BILL REQ. #:  S-5116.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/17/06.   

     AN ACT Relating to clarifying the application of taxes to the financial activities of professional employer organizations; amending RCW 82.08.010, 82.12.010, 82.80.050, and 35.102.040; adding a new section to chapter 82.04 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 82.32 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 35.102 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 82.02 RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 82.04 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The provision of professional employer services by a professional employer organization is taxable under RCW 82.04.290(2).
     (2) A professional employer organization is allowed a deduction from the gross income of the business derived from performing professional employer services that is equal to the portion of the fee charged to a client that represents the actual cost of wages and salaries, benefits, workers' compensation, payroll taxes, withholding, or other assessments paid to or on behalf of a covered employee by the professional employer organization under a professional employer agreement.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
     (a) "Client" means any person who enters into a professional employer agreement with a professional employer organization. For purposes of this subsection (3)(a), "person" has the same meaning as "buyer" in RCW 82.08.010.
     (b) "Coemployer" means either a professional employer organization or a client.
     (c) "Coemployment relationship" means a relationship which is intended to be an ongoing relationship rather than a temporary or project-specific one, wherein the rights, duties, and obligations of an employer which arise out of an employment relationship have been allocated between coemployers pursuant to a professional employer agreement and applicable state law. In such a coemployment relationship:
     (i) The professional employer organization is entitled to enforce only such employer rights and is subject to only those obligations specifically allocated to the professional employer organization by the professional employer agreement or applicable state law;
     (ii) The client is entitled to enforce those rights and obligated to provide and perform those employer obligations allocated to such client by the professional employer agreement and applicable state law; and
     (iii) The client is entitled to enforce any right and obligated to perform any obligation of an employer not specifically allocated to the professional employer organization by the professional employer agreement or applicable state law.
     (d) "Covered employee" means an individual having a coemployment relationship with a professional employer organization and a client who meets all of the following criteria: (i) The individual has received written notice of coemployment with the professional employer organization, and (ii) the individual's coemployment relationship is pursuant to a professional employer agreement. Individuals who are officers, directors, shareholders, partners, and managers of the client are covered employees to the extent the professional employer organization and the client have expressly agreed in the professional employer agreement that such individuals would be covered employees and provided such individuals meet the criteria of this subsection and act as operational managers or perform day-to-day operational services for the client.
     (e) "Professional employer agreement" means a written contract by and between a client and a professional employer organization that provides:
     (i) For the coemployment of covered employees; and
     (ii) For the allocation of employer rights and obligations between the client and the professional employer organization with respect to the covered employees.
     (f) "Professional employer organization" means any person engaged in the business of providing professional employer services. The following shall not be deemed to be professional employer organizations or the providing of professional employer services for purposes of this section:
     (i) Arrangements wherein a person, whose principal business activity is not entering into professional employer arrangements and which does not hold itself out as a professional employer organization, shares employees with a commonly owned company within the meaning of section 414(b) and (c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
     (ii) Independent contractor arrangements by which a person assumes responsibility for the product produced or service performed by such person or his or her agents and retains and exercises primary direction and control over the work performed by the individuals whose services are supplied under such arrangements; or
     (iii) Providing staffing services.
     (g) "Professional employer services" means the service of entering into a coemployment relationship with a client in which all or a majority of the employees providing services to a client or to a division or work unit of a client are covered employees.
     (h) "Staffing services" means services consisting of a person:
     (i) Recruiting and hiring its own employees;
     (ii) Finding other organizations that need the services of those employees;
     (iii) Assigning those employees on a temporary basis to perform work at or services for the other organizations to support or supplement the other organizations' work forces, or to provide assistance in special work situations such as, but not limited to, employee absences, skill shortages, seasonal workloads, or to perform special assignments or projects, all under the direction and supervision of the customer; and
     (iv) Customarily attempting to reassign the employees to other organizations when they finish each assignment.

Sec. 2   RCW 82.08.010 and 2005 c 514 s 110 are each amended to read as follows:
     For the purposes of this chapter:
     (1) "Selling price" includes "sales price." "Sales price" means the total amount of consideration, except separately stated trade-in property of like kind, including cash, credit, property, and services, for which tangible personal property, extended warranties, or services defined as a "retail sale" under RCW 82.04.050 are sold, leased, or rented, valued in money, whether received in money or otherwise. No deduction from the total amount of consideration is allowed for the following: (a) The seller's cost of the property sold; (b) the cost of materials used, labor or service cost, interest, losses, all costs of transportation to the seller, all taxes imposed on the seller, and any other expense of the seller; (c) charges by the seller for any services necessary to complete the sale, other than delivery and installation charges; (d) delivery charges; (e) installation charges; and (f) the value of exempt tangible personal property given to the purchaser where taxable and exempt tangible personal property have been bundled together and sold by the seller as a single product or piece of merchandise.
     When tangible personal property is rented or leased under circumstances that the consideration paid does not represent a reasonable rental for the use of the articles so rented or leased, the "selling price" shall be determined as nearly as possible according to the value of such use at the places of use of similar products of like quality and character under such rules as the department may prescribe.
     "Selling price" or "sales price" does not include: Discounts, including cash, term, or coupons that are not reimbursed by a third party that are allowed by a seller and taken by a purchaser on a sale; interest, financing, and carrying charges from credit extended on the sale of tangible personal property, extended warranties, or services, if the amount is separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale, or similar document given to the purchaser; and any taxes legally imposed directly on the consumer that are separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale, or similar document given to the purchaser;
     (2)(a) "Seller" means every person, including the state and its departments and institutions, making sales at retail or retail sales to a buyer, purchaser, or consumer, whether as agent, broker, or principal, except "seller" does not mean:
     (i) The state and its departments and institutions when making sales to the state and its departments and institutions; or
     (ii) A professional employer organization when a covered employee coemployed with the client under the terms of a professional employer agreement engages in activities that constitute a sale at retail that is subject to the tax imposed by this chapter. In such cases, the client, and not the professional employer organization, is deemed to be the seller and is responsible for collecting and remitting the tax imposed by this chapter.
     (b) For the purposes of (a) of this subsection, the terms "client," "covered employee," "professional employer agreement," and "professional employer organization" have the same meanings as in section 1 of this act.
     (3) "Buyer," "purchaser," and "consumer" include, without limiting the scope hereof, every individual, receiver, assignee, trustee in bankruptcy, trust, estate, firm, copartnership, joint venture, club, company, joint stock company, business trust, corporation, association, society, or any group of individuals acting as a unit, whether mutual, cooperative, fraternal, nonprofit, or otherwise, municipal corporation, quasi municipal corporation, and also the state, its departments and institutions and all political subdivisions thereof, irrespective of the nature of the activities engaged in or functions performed, and also the United States or any instrumentality thereof;
     (4) "Delivery charges" means charges by the seller of personal property or services for preparation and delivery to a location designated by the purchaser of personal property or services including, but not limited to, transportation, shipping, postage, handling, crating, and packing;
     (5) "Direct mail" means printed material delivered or distributed by United States mail or other delivery service to a mass audience or to addressees on a mailing list provided by the purchaser or at the direction of the purchaser when the cost of the items are not billed directly to the recipients. "Direct mail" includes tangible personal property supplied directly or indirectly by the purchaser to the direct mail seller for inclusion in the package containing the printed material. "Direct mail" does not include multiple items of printed material delivered to a single address;
     (6) The meaning attributed in chapter 82.04 RCW to the terms "tax year," "taxable year," "person," "company," "sale," "sale at retail," "retail sale," "sale at wholesale," "wholesale," "business," "engaging in business," "cash discount," "successor," "consumer," "in this state" and "within this state" shall apply equally to the provisions of this chapter;
     (7) For the purposes of the taxes imposed under this chapter and under chapter 82.12 RCW, "tangible personal property" means personal property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or touched, or that is in any other manner perceptible to the senses. Tangible personal property includes electricity, water, gas, steam, and prewritten computer software;
     (8) "Extended warranty" has the same meaning as in RCW 82.04.050(7).

Sec. 3   RCW 82.12.010 and 2005 c 514 s 104 are each amended to read as follows:
     For the purposes of this chapter:
     (1) "Purchase price" means the same as sales price as defined in RCW 82.08.010.
     (2)(a) "Value of the article used" shall be the purchase price for the article of tangible personal property, the use of which is taxable under this chapter. The term also includes, in addition to the purchase price, the amount of any tariff or duty paid with respect to the importation of the article used. In case the article used is acquired by lease or by gift or is extracted, produced, or manufactured by the person using the same or is sold under conditions wherein the purchase price does not represent the true value thereof, the value of the article used shall be determined as nearly as possible according to the retail selling price at place of use of similar products of like quality and character under such rules as the department may prescribe.
     (b) In case the articles used are acquired by bailment, the value of the use of the articles so used shall be in an amount representing a reasonable rental for the use of the articles so bailed, determined as nearly as possible according to the value of such use at the places of use of similar products of like quality and character under such rules as the department of revenue may prescribe. In case any such articles of tangible personal property are used in respect to the construction, repairing, decorating, or improving of, and which become or are to become an ingredient or component of, new or existing buildings or other structures under, upon, or above real property of or for the United States, any instrumentality thereof, or a county or city housing authority created pursuant to chapter 35.82 RCW, including the installing or attaching of any such articles therein or thereto, whether or not such personal property becomes a part of the realty by virtue of installation, then the value of the use of such articles so used shall be determined according to the retail selling price of such articles, or in the absence of such a selling price, as nearly as possible according to the retail selling price at place of use of similar products of like quality and character or, in the absence of either of these selling price measures, such value may be determined upon a cost basis, in any event under such rules as the department of revenue may prescribe.
     (c) In the case of articles owned by a user engaged in business outside the state which are brought into the state for no more than one hundred eighty days in any period of three hundred sixty-five consecutive days and which are temporarily used for business purposes by the person in this state, the value of the article used shall be an amount representing a reasonable rental for the use of the articles, unless the person has paid tax under this chapter or chapter 82.08 RCW upon the full value of the article used, as defined in (a) of this subsection.
     (d) In the case of articles manufactured or produced by the user and used in the manufacture or production of products sold or to be sold to the department of defense of the United States, the value of the articles used shall be determined according to the value of the ingredients of such articles.
     (e) In the case of an article manufactured or produced for purposes of serving as a prototype for the development of a new or improved product, the value of the article used shall be determined by: (i) The retail selling price of such new or improved product when first offered for sale; or (ii) the value of materials incorporated into the prototype in cases in which the new or improved product is not offered for sale.
     (f) In the case of an article purchased with a direct pay permit under RCW 82.32.087, the value of the article used shall be determined by the purchase price of such article if, but for the use of the direct pay permit, the transaction would have been subject to sales tax;
     (3) "Value of the service used" means the purchase price for the service, the use of which is taxable under this chapter. If the service is received by gift or under conditions wherein the purchase price does not represent the true value thereof, the value of the service used shall be determined as nearly as possible according to the retail selling price at place of use of similar services of like quality and character under rules the department may prescribe;
     (4) "Value of the extended warranty used" means the purchase price for the extended warranty, the use of which is taxable under this chapter. If the extended warranty is received by gift or under conditions wherein the purchase price does not represent the true value of the extended warranty, the value of the extended warranty used shall be determined as nearly as possible according to the retail selling price at place of use of similar extended warranties of like quality and character under rules the department may prescribe;
     (5) "Use," "used," "using," or "put to use" shall have their ordinary meaning, and shall mean:
     (a) With respect to tangible personal property, the first act within this state by which the taxpayer takes or assumes dominion or control over the article of tangible personal property (as a consumer), and include installation, storage, withdrawal from storage, distribution, or any other act preparatory to subsequent actual use or consumption within this state;
     (b) With respect to a service defined in RCW 82.04.050(2)(a), the first act within this state after the service has been performed by which the taxpayer takes or assumes dominion or control over the article of tangible personal property upon which the service was performed (as a consumer), and includes installation, storage, withdrawal from storage, distribution, or any other act preparatory to subsequent actual use or consumption of the article within this state; and
     (c) With respect to an extended warranty, the first act within this state after the extended warranty has been acquired by which the taxpayer takes or assumes dominion or control over the article of tangible personal property to which the extended warranty applies, and includes installation, storage, withdrawal from storage, distribution, or any other act preparatory to subsequent actual use or consumption of the article within this state;
     (6) "Taxpayer" and "purchaser" include all persons included within the meaning of the word "buyer" and the word "consumer" as defined in chapters 82.04 and 82.08 RCW;
     (7)(a)(i) Except as provided in (a)(ii) of this subsection (7), "retailer" means every seller as defined in RCW 82.08.010 and every person engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail and every person required to collect from purchasers the tax imposed under this chapter.
     (ii) "Retailer" does not include a professional employer organization when a covered employee coemployed with the client under the terms of a professional employer agreement engages in activities that constitute a sale of tangible personal property, extended warranty, or a sale of any service defined as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050 (2)(a) or (3)(a) that is subject to the tax imposed by this chapter. In such cases, the client, and not the professional employer organization, is deemed to be the retailer and is responsible for collecting and remitting the tax imposed by this chapter.
     (b) For the purposes of (a) of this subsection, the terms "client," "covered employee," "professional employer agreement," and "professional employer organization" have the same meanings as in section 1 of this act;
     (8) "Extended warranty" has the same meaning as in RCW 82.04.050(7);
     (9) The meaning ascribed to words and phrases in chapters 82.04 and 82.08 RCW, insofar as applicable, shall have full force and effect with respect to taxes imposed under the provisions of this chapter. "Consumer," in addition to the meaning ascribed to it in chapters 82.04 and 82.08 RCW insofar as applicable, shall also mean any person who distributes or displays, or causes to be distributed or displayed, any article of tangible personal property, except newspapers, the primary purpose of which is to promote the sale of products or services. With respect to property distributed to persons within this state by a consumer as defined in this subsection (9), the use of the property shall be deemed to be by such consumer.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 82.32 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A client under the terms of a professional employer agreement is deemed to be the sole employer of a covered employee for purposes of eligibility for any tax credit, exemption, or other tax incentive, arising as the result of the employment of covered employees, provided in RCW 82.04.4333, 82.04.44525, 82.04.448, 82.04.4483, 82.08.965, 82.12.965, 82.16.0495, or 82.60.049 or chapter 82.62 or 82.70 RCW, or any other provision in this title. A client, and not the professional employer organization, shall be entitled to the benefit of any tax credit, exemption, or other tax incentive arising as the result of the employment of covered employees of that client.
     (2) A client under the terms of a professional employer agreement is deemed to be the sole employer of a covered employee for purposes of reports or surveys that require the reporting of employment information relating to covered employees of the client, as provided in RCW 82.04.4452, 82.04.4483, 82.04.4484, 82.32.535, 82.32.540, 82.32.545, 82.32.560, 82.32.570, 82.32.610, 82.32.620, 82.60.070, 82.62.050, 82.63.020, or 82.74.040, or any other provision in this title. A client, and not the professional employer organization, shall be required to complete any survey or report that requires the reporting of employment information relating to covered employees of that client.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, "client," "covered employee," "professional employer agreement," and "professional employer organization" have the same meanings as in section 1 of this act.

Sec. 5   RCW 82.80.050 and 2000 c 103 s 21 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A city or town electing to own, construct, maintain, operate, and preserve its streets as a separate street utility may levy periodic charges for the use or availability of the streets in a total annual amount of up to fifty percent of the actual costs for maintenance, operation, and preservation of facilities under the jurisdiction of the street utility. The rates charged for the use must be uniform for the same class of service and all business and residential properties must be subject to the utility charge. Charges imposed on businesses shall be measured solely by the number of employees and shall not exceed the equivalent of two dollars per full-time equivalent employee per month. Charges imposed against owners or occupants of residential property shall not exceed two dollars per month per housing unit as defined in RCW 35.95.040. A client under the terms of a professional employer agreement is deemed to be the sole employer of a covered employee for purposes of this section. In such cases, a professional employer organization is not an employer and is not liable, primarily or secondarily, for remitting the charge authorized in this section with respect to covered employees. Charges authorized in this section shall not be imposed against owners of property: (((1))) (a) Exempt under RCW 84.36.010; (((2))) (b) exempt from the leasehold tax under chapter 82.29A RCW; or (((3))) (c) used for nonprofit or sectarian purposes, which if said property were owned by such organization would qualify for exemption under chapter 84.36 RCW. The charges shall not be computed on the basis of an ad valorem charge on the underlying real property and improvements. This section shall not be used as a basis to directly or indirectly charge transportation impact fees or mitigation fees of any kind against new development. A city or town may contract with any other utility or local government to provide for billing and collection of the street utility charges.
     (2) In classifying service furnished within the general categories of business and residential, the city or town legislative authority may in its discretion consider any or all of the following factors: The difference in cost of service to the various users or traffic generators; location of the various users or traffic generators within the city or town; the difference in cost of maintenance, operation, construction, repair, and replacement of the various parts of the enterprise and facility; the different character of the service furnished to various users or traffic generators within the city or town; the size and quality of the street service furnished; the time of use or traffic generation; capital contributions made to the facility including but not limited to special assessments; and any other matters that present a reasonable difference as a ground for distinction, or the entire category of business or residential may be established as a single class. The city or town may reduce or exempt charges on residential properties to the extent of their occupancy by low-income senior citizens and other low-income citizens as provided in RCW 74.38.070(((1))), or to the extent of their occupancy by the needy or infirm.
     (3) The charges shall be charges against the property and the use thereof and shall become liens and be enforced in the same manner as rates and charges for the use of systems of sewerage under chapter 35.67 RCW.
     (4) Any city or town ordinance or resolution creating a street utility must contain a provision granting to any business a credit against any street utility charge the full amount of any commuter or employer tax paid for transportation purposes by that business. A client under the terms of a professional employer agreement is entitled to the credit provided by this subsection (4) for any commuter or employer tax paid by the client with respect to covered employees.
     (5) For the purposes of this section, "client," "covered employee," "professional employer agreement," and "professional employer organization" have the same meanings as in section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   A new section is added to chapter 35.102 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A city that imposes its business and occupation tax on professional employer services performed by a professional employer organization, regardless of the tax classification applicable to such services, shall provide a deduction identical to the deduction in section 1(2) of this act.
     (2) For the purposes of this section, "professional employer organization" and "professional employer services" have the same meanings as in section 1 of this act.

Sec. 7   RCW 35.102.040 and 2005 c 274 s 266 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) The cities, working through the association of Washington cities, shall form a model ordinance development committee made up of a representative sampling of cities that as of July 27, 2003, impose a business and occupation tax. This committee shall work through the association of Washington cities to adopt a model ordinance on municipal gross receipts business and occupation tax. The model ordinance and subsequent amendments shall be adopted using a process that includes opportunity for substantial input from business stakeholders and other members of the public. Input shall be solicited from statewide business associations and from local chambers of commerce and downtown business associations in cities that levy a business and occupation tax.
     (b) The municipal research council shall contract to post the model ordinance on an internet web site and to make paper copies available for inspection upon request. The department of revenue and the department of licensing shall post copies of or links to the model ordinance on their internet web sites. Additionally, a city that imposes a business and occupation tax must make copies of its ordinance available for inspection and copying as provided in chapter 42.56 RCW.
     (c) The definitions and tax classifications in the model ordinance may not be amended more frequently than once every four years, however the model ordinance may be amended at any time to comply with changes in state law. Any amendment to a mandatory provision of the model ordinance must be adopted with the same effective date by all cities.
     (2) A city that imposes a business and occupation tax must adopt the mandatory provisions of the model ordinance. The following provisions are mandatory:
     (a) A system of credits that meets the requirements of RCW 35.102.060 and a form for such use;
     (b) A uniform, minimum small business tax threshold of at least the equivalent of twenty thousand dollars in gross income annually. A city may elect to deviate from this requirement by creating a higher threshold or exemption but it shall not deviate lower than the level required in this subsection. If a city has a small business threshold or exemption in excess of that provided in this subsection as of January 1, 2003, and chooses to deviate below the threshold or exemption level that was in place as of January 1, 2003, the city must notify all businesses licensed to do business within the city at least one hundred twenty days prior to the potential implementation of a lower threshold or exemption amount;
     (c) Tax reporting frequencies that meet the requirements of RCW 35.102.070;
     (d) Penalty and interest provisions that meet the requirements of RCW 35.102.080 and 35.102.090;
     (e) Claim periods that meet the requirements of RCW 35.102.100;
     (f) Refund provisions that meet the requirements of RCW 35.102.110; and
     (g) Definitions, which at a minimum, must include the definitions enumerated in RCW 35.102.030 and 35.102.120. The definitions in chapter 82.04 RCW shall be used as the baseline for all definitions in the model ordinance, and any deviation in the model ordinance from these definitions must be described by a comment in the model ordinance.
     (3) Except for the deduction required by section 6 of this act and the system of credits developed to address multiple taxation under subsection (2)(a) of this section, a city may adopt its own provisions for tax exemptions, tax credits, and tax deductions.
     (4) Any city that adopts an ordinance that deviates from the nonmandatory provisions of the model ordinance shall make a description of such differences available to the public, in written and electronic form.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   A new section is added to chapter 82.02 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A professional employer organization is not liable for any tax imposed by or under the authority of this title or Title 35 RCW or any other tax, fee, or charge that the department administers based solely on the activities or status of a covered employee having a coemployment relationship with the professional employer organization.
     (2) This subsection does not exempt a professional employer organization from:
     (a) Any tax imposed by or under the authority of this or any other title based on:
     (i) Professional employer services provided by the professional employer organization; or
     (ii) The status or activities of employees of the professional employer organization that are not covered employees coemployed with a client; or
     (b) The duty to withhold, collect, report, and remit payroll-related and unemployment taxes as required by state law and regulation.
     (3) The definitions in section 1 of this act apply to this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9   The provisions of this act do not affect the application of Title 50 or 51 RCW to the reporting requirement or tax liabilities of professional employer organizations or their clients.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10   This act takes effect July 1, 2006.