BILL REQ. #: S-4691.1
State of Washington | 61st Legislature | 2010 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/05/10.
AN ACT Relating to allowing county treasurers to use electronic bill presentment and payment that includes an automatic electronic payment option for property taxes; and amending RCW 84.56.020.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 84.56.020 and 2008 c 181 s 510 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The county treasurer ((shall)) must be the receiver and
collector of all taxes extended upon the tax rolls of the county,
whether levied for state, county, school, bridge, road, municipal or
other purposes, and also of all fines, forfeitures or penalties
received by any person or officer for the use of his or her county. No
treasurer ((shall)) may accept tax payments or issue receipts for the
same until the treasurer has completed the tax roll for the current
year's collection and provided notification of the completion of the
roll. Notification may be accomplished electronically, by posting a
notice in the office, or through other written communication as
determined by the treasurer. All taxes upon real and personal property
made payable by the provisions of this title ((shall be)) are due and
payable to the treasurer on or before the thirtieth day of April and,
except as provided in this section, shall be delinquent after that
date.
(2) Each tax statement ((shall)) must include a notice that checks
for payment of taxes may be made payable to "Treasurer of . . . . . .
County" or other appropriate office, but tax statements ((shall)) may
not include any suggestion that checks may be made payable to the name
of the individual holding the office of treasurer nor any other
individual.
(3) When the total amount of tax or special assessments on personal
property or on any lot, block or tract of real property payable by one
person is fifty dollars or more, and if one-half of such tax be paid on
or before the thirtieth day of April, the remainder of such tax ((shall
be)) is due and payable on or before the thirty-first day of October
following and shall be delinquent after that date.
(4) When the total amount of tax or special assessments on any lot,
block or tract of real property or on any mobile home payable by one
person is fifty dollars or more, and if one-half of such tax be paid
after the thirtieth day of April but before the thirty-first day of
October, together with the applicable interest and penalty on the full
amount of tax payable for that year, the remainder of such tax ((shall
be)) is due and payable on or before the thirty-first day of October
following and ((shall be)) is delinquent after that date.
(5) Delinquent taxes under this section are subject to interest at
the rate of twelve percent per annum computed on a monthly basis on the
full year amount of tax unpaid from the date of delinquency until paid.
Interest ((shall)) must be calculated at the rate in effect at the time
of payment of the tax, regardless of when the taxes were first
delinquent. In addition, delinquent taxes under this section are
subject to penalties as follows:
(a) A penalty of three percent of the full year amount of tax
unpaid ((shall be)) is assessed on the tax delinquent on June 1st of
the year in which the tax is due.
(b) An additional penalty of eight percent ((shall be)) is assessed
on the amount of tax delinquent on December 1st of the year in which
the tax is due.
(6) Subsection (5) of this section notwithstanding, no interest or
penalties may be assessed during any period of armed conflict on
delinquent taxes imposed on the personal residences owned by active
duty military personnel who are participating as part of one of the
branches of the military involved in the conflict and assigned to a
duty station outside the territorial boundaries of the United States.
(7) During a state of emergency declared under RCW 43.06.010(12),
the county treasurer, on his or her own motion or at the request of any
taxpayer affected by the emergency, may grant extensions of the due
date of any taxes payable under this section as the treasurer deems
proper.
(8) For purposes of this chapter, "interest" means both interest
and penalties.
(9) All collections of interest on delinquent taxes ((shall)) must
be credited to the county current expense fund; but the cost of
foreclosure and sale of real property, and the fees and costs of
distraint and sale of personal property, for delinquent taxes,
((shall)) must, when collected, be credited to the operation and
maintenance fund of the county treasurer prosecuting the foreclosure or
distraint or sale; and ((shall)) must be used by the county treasurer
as a revolving fund to defray the cost of further foreclosure,
distraint and sale for delinquent taxes without regard to budget
limitations.
(10)(a) For purposes of this chapter, and in accordance with this
section and RCW 36.29.190, the treasurer may collect taxes,
assessments, fees, rates, and charges by electronic bill presentment
and payment. Electronic bill presentment and payment may be utilized
as an option by the taxpayer, but the treasurer may not require the use
of electronic bill presentment and payment. Electronic bill
presentment and payment may be on a monthly or other periodic basis as
the treasurer deems proper for prepayments . All prepayments must be
paid in full by the due date specified in (c) of this subsection.
(b) The treasurer must provide, by electronic means, a payment
agreement that may include prepayment collection charges. The payment
agreement must be signed by the taxpayer and treasurer prior to the
sending of an electronic bill.
(c) All taxes upon real and personal property made payable by the
provisions of this title are due and payable to the treasurer on or
before the thirtieth day of April and are delinquent after that date.
The remainder of the tax is due and payable on or before the thirty-
first day of October following and is delinquent after that date. All
other assessments, fees, rates, and charges are delinquent after the
due date.
(d) The treasurer must pay any collection costs, investment
earnings, or both on prepayments to the credit of a county treasurer
service fund account to be created and used only for the payment of
expenses incurred by the treasurer, without limitation, in
administering the system for collecting prepayments.
(11) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(a) "Electronic bill presentment and payment" means statements,
invoices, or bills that are created, delivered, and paid using the
internet. The term includes an automatic electronic payment from a
person's checking account, debit account, or credit card.
(b) "Internet" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 19.270.010.