CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

                        HOUSE BILL 1741

 

 

                   Chapter 357, Laws of 1999

 

 

                        56th Legislature

                      1999 Regular Session

 

 

TAX REPORTING

 

 

 

                    EFFECTIVE DATE:  7/1/99

Passed by the House April 19, 1999

  Yeas 97   Nays 0

 

 

             CLYDE BALLARD

Speaker of the House of Representatives

     

 

 

              FRANK CHOPP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

 

 

 

Passed by the Senate April 13, 1999

  Yeas 48   Nays 0

             CERTIFICATE

 

We, Dean R. Foster and Timothy A. Martin, Co-Chief Clerks of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 1741  as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

 

           DEAN R. FOSTER

                          Chief Clerk

 

 

          TIMOTHY A. MARTIN

                          Chief Clerk

               BRAD OWEN

President of the Senate

 

 

 

Approved May 17, 1999 Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.            

                                FILED                

 

             May 17, 1999 - 3:23 p.m.

 

              GARY LOCKE

Governor of the State of Washington

                 Secretary of State

                 State of Washington


          _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 1741

          _______________________________________________

 

                     AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

 

             Passed Legislature - 1999 Regular Session

 

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Fortunato, Lovick and Thomas; by request of Department of Revenue

 

Read first time 02/04/1999.  Referred to Committee on Finance.

Simplifying tax reporting by revising the active nonreporting threshold so that it parallels the small business credit.    


    AN ACT Relating to simplifying tax reporting by revising the active nonreporting threshold so that it parallels the small business credit; amending RCW 82.32.045 and 82.32.080; creating a new section; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

 

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

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 82.32.045 and 1996 c 111 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, payments of the taxes imposed under chapters 82.04, 82.08, 82.12, 82.14, and 82.16 RCW, along with reports and returns on forms prescribed by the department, are due monthly within twenty-five days after the end of the month in which the taxable activities occur.

    (2) The department of revenue may relieve any taxpayer or class of taxpayers from the obligation of remitting monthly and may require the return to cover other longer reporting periods, but in no event may returns be filed for a period greater than one year.  For these taxpayers, tax payments are due on or before the last day of the month next succeeding the end of the period covered by the return.

    (3) The department of revenue may also require verified annual returns from any taxpayer, setting forth such additional information as it may deem necessary to correctly determine tax liability.

    (4) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2) of this section, the department may relieve any person of the requirement to file returns if the following conditions are met:

    (a) The person's value of products, gross proceeds of sales, or gross income of the business, from all business activities taxable under chapter 82.04 RCW, is less than ((twenty-four)) twenty-eight thousand dollars per year;

    (b) The person's gross income of the business from all activities taxable under chapter 82.16 RCW is less than twenty-four thousand dollars per year; and

    (c) The person is not required to collect or pay to the department of revenue any other tax or fee which the department is authorized to collect.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  It is the intent of the legislature to allow the department of revenue to increase its ability to provide timely and cost-effective service to taxpayers.

 

    Sec. 3.  RCW 82.32.080 and 1997 c 156 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    Payment of the tax may be made by uncertified check under such regulations as the department shall prescribe, but, if a check so received is not paid by the bank on which it is drawn, the taxpayer, by whom such check is tendered, shall remain liable for payment of the tax and for all legal penalties, the same as if such check had not been tendered.

    Payment of the tax shall be made by electronic funds transfer, as defined in RCW 82.32.085, if the amount of the tax due in a calendar year is one million eight hundred thousand dollars or more.  The department may by rule provide for tax thresholds between two hundred forty thousand dollars and one million eight hundred thousand dollars for mandatory use of electronic funds transfer.  All taxes administered by this chapter are subject to this requirement except the taxes authorized by chapters 82.14A, 82.14B, 82.24, 82.27, 82.29A, and 84.33 RCW.  It is the intent of this section to require electronic funds transfer for those taxes reported on the department's combined excise tax return or any successor return.

    A return or remittance which is transmitted to the department by United States mail shall be deemed filed or received on the date shown by the post office cancellation mark stamped upon the envelope containing it, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.  The department is authorized to allow electronic filing of returns or remittances from any taxpayer.  A return or remittance which is transmitted to the department electronically shall be deemed filed or received according to procedures set forth by the department.

    The department, for good cause shown, may extend the time for making and filing any return, and may grant such reasonable additional time within which to make and file returns as it may deem proper, but any permanent extension granting the taxpayer a reporting date without penalty more than ten days beyond the due date, and any extension in excess of thirty days shall be conditional on deposit with the department of an amount to be determined by the department which shall be approximately equal to the estimated tax liability for the reporting period or periods for which the extension is granted.  In the case of a permanent extension or a temporary extension of more than thirty days the deposit shall be deposited within the state treasury with other tax funds and a credit recorded to the taxpayer's account which may be applied to taxpayer's liability upon cancellation of the permanent extension or upon reporting of the tax liability where an extension of more than thirty days has been granted.

    The department shall review the requirement for deposit at least annually and may require a change in the amount of the deposit required when it believes that such amount does not approximate the tax liability for the reporting period or periods for which the extension is granted.

    The department shall keep full and accurate records of all funds received and disbursed by it.  Subject to the provisions of RCW 82.32.105 and 82.32.350, the department shall apply the payment of the taxpayer first against penalties and interest, and then upon the tax, without regard to any direction of the taxpayer.

    The department may refuse to accept any return which is not accompanied by a remittance of the tax shown to be due thereon.  When such return is not accepted, the taxpayer shall be deemed to have failed or refused to file a return and shall be subject to the procedures provided in RCW 82.32.100 and to the penalties provided in RCW 82.32.090.  The above authority to refuse to accept a return shall not apply when a return is timely filed and a timely payment has been made by electronic funds transfer.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 1999.


    Passed the House April 19, 1999.

    Passed the Senate April 13, 1999.

Approved by the Governor May 17, 1999.

    Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 17, 1999.