuel upon which a refund of the applicable fuel tax is obtained shall not be exempt under this subsection (3)(c), and the director of licensing shall deduct from the amount of such tax to be refunded the amount of tax due under this chapter and remit the same each month to the department of revenue.

Sec. 5. RCW 82.38.150 and 1996 c 104 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

For the purpose of determining the amount of liability for the tax herein imposed, and to periodically update license information, each special fuel dealer and each special fuel user shall file tax reports with the department, on forms prescribed by the department. Special fuel dealers shall file the reports at the intervals as shown in the following schedule:

Estimated Yearly

Tax Liability Reporting Frequency

$ 0 ‑ $100 Yearly

$101 ‑ 250 Semi-yearly

$251 ‑ 499 Quarterly

$500 and over Monthly

Special fuel users whose estimated yearly tax liability is two hundred fifty dollars or less, shall file a report yearly, and special fuel users whose estimated yearly tax liability is more than two hundred fifty dollars, shall file reports quarterly.

The department shall establish the reporting frequency for each applicant at the time the special fuel license is issued. If it becomes apparent that any special fuel licensee is not reporting in accordance with the above schedule, the department shall change the licensee's reporting frequency by giving thirty days' notice to the licensee by mail to the licensee's address of record. A report shall be filed with the department even though no special fuel was used, or tax is due, for the reporting period. Each tax report shall contain a declaration by the person making the same, to the effect that the statements contained therein are true and are made under penalties of perjury, which declaration shall have the same force and effect as a verification of the report and is in lieu of such verification. The report shall show such information as the department may reasonably require for the proper administration and enforcement of this chapter. For counties within which an additional excise tax on special fuel has been levied by that jurisdiction under RCW 82.80.010, the report must show the quantities of special fuel sold, distributed, or withdrawn from bulk storage by the reporting dealer or user within the county's boundaries and the tax liability from its levy. The special fuel dealer or special fuel user shall file the report on or before the twenty-fifth day of the next succeeding calendar month following the period to which it relates.

Subject to the written approval of the department, tax reports may cover a period ending on a day other than the last day of the calendar month. Taxpayers granted approval to file reports in this manner will file such reports on or before the twenty-fifth day following the end of the reporting period. No change to this reporting period will be made without the written authorization of the department.

If the final filing date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday the next secular or business day shall be the final filing date. Such reports shall be considered filed or received on the date shown by the post office cancellation mark stamped upon an envelope containing such report properly addressed to the department, or on the date it was mailed if proof satisfactory to the department is available to establish the date it was mailed.

The department, if it deems it necessary in order to insure payment of the tax imposed by this chapter, or to facilitate the administration of this chapter, has the authority to require the filing of reports and tax remittances at shorter intervals than one month if, in its opinion, an existing bond has become insufficient.

The department may permit any special fuel user whose sole use of special fuel is in motor vehicles or equipment exempt from tax as provided in RCW 82.38.075 and 82.38.080 (1), (2), (3), (8), and ((~~(9)~~)) (10), in lieu of the reports required in this section, to submit reports annually or as requested by the department, in such form as the department may require.

A special fuel user whose sole use of special fuel is for purposes other than the propulsion of motor vehicles upon the public highways of this state shall not be required to submit the reports required in this section.