READ FIRST TIME 04/19/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to enhancing tax collection tools for the department of revenue in order to promote fairness and administrative efficiency; amending RCW 82.32.235; and creating a new section.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 82.32.235 and 1987 c 208 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) In addition to the remedies provided in this chapter the department is ((hereby)) authorized to issue to any person((, or to any political subdivision or department of the state)), a notice and order to withhold and deliver property of any kind whatsoever when there is reason to believe that there is in the possession of such person((, political subdivision or department)), property which is or ((shall)) will become due, owing, or belonging to any taxpayer against whom a warrant has been filed.
     (2) The ((notice and order to withhold and deliver shall be served by the)) sheriff of the county ((wherein)) where the service is made, or ((by)) his or her deputy, or ((by)) any duly authorized representative of the department((, provided that service by such persons may also be made)) may personally serve the notice and order to withhold and deliver upon the person to whom it is directed or may do so by certified mail, with return receipt requested((, upon those persons, or political subdivision or department, to whom the notice and order to withhold and deliver is directed. Any person, or any political subdivision or department upon whom service has been made is hereby required to answer the notice within twenty days exclusive of the day of service, under oath and in writing, and shall make true answers to the matters inquired of in the notice)).
     (3)(a) The department is authorized to issue a notice and order to withhold and deliver to any financial institution in the form of a listing of all or a portion of the unsatisfied tax warrants filed under this chapter with the clerk of the superior court of a county of the state, except tax warrants subject to a payment agreement, which is not in default, between the department and the taxpayer.     
     (b) As an alternative to the methods of service in subsection (2) of this section, the department may serve the notice and order to withhold and deliver authorized under this subsection electronically. The remedy in this subsection (3) is in addition to any other remedies authorized by law.
     (c) No more than one notice and order to withhold and deliver under this subsection (3) may be served on the same financial institution in a calendar month.
     (d) Notice and order to withhold and deliver under this subsection (3) must include the federal taxpayer identification number of each taxpayer.
     (e) For purposes of this subsection, "financial institution" means a bank, trust company, mutual savings bank, savings and loan association, or credit union authorized to do business and accept deposits in this state under state or federal law.
     (f) The department may provide a financial institution relief from a notice and order to withhold and deliver in the form provided under this subsection (3) upon the request of the financial institution. The department must consider the size, customer base, and geographic location of the financial institution when considering whether to provide relief. The department must serve any financial institution so relieved under subsection (1) of this section.
     (4) Any person who has been served with a notice and order to withhold and deliver under subsection (1) of this section must answer the notice within twenty days, exclusive of the day of service. Any person who has been served with a notice and order to withhold and deliver under subsection (3) of this section must answer the notice within thirty days, exclusive of the day of service. The answer must be in writing, under oath if required by the department, and include true answers to the matters inquired of in the notice. Any person served under subsection (3) of this section may answer in aggregate within thirty days, but must answer separately as to each taxpayer listed and specify any property by taxpayer which is delivered. The department must allow any person served electronically under subsection (3) of this section to answer the notice and order to withhold and deliver electronically in a format provided or approved by the department.
     (5) In the event there is in the possession of any ((such)) person ((or political subdivision or department)) served with a notice and order to withhold and deliver, any property which may be subject to the claim of the department, such property ((shall)) must be delivered ((forthwith)) immediately to the department of revenue or its duly authorized representative upon demand ((to be held in trust by)). The department must hold the property in trust for application on the indebtedness involved or for return, without interest, in accordance with final determination of liability or nonliability((, or in the alternative, there shall be furnished a good and sufficient)). Instead of delivering the property to the department or the department's duly authorized representative, the person may furnish a bond satisfactory to the department conditioned upon final determination of liability.
     (6) Should any person ((or political subdivision)), having been served with a notice and order to withhold and deliver, fail to ((make)) answer ((to an)) the notice and order to withhold and deliver within the time prescribed ((herein, it shall be lawful for the court, after the time to answer such order has expired, to)) in this section or otherwise fail to comply with the duties imposed in this section, the department may bring a proceeding, in the superior court of Thurston county or of the county in which service of the notice was made, to enforce the notice and order to withhold and deliver. The court may render judgment by default against such person ((or political subdivision)) for the full amount claimed by the department in the notice and order to withhold and deliver or may grant such other relief as the court deems just, together with costs.
     (7) For purposes of this section, "person" has the same meaning as in RCW 82.04.030 and also includes any agency, department, or institution of the state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The legislature finds that the state's vital interest in collecting lawfully due taxes must be balanced against the burden of complying with section 1(3) of this act, particularly for small financial institutions.
     (2)(a) Therefore, the legislature directs the department of revenue to work with interested financial institutions to develop policies regarding the frequency of service under section 1(3) of this act and under what circumstances a notice and order to withhold and deliver will contain only a partial list of unsatisfied tax warrants eligible to be included in the notice. The policies should take into account the size of a financial institution, location of a financial institution, number of business accounts that a financial institution has, and any other factors the department may choose to consider.
     (b) The department is also directed to develop a policy regarding the information to be contained in a notice and order to withhold and deliver to ensure that financial institutions can accurately match their records with the names of tax debtors.
     (3) The department must report to the fiscal committees of the legislature on the implementation of section 1(3) of this act by January 1, 2012. The report should describe the policies developed by the department as directed in subsection (2) of this section. The report should also describe any difficulties the department encountered in implementing section 1(3) of this act and any suggestions the department may have to improve the effectiveness of section 1(3) of this act, reduce the burden on financial institutions in complying with section 1(3) of this act, or both.