AN ACT Relating to simplifying the excise tax code through revising terminology, correcting mistakes, streamlining procedures, and deleting obsolete provisions; amending RCW 82.32.330, 82.14B.042, 82.14B.061, 82.49.010, 82.60.060, 82.60.080, 82.62.060, 82.60.049, 82.62.090, 82.63.045, 82.04.4456, and 82.04.4457; and providing an effective date.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 82.32.330 and 1998 c 234 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) For purposes of this section:

(a) "Disclose" means to make known to any person in any manner whatever a return or tax information;

(b) "Return" means a tax or information return or claim for refund required by, or provided for or permitted under, the laws of this state which is filed with the department of revenue by, on behalf of, or with respect to a person, and any amendment or supplement thereto, including supporting schedules, attachments, or lists that are supplemental to, or part of, the return so filed;

(c) "Tax information" means (i) a taxpayer's identity, (ii) the nature, source, or amount of the taxpayer's income, payments, receipts, deductions, exemptions, credits, assets, liabilities, net worth, tax liability deficiencies, overassessments, or tax payments, whether taken from the taxpayer's books and records or any other source, (iii) whether the taxpayer's return was, is being, or will be examined or subject to other investigation or processing, (iv) a part of a written determination that is not designated as a precedent and disclosed pursuant to RCW 82.32.410, or a background file document relating to a written determination, and (v) other data received by, recorded by, prepared by, furnished to, or collected by the department of revenue with respect to the determination of the existence, or possible existence, of liability, or the amount thereof, of a person under the laws of this state for a tax, penalty, interest, fine, forfeiture, or other imposition, or offense: PROVIDED, That data, material, or documents that do not disclose information related to a specific or identifiable taxpayer do not constitute tax information under this section. Except as provided by RCW 82.32.410, nothing in this chapter shall require any person possessing data, material, or documents made confidential and privileged by this section to delete information from such data, material, or documents so as to permit its disclosure;

(d) "State agency" means every Washington state office, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or other state agency;

(e) "Taxpayer identity" means the taxpayer's name, address, telephone number, registration number, or any combination thereof, or any other information disclosing the identity of the taxpayer; and

(f) "Department" means the department of revenue or its officer, agent, employee, or representative.

(2) Returns and tax information shall be confidential and privileged, and except as authorized by this section, neither the department of revenue nor any other person may disclose any return or tax information.

(3) The foregoing, however, shall not prohibit the department of revenue from:

(a) Disclosing such return or tax information in a civil or criminal judicial proceeding or an administrative proceeding:

(i) In respect of any tax imposed under the laws of this state if the taxpayer or its officer or other person liable under Title 82 RCW is a party in the proceeding; or

(ii) In which the taxpayer about whom such return or tax information is sought and another state agency are adverse parties in the proceeding;

(b) Disclosing, subject to such requirements and conditions as the director shall prescribe by rules adopted pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW, such return or tax information regarding a taxpayer to such taxpayer or to such person or persons as that taxpayer may designate in a request for, or consent to, such disclosure, or to any other person, at the taxpayer's request, to the extent necessary to comply with a request for information or assistance made by the taxpayer to such other person: PROVIDED, That tax information not received from the taxpayer shall not be so disclosed if the director determines that such disclosure would compromise any investigation or litigation by any federal, state, or local government agency in connection with the civil or criminal liability of the taxpayer or another person, or that such disclosure would identify a confidential informant, or that such disclosure is contrary to any agreement entered into by the department that provides for the reciprocal exchange of information with other government agencies which agreement requires confidentiality with respect to such information unless such information is required to be disclosed to the taxpayer by the order of any court;

(c) Disclosing the name of a taxpayer with a deficiency greater than five thousand dollars and against whom a warrant under RCW 82.32.210 has been either issued or filed and remains outstanding for a period of at least ten working days. The department shall not be required to disclose any information under this subsection if a taxpayer: (i) Has been issued a tax assessment; (ii) has been issued a warrant that has not been filed; and (iii) has entered a deferred payment arrangement with the department of revenue and is making payments upon such deficiency that will fully satisfy the indebtedness within twelve months;

(d) Disclosing the name of a taxpayer with a deficiency greater than five thousand dollars and against whom a warrant under RCW 82.32.210 has been filed with a court of record and remains outstanding;

(e) Publishing statistics so classified as to prevent the identification of particular returns or reports or items thereof;

(f) Disclosing such return or tax information, for official purposes only, to the governor or attorney general, or to any state agency, or to any committee or subcommittee of the legislature dealing with matters of taxation, revenue, trade, commerce, the control of industry or the professions;

(g) Permitting the department of revenue's records to be audited and examined by the proper state officer, his or her agents and employees;

(h) Disclosing any such return or tax information to a peace officer as defined in RCW 9A.04.110 or county prosecuting attorney, for official purposes. The disclosure may be made only in response to a search warrant, subpoena, or other court order, unless the disclosure is for the purpose of criminal tax enforcement. A peace officer or county prosecuting attorney who receives the return or tax information may disclose that return or tax information only for use in the investigation and a related court proceeding, or in the court proceeding for which the return or tax information originally was sought;

(i) Disclosing any such return or tax information to the proper officer of the internal revenue service of the United States, the Canadian government or provincial governments of Canada, or to the proper officer of the tax department of any state or city or town or county, for official purposes, but only if the statutes of the United States, Canada or its provincial governments, or of such other state or city or town or county, as the case may be, grants substantially similar privileges to the proper officers of this state;

(j) Disclosing any such return or tax information to the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms of the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Defense, the United States Customs Service, the Coast Guard of the United States, and the United States Department of Transportation, or any authorized representative thereof, for official purposes;

(k) Publishing or otherwise disclosing the text of a written determination designated by the director as a precedent pursuant to RCW 82.32.410;

(l) Disclosing, in a manner that is not associated with other tax information, the taxpayer name, entity type, business address, mailing address, revenue tax registration numbers, ((~~standard industrial~~)) North American industry classification system or standard industrial classification code of a taxpayer, and the dates of opening and closing of business. This subsection shall not be construed as giving authority to the department to give, sell, or provide access to any list of taxpayers for any commercial purpose;

(m) Disclosing such return or tax information that is also maintained by another Washington state or local governmental agency as a public record available for inspection and copying under the provisions of chapter 42.17 RCW or is a document maintained by a court of record not otherwise prohibited from disclosure; ((or))

(n) Disclosing such return or tax information to the United States department of agriculture for the limited purpose of investigating food stamp fraud by retailers; or

(o) Disclosing to a financial institution, escrow company, or title company, in connection with specific real property that is the subject of a real estate transaction, current amounts due the department for a filed tax warrant, judgment, or lien against the real property.

(4)(a) The department may disclose return or taxpayer information to a person under investigation or during any court or administrative proceeding against a person under investigation as provided in this subsection (4). The disclosure must be in connection with the department's official duties relating to an audit, collection activity, or a civil or criminal investigation. The disclosure may occur only when the person under investigation and the person in possession of data, materials, or documents are parties to the return or tax information to be disclosed. The department may disclose return or tax information such as invoices, contracts, bills, statements, resale or exemption certificates, or checks. However, the department may not disclose general ledgers, sales or cash receipt journals, check registers, accounts receivable/payable ledgers, general journals, financial statements, expert's workpapers, income tax returns, state tax returns, tax return workpapers, or other similar data, materials, or documents.

(b) Before disclosure of any tax return or tax information under this subsection (4), the department shall, through written correspondence, inform the person in possession of the data, materials, or documents to be disclosed. The correspondence shall clearly identify the data, materials, or documents to be disclosed. The department may not disclose any tax return or tax information under this subsection (4) until the time period allowed in (c) of this subsection has expired or until the court has ruled on any challenge brought under (c) of this subsection.

(c) The person in possession of the data, materials, or documents to be disclosed by the department has twenty days from the receipt of the written request required under (b) of this subsection to petition the superior court of the county in which the petitioner resides for injunctive relief. The court shall limit or deny the request of the department if the court determines that:

(i) The data, materials, or documents sought for disclosure are cumulative or duplicative, or are obtainable from some other source that is more convenient, less burdensome, or less expensive;

(ii) The production of the data, materials, or documents sought would be unduly burdensome or expensive, taking into account the needs of the department, the amount in controversy, limitations on the petitioner's resources, and the importance of the issues at stake; or

(iii) The data, materials, or documents sought for disclosure contain trade secret information that, if disclosed, could harm the petitioner.

(d) The department shall reimburse reasonable expenses for the production of data, materials, or documents incurred by the person in possession of the data, materials, or documents to be disclosed.

(e) Requesting information under (b) of this subsection that may indicate that a taxpayer is under investigation does not constitute a disclosure of tax return or tax information under this section.

(5) Any person acquiring knowledge of any return or tax information in the course of his or her employment with the department of revenue and any person acquiring knowledge of any return or tax information as provided under subsection (3)(f), (g), (h), (i), (j), or (n) of this section, who discloses any such return or tax information to another person not entitled to knowledge of such return or tax information under the provisions of this section, is guilty of a misdemeanor. If the person guilty of such violation is an officer or employee of the state, such person shall forfeit such office or employment and shall be incapable of holding any public office or employment in this state for a period of two years thereafter.

Sec. 2. RCW 82.14B.042 and 1998 c 304 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The state enhanced 911 excise tax imposed by this chapter must be paid by the subscriber to the local exchange company providing the switched access line, and each local exchange company shall collect from the subscriber the full amount of the tax payable. The state enhanced 911 excise tax required by this chapter to be collected by the local exchange company is deemed to be held in trust by the local exchange company until paid to the department. Any local exchange company that appropriates or converts the tax collected to its own use or to any use other than the payment of the tax to the extent that the money collected is not available for payment on the due date as prescribed in this chapter is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

(2) If any local exchange company fails to collect the state enhanced 911 excise tax or, after collecting the tax, fails to pay it to the department in the manner prescribed by this chapter, whether such failure is the result of its own act or the result of acts or conditions beyond its control, the local exchange company is personally liable to the state for the amount of the tax, unless the local exchange company has taken from the buyer in good faith a properly executed resale certificate under RCW 82.14B.200.

(3) The amount of tax, until paid by the subscriber to the local exchange company or to the department, constitutes a debt from the subscriber to the local exchange company. Any local exchange company that fails or refuses to collect the tax as required with intent to violate the provisions of this chapter or to gain some advantage or benefit, either direct or indirect, and any subscriber who refuses to pay any tax due under this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor. The state enhanced 911 excise tax required by this chapter to be collected by the local exchange company must be stated separately on the billing statement that is sent to the subscriber.

(4) If a subscriber has failed to pay to the local exchange company the state enhanced 911 excise tax imposed by this chapter and the local exchange company has not paid the amount of the tax to the department, the department may, in its discretion, proceed directly against the subscriber for collection of the tax, in which case a penalty of ten percent may be added to the amount of the tax for failure of the subscriber to pay the tax to the local exchange company, regardless of when the tax is collected by the department. ((For the sole purpose of applying the various provisions of chapter 82.32 RCW, the last day of the month following the tax period in which the tax liability accrued is to be considered as the due date of the tax)) Tax under this chapter is due as provided under RCW 82.14B.061.

Sec. 3. RCW 82.14B.061 and 1998 c 304 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The department of revenue shall administer and shall adopt such rules as may be necessary to enforce and administer the state enhanced 911 excise tax imposed by this chapter. Chapter 82.32 RCW, with the exception of RCW 82.32.045, 82.32.145, and 82.32.380, applies to the administration, collection, and enforcement of the state enhanced 911 excise tax.

(2) The state enhanced 911 excise tax imposed by this chapter, along with reports and returns on forms prescribed by the department, are due ((~~monthly on or before the last day of the month following the month in which the tax liability accrues~~)) at the same time the taxpayer reports other taxes under RCW 82.32.045. If no other taxes are reported under RCW 82.32.045, the taxpayer shall remit tax on an annual basis in accordance with RCW 82.32.045.

(3) 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.~~))

(4) The state enhanced 911 excise tax imposed by this chapter is in addition to any taxes imposed upon the same persons under chapters 82.08 and 82.12 RCW.

*Sec. 4. RCW 82.49.010 and 1999 c 277 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) An excise tax is imposed for the privilege of using a vessel upon the waters of this state, except vessels exempt under RCW 82.49.020. The annual amount of the excise tax is one-half of one percent of fair market value, as determined under this chapter, or five dollars, whichever is greater. Violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor.

(2)(a) A person who is required under chapter 88.02 RCW to register a vessel in this state and who registers the vessel in another state or foreign country and avoids the Washington watercraft taxes, violates this section and is liable for those taxes and a monetary penalty not less than one thousand dollars but not more than ten thousand dollars for each violation. The department may assess and collect the unpaid excise tax under chapter 82.32 RCW, including the penalties and interest provided in chapter 82.32 RCW.

(b) The penalty provided in this section is due and payable when the person incurring it receives a notice in writing from the state patrol describing the violation and advising the person that the penalty is due. The state patrol may, upon written application for review, received within fifteen days, remit or mitigate a penalty provided for in this section or discontinue an action to recover the penalty upon such terms it deems proper and may ascertain the facts in a manner and under rules it deems proper. If the amount of the penalty is not paid to the state patrol within fifteen days after receipt of the notice imposing the penalty, or application for remission or mitigation has not been made within fifteen days after the violator has received notice of the disposition of the application, the attorney general shall bring an action in the name of the state of Washington in the superior court of Thurston county or of any other county in which the violator resides or does business, to recover the penalty, administrative fees, and attorneys' fees. All penalties recovered under this section shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the state patrol highway account of the motor vehicle fund for the license fraud task force.

(3) The excise tax upon a vessel registered for the first time in this state shall be imposed for a twelve-month period, including the month in which the vessel is registered, unless the director of licensing extends or diminishes vessel registration periods for the purpose of staggered renewal periods under RCW 88.02.050. A vessel is registered for the first time in this state when the vessel was not registered in this state for the immediately preceding registration year, or when the vessel was registered in another jurisdiction for the immediately preceding year. The excise tax on vessels required to be registered in this state on June 30, 1983, shall be paid by June 30, 1983.

*Sec. 4 was vetoed. See message at end of chapter.

Sec. 5. RCW 82.60.060 and 1985 c 232 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The recipient shall begin paying the deferred taxes in the third year after the date certified by the department as the date on which the construction project has been operationally completed. The first payment will be due on December 31st of the third calendar year after such certified date, with subsequent annual payments due on December 31st of the following four years with amounts of payment scheduled as follows:

Repayment Year % of Deferred Tax Repaid

1 10%

2 15%

3 20%

4 25%

5 30%

(2) The department may authorize an accelerated repayment schedule upon request of the recipient.

(3) Interest shall not be charged on any taxes deferred under this chapter for the period of deferral, although all other penalties and interest applicable to delinquent excise taxes may be assessed and imposed for delinquent payments under this chapter. The debt for deferred taxes will not be extinguished by insolvency or other failure of the recipient. Transfer of ownership does not terminate the deferral. The deferral is transferred, subject to the successor meeting the eligibility requirements of this chapter, for the remaining periods of the deferral.

Sec. 6. RCW 82.60.080 and 1985 c 232 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

The ((~~department of~~)) employment security department shall make, and certify to the department of revenue, all determinations of employment and wages ((~~required~~)) as requested by the department under this chapter.

Sec. 7. RCW 82.62.060 and 1986 c 116 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:

The employment security department shall make, and certify to the department of revenue, all determinations of employment and wages ((~~required~~)) requested by the department under this chapter.

Sec. 8. RCW 82.60.049 and 1999 c 164 s 304 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) For the purposes of this section:

(a) "Eligible area" also means a designated community empowerment zone approved under RCW 43.63A.700 or a county containing a community empowerment zone.

(b) "Eligible investment project" also means an investment project in an eligible area as defined in this section.

(c) "Qualified employment position" means a permanent full-time employee employed in the eligible investment project during the entire year.

(2) In addition to the provisions of RCW 82.60.040, the department shall issue a sales and use tax deferral certificate for state and local sales and use taxes due under chapters 82.08, 82.12, and 82.14 RCW, on each eligible investment project that is located in an eligible area, if the applicant establishes that at the time the project is operationally complete:

(a) The applicant will hire at least one qualified employment position for each seven hundred fifty thousand dollars of investment on which a deferral is requested; and

(b) The positions will be filled by persons who at the time of hire are residents of the community empowerment zone ((~~in which the project is located~~)). As used in this subsection, "resident" means the person makes his or her home in the community empowerment zone. A mailing address alone is insufficient to establish that a person is a resident for the purposes of this section. The persons must be hired after the date the application is filed with the department.

(3) All other provisions and eligibility requirements of this chapter apply to applicants eligible under this section.

(4) The qualified employment position must be filled by the end of the calendar year following the year in which the project is certified as operationally complete. If a person does not meet the requirements ((~~of this section~~)) for qualified employment positions by the end of the second calendar year following the year in which the project is certified as operationally complete, all deferred taxes are immediately due.

Sec. 9. RCW 82.62.090 and 1999 c 311 s 304 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A person is not eligible to receive a credit under this chapter if the person is receiving credit for the same position under ((~~section 303 of this act or~~)) RCW 82.04.44525 or 82.04.4456.

(2) This section expires December 31, 2003.

Sec. 10. RCW 82.63.045 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 3 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, taxes deferred under this chapter need not be repaid.

(2) If, on the basis of a report under RCW 82.63.020 or other information, the department finds that an investment project is used for purposes other than qualified research and development or pilot scale manufacturing at any time during the calendar year in which the investment project is certified by the department as having been operationally completed, or at any time during any of the seven succeeding calendar years, a portion of deferred taxes shall be immediately due according to the following schedule:

Year in which use occurs % of deferred taxes due

1 100%

2 87.5%

3 75%

4 62.5%

5 50%

6 37.5%

7 25%

8 12.5%

The department shall assess interest at the rate provided for delinquent taxes, but not penalties, retroactively to the date of deferral. The debt for deferred taxes will not be extinguished by insolvency or other failure of the recipient. Transfer of ownership does not terminate the deferral. The deferral is transferred, subject to the successor meeting the eligibility requirements of this chapter, for the remaining periods of the deferral.

(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, deferred taxes on the following need not be repaid:

(a) Machinery and equipment, and sales of or charges made for labor and services, which at the time of purchase would have qualified for exemption under RCW 82.08.02565; and

(b) Machinery and equipment which at the time of first use would have qualified for exemption under RCW 82.12.02565.

Sec. 11. RCW 82.04.4456 and 1999 c 311 s 302 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Subject to the limits and provisions of this section, a credit is authorized against the tax otherwise due under this chapter for persons engaged in a rural county in the business of manufacturing software or programming, as those terms are defined in this section.

(2) A person who partially or totally relocates a business from one rural county to another rural county is eligible for any qualifying new jobs created as a result of the relocation but is not eligible to receive credit for the jobs moved from one county to the other.

(3)(a) To qualify for the credit, the qualifying activity of the person must be conducted in a rural county and the qualified employment position must be located in the rural county.

(b) If an activity is conducted both from a rural county and outside of a rural county, the credit is available if at least ninety percent of the qualifying activity ((~~takes place~~)) is conducted within a rural county. If the qualifying activity is a service taxable activity, the place where the work is performed is the place at which the activity is conducted.

(4)(a) The credit under this section shall equal one thousand dollars for each qualified employment position created after July 1, 1999, in an eligible area. A credit is earned for the calendar year the person is hired to fill the position. Additionally a credit is earned for each year the position is maintained over the subsequent consecutive years, up to four years. The county must meet the definition of a rural county at the time the position is filled. If the county does not have a rural county status the following year or years, the position is still eligible for the remaining years if all other conditions are met.

(b) Credit may not be taken for hiring of persons into positions that exist before July 1, 1999. Credit is authorized for new employees hired for new positions created on or after July 1, 1999. New positions filled by existing employees are eligible for the credit under this section only if the position vacated by the existing employee is filled by a new hire. A business that is a sole proprietorship without any employees is equivalent to one employee position and this type of business is eligible to receive credit for one position.

(c) If a position is filled before July 1st, this position is eligible for the full yearly credit for that calendar year. If it is filled after June 30th, this position is eligible for half of the credit for that calendar year.

(d) A person that has engaged in qualifying activities in the rural county before August 1, 1999, qualifies for the credit under this section for positions created and filled after August 1, 1999.

(5) No application is necessary for the tax credit. The person must keep records necessary for the department to verify eligibility under this section. This information includes information relating to description of qualifying activity ((~~engaged~~)) conducted in the rural county and outside the rural county by the person as well as detailed records on positions and employees. ((The department shall, in consultation with a representative group of affected taxpayers, develop a method of segregating activity and related income so that those persons who engage in multiple activities can determine eligibility for credit under this section.))

(6) If at any time the department finds that a person is not eligible for tax credit under this section, the amount of taxes for which a credit has been claimed shall be immediately due. The department shall assess interest, but not penalties, on the taxes for which the person is not eligible. The interest shall be assessed at the rate provided for delinquent excise taxes under chapter 82.32 RCW, shall be assessed retroactively to the date the tax credit was taken, and shall accrue until the taxes for which a credit has been used are repaid.

(7) The credit under this section may be used against any tax due under this chapter, but in no case may a credit earned during one calendar year be carried over to be credited against taxes incurred in a subsequent calendar year. A person is not eligible to receive a credit under this section if the person is receiving credit for the same position under chapter 82.62 RCW or RCW 82.04.44525 or is taking the credit under RCW 82.04.4457. No refunds may be granted for credits under this section.

(8) A person taking tax credits under this section shall make an annual report to the department. The report shall be in a letter form and shall include the following information: Number of positions for which credit is being claimed, type of position for which credit is being claimed, type of activity in which the person is engaged in the county, ((~~and~~)) how long the person has been located in the county, and taxpayer name and registration number. The report must be filed by January 30th of each year for which credit was claimed during the previous year. Failure to file a report will not result in the loss of eligibility under this section. However, the department, through its research division, shall contact taxpayers who have not filed the report and obtain the data from the taxpayer or assist the taxpayer in the filing of the report, so that the data and information necessary to measure the program's effectiveness is maintained.

(9) Transfer of ownership does not affect credit eligibility((;)). However, the successive credits ((is)) are available to the successor for remaining periods in the five years only if the eligibility conditions of this section are met.

(10) As used in this section:

(a) "Manufacturing" means the same as "to manufacture" under RCW 82.04.120. Manufacturing includes the activities of both manufacturers and processors for hire.

(b) "Programming" means the activities that involve the creation or modification of software, as that term is defined in this chapter, and that are taxable as a service under RCW 82.04.290(2) or as a retail sale under RCW 82.04.050.

(d) "Qualified employment position" means a permanent full-time position doing programming of software or manufacturing of software. This excludes administrative, professional, service, executive, and other similar positions. If an employee is either voluntarily or involuntarily separated from employment, the employment position is considered filled on a full-time basis if the employer is either training or actively recruiting a replacement employee. Full-time means a position for at least thirty-five hours a week.

(e) "Rural county" means a county with a population density of less than one hundred persons per square mile as determined by the office of financial management and published each year by the department for the period July 1st to June 30th.

(f) "Software" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 82.04.215.

(11) No credit may be taken or accrued under this section on or after January 1, 2004.

(12) This section expires December 31, 2003.

Sec. 12. RCW 82.04.4457 and 1999 c 311 s 303 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Subject to the limits and provisions of this section, a credit is authorized against the tax otherwise due under this chapter for persons engaged in a rural county in the business of providing information technology help desk services to third parties.

(2) To qualify for the credit, the help desk services must be conducted from a rural county.

(3) The amount of the tax credit for persons engaged in the activity of providing information technology help desk services in rural counties shall be equal to one hundred percent of the amount of tax due under this chapter that is attributable to providing the services from the rural county. In order to qualify for the credit under this subsection, the county must meet the definition of rural county at the time the person begins to conduct qualifying business in the county.

(4) No application is necessary for the tax credit. The person must keep records necessary for the department to verify eligibility under this section. These records include information relating to description of activity engaged in a rural county by the person.

(5) If at any time the department finds that a person is not eligible for tax credit under this section, the amount of taxes for which a credit has been used is immediately due. The department shall assess interest, but not penalties, on the credited taxes for which the person is not eligible. The interest shall be assessed at the rate provided for delinquent excise taxes under chapter 82.32 RCW, shall be assessed retroactively to the date the tax credit was taken, and shall accrue until the taxes for which a credit has been used are repaid.

(6) The credit under this section may be used against any tax due under this chapter, but in no case may a credit earned during one calendar year be carried over to be credited against taxes incurred in a subsequent calendar year. No refunds may be granted for credits under this section.

(7) A person taking tax credits under this section shall make an annual report to the department. The report shall be in a letter form and shall include the following information: Type of activity in which the person is engaged in the county, number of employees in the rural county, ((~~and~~)) how long the person has been located in the county, and taxpayer name and registration number. The report must be filed by January 30th of each year for which credit was claimed during the previous year. Failure to file a report will not result in the loss of eligibility under this section. However, the department, through its research division, shall contact taxpayers who have not filed the report and obtain the data from the taxpayer or assist the taxpayer in the filing of the report, so that the data and information necessary to measure the program's effectiveness is maintained.

(8) Transfer of ownership does not affect credit eligibility((;)). However, the credit is available to the successor only if the eligibility conditions of this section are met.

(9) As used in this section:

(a) "Information technology help desk services" means the following services performed using electronic and telephonic communication:

(i) Software and hardware maintenance;

(ii) Software and hardware diagnostics and troubleshooting;

(iii) Software and hardware installation;

(iv) Software and hardware repair;

(v) Software and hardware information and training; and

(vi) Software and hardware upgrade.

(b) "Rural county" means a county with a population density of less than one hundred persons per square mile, as determined by the office of financial management and published each year by the department for the period July 1st to June 30th.

(10) This section expires December 31, 2003.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. This act takes effect July 1, 2000.