Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

     Purpose: WAC 458-50-040 is revised to recognize that RCW 84.12.230 authorizes the department to extend the date by which an annual report must be filed by up to sixty days. The rule previously explained that the department may extend the due date by up to thirty days.

     WAC 458-50-070 is revised to recognize that a petition for a hearing relating to the value of operating property must be filed within the first ten working days of July. The rule previously explained that it must be filed on or before July 9. The rule is also revised to explain that the department must appoint a time for a hearing within ten working days of the hearing request time period. The rule previously explained that it must be appointed between the 10th and 25th of July. The reference to WAC 458-50-010 is removed (that rule no longer exists) and the reference to RCW 84.12.200(16) is changed to RCW 84.12.200(12).

     WAC 458-50-100 is revised to eliminate subsection (8), which discussed the assessment of steamboat companies. The department's property tax division no longer assesses operating properties of steamboat companies.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 458-50-040 Annual reports -- Time of filing -- Extension of time, 458-50-070 Annual assessment -- Procedure, and 458-50-100 Apportionment of operating property to the various counties and taxing districts.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 84.12.390.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 05-24-027 on November 30, 2005.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 3, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 3, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: February 8, 2006.

Janis P. Bianchi

Interpretations and

Technical Advise Unit

OTS-8490.2

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order PT 75-2, filed 3/19/75)

WAC 458-50-040   Annual reports -- Time of filing -- Extension of time.   Annual reports shall be filed with the department on or before the fifteenth day of March. The department may grant a reasonable extension of time, not to exceed ((thirty)) sixty days, upon written application of the company filed with the department on or before the fifteenth day of March, and showing good cause why such an extension is required. In the event any other report required to be filed with the department, e.g., annual stockholders report or regulatory agency report, is not available at the time the annual report is filed, the company shall so notify the department and thereafter file such report as soon as it becomes available.

[Order PT 75-2, § 458-50-040, filed 3/19/75.]

     (2) Notice of tentative value. On or before the thirtieth day of June, (((for purposes of the 1988 assessment year only, such notice shall be given on or before the thirty-first day of July))) the department shall notify each company by mail of the tentative valuation entered upon such assessment roll. At the time of making such notification, the department shall also transmit to the company the report of tentative value prepared by the department. Upon written request of a county assessor the department shall also transmit the report of tentative value to such assessor.

     (3) Hearings.

     (a) In general. Each company may petition the department for a hearing relating to the value of its operating property as tentatively determined by the department and to the value of other taxable properties in the counties in which its operating property is situated. Such petition shall be made in writing and filed with the department ((on or before the ninth day of July. (For purposes of the 1988 assessment year only, such petition must be filed on or before the ninth day of August.))) within the first ten working days of July. The department shall appoint a time ((between the tenth and twenty-fifth days of July, (for purposes of the 1988 assessment year only, the time frame specified shall be between the tenth and twenty-fifth days of August))) within ten working days following the hearing request time period for the conduct of such hearing, which may be held in such places throughout the state as the department may deem proper or necessary. Notice of the time and place of any or all hearings shall be given to any person upon request.

     (b) The hearing shall be conducted by the director or by any employee or agent of the department designated by the director. A record of the proceedings shall be kept and shall be considered a public record. The hearing shall be recorded with a recording device and the recordings shall become a part of the record of the proceedings and considered a part of the public record. All records and documents presented at the hearing shall become a part of the record of the proceeding and shall be considered a part of the public record, except as provided in (c) of this subsection.

     (c) The hearing shall be open to the public, except (i) when the company proposes to offer in evidence information relating to its assessment if disclosure of such information to other persons would violate the company's right to privacy or would result in an unfair competitive disadvantage to such company; or (ii) when the department proposes to offer in evidence information which has been obtained pursuant to RCW 84.12.240 if the disclosure of such information to other persons would violate the company's right to privacy or would result in an unfair competitive disadvantage to such company. The hearing at this point shall be closed to the public unless the company consents to the proceeding remaining open to the public.

     (d) Testimony recorded, and all records and documents of a confidential nature introduced, during the period when the hearing is closed to the public shall become a part of the record, but shall not be disclosed except upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction or upon consent of the company.

     (e) Records of the proceedings shall be maintained for a period of seven years following the close of the hearing.

     (4) Determination of final value. On or before the twentieth day of August, the department shall make a final determination of the true and correct actual cash value of each company's operating property appearing on the assessment roll. The department may raise or lower the value from that amount tentatively set pursuant to this section: Provided, That failure of a company to request a hearing shall not preclude the department from setting a final value higher or lower than that amount tentatively set pursuant to this section: Provided further, That where a company has not requested a hearing, the department shall not adopt a final value higher than that tentatively set except after giving five days written notice to the company. The department shall notify each company by mail of the final true and correct actual cash value as determined by the department.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 84.12.340 and 84.12.390. 88-15-016 (Order PT 88-10), § 458-50-070, filed 7/11/88; Order PT 75-2, § 458-50-070, filed 3/19/75.]

     (1) Railroad companies - The ratio that mileage of track, as classified by the department, situated within each county and taxing district bears to the total mileage of track within the state as of January 1 of the assessment year. In the event there exists operating property of railroad companies in counties or taxing districts not having track mileage, the department shall situs such property and apportion value directly on the basis of cost as determined in accordance with the cost approach set forth in WAC 458-50-080(A).

     (2) Pipeline companies - The ratio that inch-equivalent of miles of pipeline situated within each county or taxing district bears to the total inch-equivalent of miles of pipeline within the state as of January 1 of the assessment year. In the event there exists operating property of pipeline companies in counties or taxing districts not having pipeline mileage, the department shall situs such property and apportion value to such county or taxing district directly on the basis of cost as determined in accordance with the cost approach set forth in WAC 458-50-080(A).

     (3) Telegraph companies - The ratio that the cost (historical or original) of operating property situated within each county and taxing district bears to the cost (historical or original) of all operating property within the state as of January 1 of the assessment year.

     (4) Telephone companies - The ratio that the cost (historical or original) of operating property situated within each county or taxing district bears to the total cost (historical or original) of all operating property within the state as of January 1 of the assessment year.

     (5) Electric light and power companies - The ratio that cost (historical or original) of operating property situated within each county and taxing district bears to the total cost (historical or original) of all operating property within the state as of January 1 of the assessment year.

     (6) Gas companies - The ratio that cost (historical or original) of operating property situated within each county and taxing district bears to the total cost (historical or original) of all operating property within the state as of January 1 of the assessment year: Provided, The value of pipeline shall be allocated on the basis of the ratio that inch-equivalent of miles of pipeline situated within each county or taxing district bears to the total inch-equivalent of miles of pipeline within the state as of January 1 of the assessment year.

     (7) Airplane companies - The ratio that cost (historical or original) of operating property situated within each county and taxing district bears to the total cost (historical or original) of operating property within the state as of January 1 of the assessment year: Provided, That the value of aircraft shall be apportioned on the basis of the ratio that landings and take-offs of such aircraft within each county and taxing district bears to the total landings and take-offs within the state during the previous calendar year.

     (((8) Steamboat companies - The ratio that cost (historical or original) of operating property situated within each county and taxing district bears to the total cost (historical or original) of operating property within the state as of January 1 of the assessment year: Provided, That the value of watercraft shall be apportioned on the basis of the ratio that calls of such watercraft at ports within each county and taxing district bears to the total calls at all ports of call within the state during the previous calendar year.))

[Statutory Authority: RCW 84.12.390. 88-02-009 (Order PT 87-9), § 458-50-100, filed 12/28/87; Order PT 75-2, § 458-50-100, filed 3/19/75.]