SB 6665-S.E - DIGEST

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/2/04)

Declares that chapter 82.04 RCW shall not apply to amounts received from the canning, preserving, freezing, processing, or dehydrating fresh fruits and vegetables which are subsequently sold at wholesale outside the state or which are sold at wholesale by the person canning, preserving, freezing, processing, or dehydrating fresh fruits and vegetables to purchasers outside the state or to purchasers who transport in the ordinary course of business the goods out of this state, 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.

Provides that application for deferral of taxes under this act must be made before initiation of the construction of the investment project or acquisition of equipment or machinery.

Directs the department to issue a sales and use tax deferral certificate for state and local sales and use taxes due under chapters 82.08, 82.12, and 82.14 RCW on each eligible investment project if the investment project is undertaken for the purpose of fresh fruit and vegetable processing, cold storage warehousing, or research and development.

Provides that each person subject to this act, holding a deferral certificate issued pursuant to this act, or claiming an exemption under RCW 82.08.820 or 82.12.820 with respect to a cold storage warehouse, shall complete an annual survey. The survey is due by March 31st with respect to information for the previous year. The survey shall include the amount of sales tax deferred or refunded by remittance and the amount of business and occupation tax exempt under this act.

Provides that all information collected under this act, except the amount of sales tax deferred or refunded by remittance, is deemed taxpayer information under RCW 82.32.330 and is not disclosable. The amount of sales tax deferred or refunded by remittance is not subject to the confidentiality provisions of RCW 82.32.330 and may be disclosed to the public upon request, except that persons receiving a deferral or remittance of less than ten thousand dollars of sales tax during the period covered by the survey may request the department to treat the sales tax amount as confidential under RCW 82.32.330.

Directs the department to use the information from this act to prepare summary descriptive statistics by category. No fewer than three taxpayers shall be included in any category. The department shall report these statistics to the legislature each year by September 1st.

Takes effect July 1, 2005.