AN ACT Relating to leasehold excise taxes; and amending RCW 82.29A.020, 82.29A.130, and 82.29A.060.

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

Sec. 1. Section 2, chapter 61, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. as last amended by section 1, chapter 285, Laws of 1986 and RCW 82.29A.020 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in this chapter the following terms shall be defined as follows, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Leasehold interest" shall mean an interest in publicly owned real or personal property which exists by virtue of any lease, permit, license, or any other agreement, written or verbal, between the public owner of the property and a person who would not be exempt from property taxes if that person owned the property in fee, granting possession and use, to a degree less than fee simple ownership: PROVIDED, That no interest in personal property (excluding land or buildings) which is owned by the United States, whether or not as trustee, or by any foreign government shall constitute a leasehold interest hereunder when the right to use such property is granted pursuant to a contract solely for the manufacture or production of articles for sale to the United States or any foreign government. The term "leasehold interest" shall include the rights of use or occupancy by others of property which is owned in fee or held in trust by a public corporation, commission, or authority created under RCW 35.21.730 or 35.21.660 if the property is listed on or is within a district listed on any federal or state register of historical sites. The term "leasehold interest" shall not include road or utility easements or rights of access, occupancy or use granted solely for the purpose of removing materials or products purchased from a public owner or the lessee of a public owner.

(2) "Taxable rent" shall mean contract rent as defined in subsection (a) of this subsection in all cases where the lease or agreement has been established or renegotiated through competitive bidding, or negotiated or renegotiated in accordance with statutory requirements regarding the rent payable, or negotiated or renegotiated under circumstances, established by public record, clearly showing that the contract rent was the maximum attainable by the lessor: PROVIDED, That after January 1, 1986, with respect to any lease which has been in effect for ten years or more without renegotiation, taxable rent may be established by procedures set forth in subsection (b) of this subsection. All other leasehold interests shall be subject to the determination of taxable rent under the terms of subsection (b) of this subsection.

(a) "Contract rent" shall mean the amount of consideration due as payment for a leasehold interest, including: The total of cash payments made to the lessor or to another party for the benefit of the lessor according to the requirements of the lease or agreement, including any rents paid by a sublessee; expenditures for the protection of the lessor's interest when required by the terms of the lease or agreement; and expenditures for improvements to the property to the extent that such improvements become the property of the lessor. Where the consideration conveyed for the leasehold interest is made in combination with payment for concession or other rights granted by the lessor, only that portion of such payment which represents consideration for the leasehold interest shall be part of contract rent.

"Contract rent" shall not include: (i) Expenditures made by the lessee, which under the terms of the lease or agreement, are to be reimbursed by the lessor to the lessee or expenditures for improvements and protection made pursuant to a lease or an agreement which requires that the use of the improved property be open to the general public and that no profit will inure to the lessee from the lease; (ii) expenditures made by the lessee for the replacement or repair of facilities due to fire or other casualty including payments for insurance to provide reimbursement for losses or payments to a public or private entity for protection of such property from damage or loss or for alterations or additions made necessary by an action of government taken after the date of the execution of the lease or agreement; (iii) improvements added to publicly owned property by a sublessee under an agreement executed prior to January 1, 1976, which have been taxed as personal property of the sublessee prior to January 1, 1976, or improvements made by a sublessee of the same lessee under a similar agreement executed prior to January 1, 1976, and such improvements shall be taxable to the sublessee as personal property; (iv) improvements added to publicly owned property if such improvements are being taxed as personal property to any person.

Any prepaid contract rent shall be considered to have been paid in the year due and not in the year actually paid with respect to prepayment for a period of more than one year. Expenditures for improvements with a useful life of more than one year which are included as part of contract rent shall be treated as prepaid contract rent and prorated over the useful life of the improvement or the remaining term of the lease or agreement if the useful life is in excess of the remaining term of the lease or agreement. Rent prepaid prior to January 1, 1976, shall be prorated from the date of prepayment.

With respect to a "product lease", the value of agricultural products received as rent shall be the value at the place of delivery as of the fifteenth day of the month of delivery; with respect to all other products received as contract rent, the value shall be that value determined at the time of sale under terms of the lease.

(b) If it shall be determined by the department of revenue, upon examination of a lessee's accounts or those of a lessor of publicly owned property, that a lessee is occupying or using publicly owned property in such a manner as to create a leasehold interest and that such leasehold interest has not been established through competitive bidding, or negotiated in accordance with statutory requirements regarding the rent payable, or negotiated under circumstances, established by public record, clearly showing that the contract rent was the maximum attainable by the lessor, the department may establish a taxable rent computation for use in determining the tax payable under authority granted in this chapter based upon the following criteria: (i) Consideration shall be given to rental being paid to other lessors by lessees of similar property for similar purposes over similar periods of time; (ii) consideration shall be given to what would be considered a fair rate of return on the market value of the property leased less reasonable deductions for any restrictions on use, special operating requirements or provisions for concurrent use by the lessor, another person or the general public.

(3) "Product lease" as used in this chapter shall mean a lease of property for use in the production of agricultural or marine products to the extent that such lease provides for the contract rent to be paid by the delivery of a stated percentage of the production of such agricultural or marine products to the credit of the lessor or the payment to the lessor of a stated percentage of the proceeds from the sale of such products.

(4) "Renegotiated" means a change in the lease agreement which changes the agreed time of possession, restrictions on use, the rate of the cash rental or of any other consideration payable by the lessee to or for the benefit of the lessor, other than any such change required by the terms of the lease or agreement, except that a lease for ten years or longer that calls for changes in rent on a set schedule of at least every five years shall be considered a renegotiated lease, if the change in rent is based on a standard state or federal index such as the consumer price index. In addition "renegotiated" shall mean a continuation of possession by the lessee beyond the date when, under the terms of the lease agreement, the lessee had the right to vacate the premises without any further liability to the lessor.

(5) "City" means any city or town.

Sec. 2. Section 13, chapter 61, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. and RCW 82.29A.130 are each amended to read as follows:

The following leasehold interests shall be exempt from taxes imposed pursuant to RCW 82.29A.030 and 82.29A.040:

(1) All leasehold interests constituting a part of the operating properties of any public utility which is assessed and taxed as a public utility pursuant to chapter 84.12 RCW.

(2) All leasehold interests in facilities owned or used by a school, college or university which leasehold provides housing for students and which is otherwise exempt from taxation under provisions of RCW 84.36.010 and 84.36.050.

(3) All leasehold interests of subsidized housing where the fee ownership of such property is vested in the government of the United States, or the state of Washington or any political subdivision thereof but only if income qualification exists for such housing.

(4) All leasehold interests used for fair purposes of a nonprofit fair association that sponsors or conducts a fair or fairs which receive support from revenues collected pursuant to RCW 67.16.100 and allocated by the director of the department of agriculture where the fee ownership of such property is vested in the government of the United States, the state of Washington or any of its political subdivisions: PROVIDED, That this exemption shall not apply to the leasehold interest of any sublessee of such nonprofit fair association if such leasehold interest would be taxable if it were the primary lease.

(5) All leasehold interests in any property of any public entity used as a residence by an employee of that public entity who is required as a condition of employment to live in the publicly owned property.

(6) All leasehold interests held by enrolled Indians of lands owned or held by any Indian or Indian tribe where the fee ownership of such property is vested in or held in trust by the United States and which are not subleased to other than to a lessee which would qualify pursuant to this chapter, RCW 84.36.451 and 84.40.175.

(7) All leasehold interests in any real property of any Indian or Indian tribe, band, or community that is held in trust by the United States or is subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States: PROVIDED, That this exemption shall apply only where it is determined that contract rent paid is greater than or equal to ninety percent of fair market rental, to be determined by the department of revenue using the same criteria used to establish taxable rent in RCW 82.29A.020(2)(b).

(8) All leasehold interests for which annual taxable rent is less than two hundred fifty dollars per year. For purposes of this subsection leasehold interests held by the same lessee in contiguous properties owned by the same lessor shall be deemed a single leasehold interest.

(9) All leasehold interests which give use or possession of the leased property for a continuous period of less than thirty days: PROVIDED, That for purposes of this subsection, successive leases or lease renewals giving substantially continuous use of possession of the same property to the same lessee shall be deemed a single leasehold interest: PROVIDED FURTHER, That no leasehold interest shall be deemed to give use or possession for a period of less than thirty days solely by virtue of the reservation by the public lessor of the right to use the property or to allow third parties to use the property on an occasional, temporary basis.

(10) All leasehold interests under month-to-month leases in residential units rented for residential purposes of the lessee pending destruction or removal for the purpose of constructing a public highway or building.

(11) All leasehold interests in any publicly owned real or personal property to the extent such leasehold interests arises solely by virtue of a contract for public improvements or work executed under the public works statutes of this state or of the United States between the public owner of the property and a contractor.

(12) All leasehold interests held by a lessee who would qualify for a senior citizen property tax exemption, if the leasehold property was held in fee simple ownership: PROVIDED, That a lessee who qualifies for a partial senior citizen property tax exemption shall receive a leasehold excise tax reduction of an equal percentage.

Sec. 3. Section 6, chapter 61, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. and RCW 82.29A.060 are each amended to read as follows:

All administrative provisions and appeal procedures in chapters 82.02 and 82.32 RCW, as now or hereafter amended shall be applicable to taxes imposed pursuant to this chapter: PROVIDED, That this section shall not authorize the issuance of any levy upon any property owned by the public lessor.

In selecting leasehold excise tax returns for audit the department of revenue shall give priority to any return an audit of which is specifically requested in writing by the county assessor or treasurer or other chief financial officer of any city or county affected by such return. Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 82.32.330, findings of fact and determinations of the amount of taxable rent made pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be open to public inspection at all reasonable times.