S-2132               _______________________________________________

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 3932

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senator Peterson)

Read first time 3/8/85.

AN ACT Relating to limitations on the valuation of motor vehicles; and amending RCW 82.44.040 and 82.44.050.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 82.44.040, chapter 15, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 231, chapter 158, Laws of 1979 and RCW 82.44.040 are each amended to read as follows:

          The department of revenue, in consultation with the department of licensing shall prepare at least once each year a schedule for use in the collection of the excise tax imposed by this chapter.  Such schedule shall be based upon such information as may be available to them pertaining to the fair market value of motor vehicles.  Such vehicles shall be classified into a convenient number of classes on the basis of price, make, type, year of manufacture, or any other reasonable basis, and to the value of vehicles within the classes as thus determined shall be applied the rate of tax prescribed in RCW 82.44.020.  The fair market value of the motor vehicles within the classes shall not increase at a rate of more than six percent per year over the values in existence on January 1, 1985.  The fair market value for any new model motor vehicle within a class manufactured after January 1, 1985, shall not increase at more than six percent per year over the fair market value at the time of manufacture.   In determining fair market value, the  department of revenue may use any guidebook, report, or compendium of recognized standing in the automotive industry.  The schedule shall show, so far as possible, the amount of excise tax for vehicles within each class and shall sufficiently describe the various motor vehicles included within each classification to enable the  department of licensing and its agents to ascertain readily the amount of tax applicable to any particular motor vehicle.

        Sec. 2.  Section 82.44.050, chapter 15, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 11, chapter 222, Laws of 1981 and RCW 82.44.050 are each amended to read as follows:

          Whenever a person applies to the county auditor for a license for a motor vehicle which does not appear upon the schedule, the applicant shall apply to the county assessor of his county for computation of the amount of excise tax due.  Upon any such application the assessor shall appraise the vehicle at its fair market value from such automotive guidebooks or listings or other information as he may have available and ascertain the amount of excise tax by applying to such appraisal the rate prescribed in RCW 82.44.020, and thereupon the applicant shall be given a certificate showing the excise tax payable under this chapter.  Such fair market value shall not increase at a rate of more than six percent per year over the fair market value determined by the assessor under this section.