BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to retail sales and use taxation; and amending RCW 82.08.010 and 82.12.010.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 82.08.010 and 1985 c 38 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

For the purposes of this chapter:

(1) "Selling price" means the consideration, whether money, credits, rights, or other property except trade-in property of like kind, expressed in the terms of money paid or delivered by a buyer to a seller without any deduction on account of the cost of tangible property sold, the cost of materials used, labor costs, interest, discount, delivery costs, taxes other than taxes imposed under this chapter if the seller advertises the price as including the tax or that the seller is paying the tax, or any other expenses whatsoever paid or accrued and without any deduction on account of losses; but shall not include the amount of cash discount actually taken by a buyer; and shall be subject to modification to the extent modification is provided for in RCW 82.08.080.

The term does not include amounts charged the buyer that represent amounts paid by the seller as impact fees for development activity under RCW 82.02.050 in the constructing, repairing, or improving of new or existing buildings or other structures under, upon, or above real property.

When tangible personal property is rented or leased under circumstances that the consideration paid does not represent a reasonable rental for the use of the articles so rented or leased, the "selling price" shall be determined as nearly as possible according to the value of such use at the places of use of similar products of like quality and character under such rules as the department of revenue may prescribe;

(2) "Seller" means every person, including the state and its departments and institutions, making sales at retail or retail sales to a buyer or consumer, whether as agent, broker, or principal, except "seller" does not mean the state and its departments and institutions when making sales to the state and its departments and institutions;

(3) "Buyer" and "consumer" include, without limiting the scope hereof, every individual, receiver, assignee, trustee in bankruptcy, trust, estate, firm, copartnership, joint venture, club, company, joint stock company, business trust, corporation, association, society, or any group of individuals acting as a unit, whether mutual, cooperative, fraternal, nonprofit, or otherwise, municipal corporation, quasi municipal corporation, and also the state, its departments and institutions and all political subdivisions thereof, irrespective of the nature of the activities engaged in or functions performed, and also the United States or any instrumentality thereof;

(4) The meaning attributed in chapter 82.04 RCW to the terms "tax year," "taxable year," "person," "company," "sale," "sale at retail," "retail sale," "sale at wholesale," "wholesale," "business," "engaging in business," "cash discount," "successor," "consumer," "in this state" and "within this state" shall apply equally to the provisions of this chapter.

Sec. 2. RCW 82.12.010 and 1994 c 93 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

For the purposes of this chapter:

(1)(a) "Value of the article used" shall mean the consideration, whether money, credit, rights, or other property except trade-in property of like kind, expressed in terms of money, paid or given or contracted to be paid or given by the purchaser to the seller for the article of tangible personal property, the use of which is taxable under this chapter. The term includes, in addition to the consideration paid or given or contracted to be paid or given, the amount of any tariff or duty paid with respect to the importation of the article used. In case the article used is acquired by lease or by gift or is extracted, produced, or manufactured by the person using the same or is sold under conditions wherein the purchase price does not represent the true value thereof, the value of the article used shall be determined as nearly as possible according to the retail selling price at place of use of similar products of like quality and character under such rules as the department of revenue may prescribe.

(b) In case the articles used are acquired by bailment, the value of the use of the articles so used shall be in an amount representing a reasonable rental for the use of the articles so bailed, determined as nearly as possible according to the value of such use at the places of use of similar products of like quality and character under such rules as the department of revenue may prescribe. In case any such articles of tangible personal property are used in respect to the construction, repairing, decorating, or improving of, and which become or are to become an ingredient or component of, new or existing buildings or other structures under, upon, or above real property of or for the United States, any instrumentality thereof, or a county or city housing authority created pursuant to chapter 35.82 RCW, including the installing or attaching of any such articles therein or thereto, whether or not such personal property becomes a part of the realty by virtue of installation, then the value of the use of such articles so used shall be determined according to the retail selling price of such articles, or in the absence of such a selling price, as nearly as possible according to the retail selling price at place of use of similar products of like quality and character or, in the absence of either of these selling price measures, such value may be determined upon a cost basis, in any event under such rules as the department of revenue may prescribe.

(c) In the case of articles owned by a user engaged in business outside the state which are brought into the state for no more than one hundred eighty days in any period of three hundred sixty-five consecutive days and which are temporarily used for business purposes by the person in this state, the value of the article used shall be an amount representing a reasonable rental for the use of the articles, unless the person has paid tax under this chapter or chapter 82.08 RCW upon the full value of the article used, as defined in (a) of this subsection.

(d) In the case of articles manufactured or produced by the user and used in the manufacture or production of products sold or to be sold to the department of defense of the United States, the value of the articles used shall be determined according to the value of the ingredients of such articles.

(e) In the case of an article manufactured or produced for purposes of serving as a prototype for the development of a new or improved product, the value of the article used shall be determined by: (i) The retail selling price of such new or improved product when first offered for sale; or (ii) the value of materials incorporated into the prototype in cases in which the new or improved product is not offered for sale;

(2) "Use," "used," "using," or "put to use" shall have their ordinary meaning, and shall mean the first act within this state by which the taxpayer takes or assumes dominion or control over the article of tangible personal property (as a consumer), and include installation, storage, withdrawal from storage, or any other act preparatory to subsequent actual use or consumption within this state;

(3) "Taxpayer" and "purchaser" include all persons included within the meaning of the word "buyer" and the word "consumer" as defined in chapters 82.04 and 82.08 RCW;

(4) "Retailer" means every seller as defined in RCW 82.08.010 and every person engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail and every person required to collect from purchasers the tax imposed under this chapter;

(5) The meaning ascribed to words and phrases in chapters 82.04 and 82.08 RCW, insofar as applicable, shall have full force and effect with respect to taxes imposed under the provisions of this chapter. "Consumer," in addition to the meaning ascribed to it in chapters 82.04 and 82.08 RCW insofar as applicable, shall also mean any person who distributes or displays, or causes to be distributed or displayed, any article of tangible personal property, except newspapers, the primary purpose of which is to promote the sale of products or services.