BILL REQ. #:  H-1472.1 

Read first time 02/09/2005.   Referred to Committee on Finance.

     AN ACT Relating to the business and occupation taxation of slaughtering, breaking and/or processing perishable meat products; reenacting and amending RCW 82.04.260; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   In 1967, the legislature amended RCW 82.04.260 in chapter 149, Laws of 1967 ex. sess. to authorize a preferential business and occupation tax rate for slaughtering, breaking, and/or processing perishable meat products and/or selling the same at wholesale. The legislature finds that RCW 82.04.260 was interpreted by the state supreme court on January 13, 2005, in Agrilink Foods, Inc. v. Department of Revenue, Docket No. 74478-5. The supreme court held that the preferential business and occupation tax rate on the slaughtering, breaking, and/or processing of perishable meat products applied to the processing of perishable meat products into nonperishable finished products, such as canned food.
     The legislature declares that the sole purpose of chapter 149, Laws of 1967 ex. sess. as codified in RCW 82.04.260 has always been to create a preferential business and occupation tax rate for the slaughtering, breaking, or processing of perishable meat products and/or selling the finished perishable meat products at wholesale. The intent was not to allow the preferential tax rate for the processing of perishable meat products into nonperishable finished products or selling the nonperishable finished products at wholesale.
     The purpose of this act is to make retroactive, remedial, curative, and technical amendments to clarify the intent of chapter 149, Laws of 1967 ex. sess. and RCW 82.04.260 and resolve any ambiguity. It is the intent of the legislature to establish that, prior to the effective date of this act, the preferential business and occupation tax rate for the "slaughtering, breaking, and/or processing of perishable meat products and/or selling the same at wholesale" in RCW 82.04.260 applied only to activities in which the end products continued to be perishable meat products, and this act applies retroactively to accomplish this purpose.

Sec. 2   RCW 82.04.260 and 2003 2nd sp.s. c 1 s 4 and 2003 2nd sp.s. c 1 s 3 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of manufacturing:
     (a) 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;
     (b) 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;
     (c) 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 0.138 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;
     (d) Dairy products that as of September 20, 2001, are identified in 21 C.F.R., chapter 1, parts 131, 133, and 135, including byproducts from the manufacturing of the dairy products such as whey and casein; or selling the same to purchasers who transport in the ordinary course of business the goods out of state; as to such persons the tax imposed shall be equal to the value of the products manufactured multiplied by the rate of 0.138 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;
     (e) Alcohol fuel, biodiesel fuel, or biodiesel feedstock, as those terms are defined in RCW 82.29A.135; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to the business shall be equal to the value of alcohol fuel, biodiesel fuel, or biodiesel feedstock manufactured, multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent. This subsection (1)(e) expires July 1, 2009; and
     (f) Alcohol fuel or wood biomass fuel, as those terms are defined in RCW 82.29A.135; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to the business shall be equal to the value of alcohol fuel or wood biomass fuel manufactured, multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent.
     (2) 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 0.138 percent.
     (3) 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.
     (4) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of slaughtering, breaking and/or ((processing)) manufacturing perishable meat products and/or selling the ((same)) perishable meat products 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.
     (5) 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.
     (6) 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.
     (7) 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.
     (8) 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 0.275 percent.
     (9) 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 0.275 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.
     (10) 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.
     (11) 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 0.484 percent.
     (12) 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.
     (13)(a) Beginning October 1, 2005, upon every person engaging within this state in the business of manufacturing commercial airplanes, or components of such airplanes, as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall, in the case of manufacturers, be equal to the value of the product manufactured, or in the case of processors for hire, be equal to the gross income of the business, multiplied by the rate of:
     (i) 0.4235 percent from October 1, 2005, through the later of June 30, 2007, or the day preceding the date final assembly of a superefficient airplane begins in Washington state, as determined under RCW 82.32.550; and
     (ii) 0.2904 percent beginning on the later of July 1, 2007, or the date final assembly of a superefficient airplane begins in Washington state, as determined under RCW 82.32.550.
     (b) Beginning October 1, 2005, upon every person engaging within this state in the business of making sales, at retail or wholesale, of commercial airplanes, or components of such airplanes, 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 airplanes or components multiplied by the rate of:
     (i) 0.4235 percent from October 1, 2005, through the later of June 30, 2007, or the day preceding the date final assembly of a superefficient airplane begins in Washington state, as determined under RCW 82.32.550; and
     (ii) 0.2904 percent beginning on the later of July 1, 2007, or the date final assembly of a superefficient airplane begins in Washington state, as determined under RCW 82.32.550.
     (c) For the purposes of this subsection (13), "commercial airplane," "component," and "final assembly of a superefficient airplane" have the meanings given in RCW 82.32.550.
     (d) In addition to all other requirements under this title, a person eligible for the tax rate under this subsection (13) must report as required under RCW 82.32.545.
     (e) This subsection (13) does not apply after the earlier of: July 1, 2024; or December 31, 2007, if assembly of a superefficient airplane does not begin by December 31, 2007, as determined under RCW 82.32.550.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   This act applies retroactively.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   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 immediately.