AN ACT Relating to encouraging participation in Washington trade conventions by modifying tax provisions related to establishing substantial nexus; amending RCW 82.04.067; adding a new section to chapter 82.32 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.

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

(2) The legislature categorizes this tax preference as one intended to induce certain designated behavior by taxpayers as indicated in RCW 82.32.808(2)(a).

(3) It is the legislature's specific public policy objective to encourage participation in Washington trade conventions. It is the legislature's intent to allow a business to participate in one trade convention in Washington each year without that participation being the sole basis for establishing physical presence nexus with the state for tax purposes. Pursuant to chapter 43.136 RCW, the joint legislative audit and review committee must review the new tax preference established under section 3 of this act by December 31, 2025.

(4) If a review finds that the number of businesses participating in trade conventions in Washington has increased from 2015 levels, then the legislature intends for the legislative auditor to recommend extending the expiration date of the tax preference. If the joint legislative audit and review committee finds that the number of businesses participating in trade conventions in Washington has not increased above 2015 levels, then the joint legislative audit and review committee must make recommendations on how the tax preference can be improved to accomplish that legislative objective. To obtain the data necessary to perform this review, the joint legislative audit and review committee must request the required information from the department of revenue and the Washington state convention center operated under chapter 36.100 RCW.

Sec. 2.  RCW 82.04.067 and 2015 3rd sp.s. c 5 s 204 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A person engaging in business is deemed to have substantial nexus with this state if the person is:

(a) An individual and is a resident or domiciliary of this state;

(b) A business entity and is organized or commercially domiciled in this state; or

(c) A nonresident individual or a business entity that is organized or commercially domiciled outside this state, and in the immediately preceding tax year the person had:

(i) More than fifty thousand dollars of property in this state;

(ii) More than fifty thousand dollars of payroll in this state;

(iii) More than two hundred fifty thousand dollars of receipts from this state; or

(iv) At least twenty-five percent of the person's total property, total payroll, or total receipts in this state.

(2)(a) Property counting toward the thresholds in subsection (1)(c)(i) and (iv) of this section is the average value of the taxpayer's property, including intangible property, owned or rented and used in this state during the immediately preceding tax year.

(b)(i) Property owned by the taxpayer, other than loans and credit card receivables owned by the taxpayer, is valued at its original cost basis. Loans and credit card receivables owned by the taxpayer are valued at their outstanding principal balance, without regard to any reserve for bad debts. However, if a loan or credit card receivable is charged off in whole or in part for federal income tax purposes, the portion of the loan or credit card receivable charged off is deducted from the outstanding principal balance.

(ii) Property rented by the taxpayer is valued at eight times the net annual rental rate. For purposes of this subsection, "net annual rental rate" means the annual rental rate paid by the taxpayer less any annual rental rate received by the taxpayer from subrentals.

(c) The average value of property must be determined by averaging the values at the beginning and ending of the tax year; but the department may require the averaging of monthly values during the tax year if reasonably required to properly reflect the average value of the taxpayer's property.

(d)(i) For purposes of this subsection (2), loans and credit card receivables are deemed owned and used in this state as follows:

(A) Loans secured by real property, personal property, or both real and personal property are deemed owned and used in the state if the real property or personal property securing the loan is located within this state. If the property securing the loan is located both within this state and one or more other states, the loan is deemed owned and used in this state if more than fifty percent of the fair market value of the real or personal property is located within this state. If more than fifty percent of the fair market value of the real or personal property is not located within any one state, then the loan is deemed owned and used in this state if the borrower is located in this state. The determination of whether the real or personal property securing a loan is located within this state must be made, as of the time the original agreement was made, and any and all subsequent substitutions of collateral must be disregarded.

(B) Loans not secured by real or personal property are deemed owned and used in this state if the borrower is located in this state.

(C) Credit card receivables are deemed owned and used in this state if the billing address of the cardholder is in this state.

(ii)(A) Except as otherwise provided in (d)(ii)(B) of this subsection (2), the definitions in the multistate tax commission's recommended formula for the apportionment and allocation of net income of financial institutions as existing on June 1, 2010, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section, apply to this section.

(B) "Credit card" means a card or device existing for the purpose of obtaining money, property, labor, or services on credit.

(e) Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary in this subsection, property counting toward the thresholds in subsection (1)(c)(i) and (iv) of this section does not include a person's ownership of, or rights in, computer software as defined in RCW 82.04.215, including computer software used in providing a digital automated service; master copies of software; and digital goods and digital codes residing on servers located in this state.

(3)(a) Payroll counting toward the thresholds in subsection (1)(c)(ii) and (iv) of this section is the total amount paid by the taxpayer for compensation in this state during the immediately preceding tax year plus nonemployee compensation paid to representative third parties in this state. Nonemployee compensation paid to representative third parties includes the gross amount paid to nonemployees who represent the taxpayer in interactions with the taxpayer's clients and includes sales commissions.

(b) Employee compensation is paid in this state if the compensation is properly reportable to this state for unemployment compensation tax purposes, regardless of whether the compensation was actually reported to this state.

(c) Nonemployee compensation is paid in this state if the service performed by the representative third party occurs entirely or primarily within this state.

(d) For purposes of this subsection, "compensation" means wages, salaries, commissions, and any other form of remuneration paid to employees or nonemployees and defined as gross income under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 61 of the federal internal revenue code of 1986, as existing on June 1, 2010.

(4) Receipts counting toward the thresholds in subsection (1)(c)(iii) and (iv) of this section are:

(a) Those amounts included in the numerator of the receipts factor under RCW 82.04.462;

(b) For financial institutions, those amounts included in the numerator of the receipts factor under the rule adopted by the department as authorized in RCW 82.04.460(2); and

(c) For persons taxable under RCW 82.04.257(1) or 82.04.270 with respect to wholesale sales, the gross proceeds of sales taxable under those statutory provisions and sourced to this state in accordance with RCW 82.32.730.

(5)(a) Each December, the department must review the cumulative percentage change in the consumer price index. The department must adjust the thresholds in subsection (1)(c)(i) through (iii) of this section if the consumer price index has changed by five percent or more since the later of June 1, 2010, or the date that the thresholds were last adjusted under this subsection. For purposes of determining the cumulative percentage change in the consumer price index, the department must compare the consumer price index available as of December 1st of the current year with the consumer price index as of the later of June 1, 2010, or the date that the thresholds were last adjusted under this subsection. The thresholds must be adjusted to reflect that cumulative percentage change in the consumer price index. The adjusted thresholds must be rounded to the nearest one thousand dollars. Any adjustment will apply to tax periods that begin after the adjustment is made.

(b) As used in this subsection, "consumer price index" means the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) available from the bureau of labor statistics of the United States department of labor.

(6)(a) Subsections (1) through (5) of this section only apply with respect to the taxes on persons engaged in apportionable activities as defined in RCW 82.04.460 or making wholesale sales taxable under RCW 82.04.257(1) or 82.04.270. For purposes of the taxes imposed under this chapter on any activity not included in the definition of apportionable activities in RCW 82.04.460, other than the business of making wholesale sales taxed under RCW 82.04.257(1) or 82.04.270, except as provided in section 3 of this act, a person is deemed to have a substantial nexus with this state if the person has a physical presence in this state during the tax year, which need only be demonstrably more than a slightest presence.

(b) For purposes of this subsection, a person is physically present in this state if the person has property or employees in this state.

(c)(i) A person is also physically present in this state for the purposes of this subsection if the person, either directly or through an agent or other representative, engages in activities in this state that are significantly associated with the person's ability to establish or maintain a market for its products in this state.

(ii) A remote seller as defined in RCW 82.08.052 is presumed to be engaged in activities in this state that are significantly associated with the remote seller's ability to establish or maintain a market for its products in this state if the remote seller is presumed to have a substantial nexus with this state under RCW 82.08.052. The presumption in this subsection (6)(c)(ii) may be rebutted as provided in RCW 82.08.052. To the extent that the presumption in RCW 82.08.052 is no longer operative pursuant to RCW 82.32.762, the presumption in this subsection (6)(c)(ii) is no longer operative. Nothing in this section may be construed to affect in any way RCW 82.04.424, 82.08.050(11), or 82.12.040(5) or to narrow the scope of the terms "agent" or "other representative" in this subsection (6)(c).

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 82.32 RCW to read as follows:

(1) For purposes of the taxes imposed or authorized under chapters 82.04, 82.08, 82.12, and 82.14 RCW, the department may not make a determination of nexus based solely on the attendance or participation of one or more representatives of a person at a single trade convention per year in Washington state in determining if such person is physically present in this state for the purposes of establishing substantial nexus with this state.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to persons making retail sales at a trade convention, including persons taking orders for products or services where receipt will occur in Washington state.

(3) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) "Not marketed to the general public" means that the sponsor of a trade convention limits its marketing efforts for the trade convention to its members and specific invited guests of the sponsoring organization.

(b) "Physically present in this state" and "substantial nexus with this state" have the same meaning as provided in RCW 82.04.067.

(c) "Trade convention" means an exhibition for a specific industry or profession, which is not marketed to the general public, for the purposes of:

(i) Exhibiting, demonstrating, and explaining services, products, or equipment to potential customers; or

(ii) The exchange of information, ideas, and attitudes in regards to that industry or profession.

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