AN ACT Relating to taxation of businesses engaged in radio and television broadcasting; amending RCW 82.04.280, 82.04.280, 82.04.462, and 82.04.2907; reenacting and amending RCW 82.32.790; and providing a contingent effective date.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 82.04.280 and 2010 c 106 s 205 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of: (a) Printing materials other than newspapers, and of publishing periodicals or magazines; (b) building, repairing or improving any street, place, road, highway, easement, right-of-way, mass public transportation terminal or parking facility, bridge, tunnel, or trestle which is owned by a municipal corporation or political subdivision of the state or by the United States and which is used or to be used, primarily for foot or vehicular traffic including mass transportation vehicles of any kind and including any readjustment, reconstruction or relocation of the facilities of any public, private or cooperatively owned utility or railroad in the course of such building, repairing or improving, the cost of which readjustment, reconstruction, or relocation, is the responsibility of the public authority whose street, place, road, highway, easement, right-of-way, mass public transportation terminal or parking facility, bridge, tunnel, or trestle is being built, repaired or improved; (c) extracting for hire or processing for hire, except persons taxable as extractors for hire or processors for hire under another section of this chapter; (d) operating a cold storage warehouse or storage warehouse, but not including the rental of cold storage lockers; (e) representing and performing services for fire or casualty insurance companies as an independent resident managing general agent licensed under the provisions of chapter 48.17 RCW; (f) radio and television broadcasting, but excluding revenues from network, national and regional advertising computed as ((a standard deduction based on the national average thereof as annually reported by the federal communications commission, or in lieu thereof by itemization by the individual broadcasting station, and excluding that portion of revenue represented by the out-of-state audience computed as a ratio to the station's total audience as measured by the 100 micro-volt signal strength and delivery by wire, if any))either: (i) A standard deduction that the department must publish by rule by September 30, 2015, and by September 30th of every fifth year thereafter, based on the national average thereof as reported by the United States census bureau's economic census or other source of information; or (ii) by reference to the broadcaster's books and records; and by including revenues from local advertisers except to the extent such revenues are attributable to the out-of-state audience computed either: (A) As a ratio to the broadcaster's total audience as measured by the five millivolt/meter signal strength contour for AM radio, the one millivolt/meter or sixty dBu signal strength contour for FM radio, and the twenty-eight dBu signal strength contour for television channels two through six, the thirty-six dBu signal strength contour for television channels seven through thirteen, and the forty-one dBu signal strength contour for television channels fourteen through sixty-nine delivery by wire, satellite, or any other means; or (B) by any other reasonable means consistently used from year to year that measures a broadcaster's out-of-state audience; (g) engaging in activities which bring a person within the definition of consumer contained in RCW 82.04.190(6); as to such persons, the amount of tax on such business is equal to the gross income of the business multiplied by the rate of 0.484 percent.

(2) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) "Cold storage warehouse" means a storage warehouse used to store fresh and/or frozen perishable fruits or vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy products, or fowl, or any combination thereof, at a desired temperature to maintain the quality of the product for orderly marketing.

(b) "Storage warehouse" means a building or structure, or any part thereof, in which goods, wares, or merchandise are received for storage for compensation, except field warehouses, fruit warehouses, fruit packing plants, warehouses licensed under chapter 22.09 RCW, public garages storing automobiles, railroad freight sheds, docks and wharves, and "self-storage" or "mini storage" facilities whereby customers have direct access to individual storage areas by separate entrance. "Storage warehouse" does not include a building or structure, or that part of such building or structure, in which an activity taxable under RCW 82.04.272 is conducted.

(c) "Periodical or magazine" means a printed publication, other than a newspaper, issued regularly at stated intervals at least once every three months, including any supplement or special edition of the publication.

Sec. 2.  RCW 82.04.280 and 2010 c 106 s 206 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of: (a) Printing materials other than newspapers, and of publishing periodicals or magazines; (b) building, repairing or improving any street, place, road, highway, easement, right-of-way, mass public transportation terminal or parking facility, bridge, tunnel, or trestle which is owned by a municipal corporation or political subdivision of the state or by the United States and which is used or to be used, primarily for foot or vehicular traffic including mass transportation vehicles of any kind and including any readjustment, reconstruction or relocation of the facilities of any public, private or cooperatively owned utility or railroad in the course of such building, repairing or improving, the cost of which readjustment, reconstruction, or relocation, is the responsibility of the public authority whose street, place, road, highway, easement, right-of-way, mass public transportation terminal or parking facility, bridge, tunnel, or trestle is being built, repaired or improved; (c) extracting for hire or processing for hire, except persons taxable as extractors for hire or processors for hire under another section of this chapter; (d) operating a cold storage warehouse or storage warehouse, but not including the rental of cold storage lockers; (e) representing and performing services for fire or casualty insurance companies as an independent resident managing general agent licensed under the provisions of chapter 48.17 RCW; (f) radio and television broadcasting, but excluding revenues from network, national and regional advertising computed as ((a standard deduction based on the national average thereof as annually reported by the federal communications commission, or in lieu thereof by itemization by the individual broadcasting station, and excluding that portion of revenue represented by the out-of-state audience computed as a ratio to the station's total audience as measured by the 100 micro-volt signal strength and delivery by wire, if any))either: (i) A standard deduction that the department must publish by rule by September 30, 2015, and by September 30th of every fifth year thereafter, based on the national average thereof as reported by the United States census bureau's economic census or other source of information; or (ii) by reference to the broadcaster's books and records; and by including revenues from local advertisers except to the extent such revenues are attributable to the out-of-state audience computed either: (A) As a ratio to the broadcaster's total audience as measured by the five millivolt/meter signal strength contour for AM radio, the one millivolt/meter or sixty dBu signal strength contour for FM radio, and the twenty-eight dBu signal strength contour for television channels two through six, the thirty-six dBu signal strength contour for television channels seven through thirteen, and the forty-one dBu signal strength contour for television channels fourteen through sixty-nine delivery by wire, satellite, or any other means; or (B) by any other reasonable means consistently used from year to year that measures a broadcaster's out-of-state audience; (g) engaging in activities which bring a person within the definition of consumer contained in RCW 82.04.190(6); as to such persons, the amount of tax on such business is equal to the gross income of the business multiplied by the rate of 0.484 percent.

(2) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) "Cold storage warehouse" means a storage warehouse used to store fresh and/or frozen perishable fruits or vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy products, or fowl, or any combination thereof, at a desired temperature to maintain the quality of the product for orderly marketing.

(b) "Storage warehouse" means a building or structure, or any part thereof, in which goods, wares, or merchandise are received for storage for compensation, except field warehouses, fruit warehouses, fruit packing plants, warehouses licensed under chapter 22.09 RCW, public garages storing automobiles, railroad freight sheds, docks and wharves, and "self-storage" or "mini storage" facilities whereby customers have direct access to individual storage areas by separate entrance. "Storage warehouse" does not include a building or structure, or that part of such building or structure, in which an activity taxable under RCW 82.04.272 is conducted.

(c) "Periodical or magazine" means a printed publication, other than a newspaper, issued regularly at stated intervals at least once every three months, including any supplement or special edition of the publication.

Sec. 3.  RCW 82.04.462 and 2014 c 97 s 305 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The apportionable income of a person within the scope of RCW 82.04.460(1) is apportioned to Washington by multiplying its apportionable income by the receipts factor. Persons who are subject to tax under more than one of the tax classifications enumerated in RCW 82.04.460(4)(a) (i) through (x) must calculate a separate receipts factor for each tax classification that the person is taxable under.

(2) For purposes of subsection (1) of this section, the receipts factor is a fraction and is calculated as provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this section and, for financial institutions, as provided in the rule adopted by the department under the authority of RCW 82.04.460(2).

(3)(a) The numerator of the receipts factor is the total gross income of the business of the taxpayer attributable to this state during the tax year from engaging in an apportionable activity. The denominator of the receipts factor is the total gross income of the business of the taxpayer from engaging in an apportionable activity everywhere in the world during the tax year.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, for purposes of computing the receipts factor, gross income of the business generated from each apportionable activity is attributable to the state:

(i) Where the customer received the benefit of the taxpayer's service or, in the case of gross income from royalties, where the customer used the taxpayer's intangible property. When a customer receives the benefit of the taxpayer's services or uses the taxpayer's intangible property in this and one or more other states and the amount of gross income of the business that was received by the taxpayer in return for the services received or intangible property used by the customer in this state can be reasonably determined by the taxpayer, such amount of gross income must be attributed to this state.

(ii) If the customer received the benefit of the service or used the intangible property in more than one state and if the taxpayer is unable to attribute gross income of the business under the provisions of (b)(i) of this subsection (3), gross income of the business must be attributed to the state in which the benefit of the service was primarily received or in which the intangible property was primarily used.

(iii) If the taxpayer is unable to attribute gross income of the business under the provisions of (b)(i) or (ii) of this subsection (3), gross income of the business must be attributed to the state from which the customer ordered the service or, in the case of royalties, the office of the customer from which the royalty agreement with the taxpayer was negotiated.

(iv) If the taxpayer is unable to attribute gross income of the business under the provisions of (b)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this subsection (3), gross income of the business must be attributed to the state to which the billing statements or invoices are sent to the customer by the taxpayer.

(v) If the taxpayer is unable to attribute gross income of the business under the provisions of (b)(i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this subsection (3), gross income of the business must be attributed to the state from which the customer sends payment to the taxpayer.

(vi) If the taxpayer is unable to attribute gross income of the business under the provisions of (b)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) of this subsection (3), gross income of the business must be attributed to the state where the customer is located as indicated by the customer's address: (A) Shown in the taxpayer's business records maintained in the regular course of business; or (B) obtained during consummation of the sale or the negotiation of the contract for services or for the use of the taxpayer's intangible property, including any address of a customer's payment instrument when readily available to the taxpayer and no other address is available.

(vii) If the taxpayer is unable to attribute gross income of the business under the provisions of (b)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), or (vi) of this subsection (3), gross income of the business must be attributed to the commercial domicile of the taxpayer.

(viii) For purposes of this subsection (3)(b), "customer" means a person or entity to whom the taxpayer makes a sale or renders services or from whom the taxpayer otherwise receives gross income of the business. "Customer" includes anyone who pays royalties or charges in the nature of royalties for the use of the taxpayer's intangible property.

(c) Gross income of the business from engaging in an apportionable activity must be excluded from the denominator of the receipts factor if, in respect to such activity, at least some of the activity is performed in this state, and the gross income is attributable under (b) of this subsection (3) to a state in which the taxpayer is not taxable. For purposes of this subsection (3)(c), "not taxable" means that the taxpayer is not subject to a business activities tax by that state, except that a taxpayer is taxable in a state in which it would be deemed to have a substantial nexus with that state under the standards in RCW 82.04.067(1) regardless of whether that state imposes such a tax. "Business activities tax" means a tax measured by the amount of, or economic results of, business activity conducted in a state. The term includes taxes measured in whole or in part on net income or gross income or receipts. "Business activities tax" does not include a sales tax, use tax, or a similar transaction tax, imposed on the sale or acquisition of goods or services, whether or not denominated a gross receipts tax or a tax imposed on the privilege of doing business.

(d) This subsection (3) does not apply to financial institutions with respect to apportionable income taxable under RCW 82.04.290. Financial institutions must calculate the receipts factor as provided in subsection (4) of this section and the rule adopted by the department under the authority of RCW 82.04.460(2) with respect to apportionable income taxable under RCW 82.04.290. Financial institutions that are subject to tax under any other tax classification enumerated in RCW 82.04.460(4)(a) (i) through (v) and (vii) through (x) must calculate a separate receipts factor, as provided in this section, for each of the other tax classifications that the financial institution is taxable under.

(4) A taxpayer may calculate the receipts factor for the current tax year based on the most recent calendar year for which information is available for the full calendar year. If a taxpayer does not calculate the receipts factor for the current tax year based on previous calendar year information as authorized in this subsection, the business must use current year information to calculate the receipts factor for the current tax year. In either case, a taxpayer must correct the reporting for the current tax year when complete information is available to calculate the receipts factor for that year, but not later than October 31st of the following tax year. Interest will apply to any additional tax due on a corrected tax return. Interest must be computed and assessed as provided in RCW 82.32.050 and accrues until the additional taxes are paid. Penalties as provided in RCW 82.32.090 will apply to any such additional tax due only if the current tax year reporting is not corrected and the additional tax is not paid by October 31st of the following tax year. Interest as provided in RCW 82.32.060 will apply to any tax paid in excess of that properly due on a return as a result of a taxpayer using previous calendar year data or incomplete current-year data to calculate the receipts factor.

(5) Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section.

(a) "Apportionable activities" and "apportionable income" have the same meaning as in RCW 82.04.460.

(b) "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, or any foreign country or political subdivision of a foreign country.

Sec. 4.  RCW 82.04.2907 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 23 s 107 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of receiving income from royalties, the amount of tax with respect to the business is equal to the gross income from royalties multiplied by the rate of 0.484 percent.

(2) For the purposes of this section, "gross income from royalties" means compensation for the use of intangible property, including charges in the nature of royalties, regardless of where the intangible property will be used. For purposes of this subsection, "intangible property" includes copyrights, patents, licenses, franchises, trademarks, trade names, and similar items. "Gross income from royalties" also includes income from licensing or granting distribution or retransmission rights to radio or television programming by broadcasters engaged in radio and television broadcasting as defined in RCW 82.04.280. "Gross income from royalties" does not include compensation for any natural resource, the licensing of prewritten computer software to the end user, or the licensing of digital goods, digital codes, or digital automated services to the end user as defined in RCW 82.04.190(11).

Sec. 5.  RCW 82.32.790 and 2010 c 114 s 201 and 2010 c 106 s 401 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) Section 2, chapter ---, Laws of 2015 (section 2 of this act), section 206, chapter 106, Laws of 2010, sections 104, 110, 117, 123, 125, 129, 131, and 150, chapter 114, Laws of 2010, section 3, chapter 461, Laws of 2009, section 7, chapter 300, Laws of 2006, and section 4, chapter 149, Laws of 2003 are contingent upon the siting and commercial operation of a significant semiconductor microchip fabrication facility in the state of Washington.

(b) For the purposes of this section:

(i) "Commercial operation" means the same as "commencement of commercial production" as used in RCW 82.08.965.

(ii) "Semiconductor microchip fabrication" means "manufacturing semiconductor microchips" as defined in RCW 82.04.426.

(iii) "Significant" means the combined investment of new buildings and new machinery and equipment in the buildings, at the commencement of commercial production, will be at least one billion dollars.

(2) Chapter 149, Laws of 2003 takes effect the first day of the month in which a contract for the construction of a significant semiconductor fabrication facility is signed, as determined by the director of the department of revenue.

(3)(a) The department of revenue must provide notice of the effective date of section 2, chapter ---, Laws of 2015 (section 2 of this act), section 206, chapter 106, Laws of 2010, sections 104, 110, 117, 123, 125, 129, 131, and 150, chapter 114, Laws of 2010(([,])), section 3, chapter 461, Laws of 2009, section 7, chapter 300, Laws of 2006, and section 4, chapter 149, Laws of 2003 to affected taxpayers, the legislature, and others as deemed appropriate by the department.

(b) If, after making a determination that a contract has been signed and chapter 149, Laws of 2003 is effective, the department discovers that commencement of commercial production did not take place within three years of the date the contract was signed, the department must make a determination that chapter 149, Laws of 2003 is no longer effective, and all taxes that would have been otherwise due are deemed deferred taxes and are immediately assessed and payable from any person reporting tax under RCW 82.04.240(2) or claiming an exemption or credit under section 2 or 5 through 10, chapter 149, Laws of 2003. The department is not authorized to make a second determination regarding the effective date of chapter 149, Laws of 2003.

--- END ---