BILL REQ. #:  H-4593.1 

Read first time 02/04/2004.   Referred to Committee on Finance.

     AN ACT Relating to the excise taxation of fruit and vegetable processing and storage; amending RCW 82.08.820 and 82.12.820; reenacting and amending RCW 82.04.260; adding a new section to chapter 82.04 RCW; adding a new chapter to title 82 RCW; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 82.04 RCW to read as follows:
     This chapter shall not apply to amounts received from the canning, preserving, freezing, processing, or dehydrating fresh fruits and vegetables which are subsequently sold at wholesale outside the state or which are sold at wholesale by the person canning, preserving, freezing, processing, or dehydrating fresh fruits and vegetables to purchasers outside the state or to purchasers who transport in the ordinary course of business the goods out of this state, or selling at wholesale fresh fruits and vegetables canned, preserved, frozen, processed, or dehydrated by the seller and sold to purchasers who transport in the ordinary course of business the goods out of this state. As proof of sale to a person who transports in the ordinary course of business goods out of this state, the seller shall annually provide a statement in a form prescribed by the department and retain the statement as a business record.

Sec. 2   RCW 82.04.260 and 2003 2nd sp.s. c 1 s 4 and 2003 2nd sp.s. c 1 s 3 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of manufacturing:
     (a) Wheat into flour, barley into pearl barley, soybeans into soybean oil, canola into canola oil, canola meal, or canola byproducts, or sunflower seeds into sunflower oil; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the value of the flour, pearl barley, oil, canola meal, or canola byproduct manufactured, multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent;
     (b) Seafood products which remain in a raw, raw frozen, or raw salted state at the completion of the manufacturing by that person; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the value of the products manufactured, multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent;
     (c) By canning, preserving, freezing, processing, or dehydrating fresh fruits and vegetables((, or selling at wholesale fresh fruits and vegetables canned, preserved, frozen, processed, or dehydrated by the seller and sold to purchasers who transport in the ordinary course of business the goods out of this state)); as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the value of the products canned, preserved, frozen, processed, or dehydrated multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent((. As proof of sale to a person who transports in the ordinary course of business goods out of this state, the seller shall annually provide a statement in a form prescribed by the department and retain the statement as a business record));
     (d) Dairy products that as of September 20, 2001, are identified in 21 C.F.R., chapter 1, parts 131, 133, and 135, including byproducts from the manufacturing of the dairy products such as whey and casein; or selling the same to purchasers who transport in the ordinary course of business the goods out of state; as to such persons the tax imposed shall be equal to the value of the products manufactured multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent. As proof of sale to a person who transports in the ordinary course of business goods out of this state, the seller shall annually provide a statement in a form prescribed by the department and retain the statement as a business record;
     (e) Alcohol fuel, biodiesel fuel, or biodiesel feedstock, as those terms are defined in RCW 82.29A.135; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to the business shall be equal to the value of alcohol fuel, biodiesel fuel, or biodiesel feedstock manufactured, multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent. This subsection (1)(e) expires July 1, 2009; and
     (f) Alcohol fuel or wood biomass fuel, as those terms are defined in RCW 82.29A.135; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to the business shall be equal to the value of alcohol fuel or wood biomass fuel manufactured, multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent.
     (2) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of splitting or processing dried peas; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the value of the peas split or processed, multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent.
     (3) Upon every nonprofit corporation and nonprofit association engaging within this state in research and development, as to such corporations and associations, the amount of tax with respect to such activities shall be equal to the gross income derived from such activities multiplied by the rate of 0.484 percent.
     (4) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of slaughtering, breaking and/or processing perishable meat products and/or selling the same at wholesale only and not at retail; as to such persons the tax imposed shall be equal to the gross proceeds derived from such sales multiplied by the rate of 0.138 percent.
     (5) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of making sales, at retail or wholesale, of nuclear fuel assemblies manufactured by that person, as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the gross proceeds of sales of the assemblies multiplied by the rate of 0.275 percent.
     (6) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of manufacturing nuclear fuel assemblies, as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the value of the products manufactured multiplied by the rate of 0.275 percent.
     (7) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of acting as a travel agent or tour operator; as to such persons the amount of the tax with respect to such activities shall be equal to the gross income derived from such activities multiplied by the rate of 0.275 percent.
     (8) Upon every person engaging within this state in business as an international steamship agent, international customs house broker, international freight forwarder, vessel and/or cargo charter broker in foreign commerce, and/or international air cargo agent; as to such persons the amount of the tax with respect to only international activities shall be equal to the gross income derived from such activities multiplied by the rate of 0.275 percent.
     (9) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of stevedoring and associated activities pertinent to the movement of goods and commodities in waterborne interstate or foreign commerce; as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the gross proceeds derived from such activities multiplied by the rate of 0.275 percent. Persons subject to taxation under this subsection shall be exempt from payment of taxes imposed by chapter 82.16 RCW for that portion of their business subject to taxation under this subsection. Stevedoring and associated activities pertinent to the conduct of goods and commodities in waterborne interstate or foreign commerce are defined as all activities of a labor, service or transportation nature whereby cargo may be loaded or unloaded to or from vessels or barges, passing over, onto or under a wharf, pier, or similar structure; cargo may be moved to a warehouse or similar holding or storage yard or area to await further movement in import or export or may move to a consolidation freight station and be stuffed, unstuffed, containerized, separated or otherwise segregated or aggregated for delivery or loaded on any mode of transportation for delivery to its consignee. Specific activities included in this definition are: Wharfage, handling, loading, unloading, moving of cargo to a convenient place of delivery to the consignee or a convenient place for further movement to export mode; documentation services in connection with the receipt, delivery, checking, care, custody and control of cargo required in the transfer of cargo; imported automobile handling prior to delivery to consignee; terminal stevedoring and incidental vessel services, including but not limited to plugging and unplugging refrigerator service to containers, trailers, and other refrigerated cargo receptacles, and securing ship hatch covers.
     (10) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of disposing of low-level waste, as defined in RCW 43.145.010; as to such persons the amount of the tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the gross income of the business, excluding any fees imposed under chapter 43.200 RCW, multiplied by the rate of 3.3 percent.
     If the gross income of the taxpayer is attributable to activities both within and without this state, the gross income attributable to this state shall be determined in accordance with the methods of apportionment required under RCW 82.04.460.
     (11) Upon every person engaging within this state as an insurance agent, insurance broker, or insurance solicitor licensed under chapter 48.17 RCW; as to such persons, the amount of the tax with respect to such licensed activities shall be equal to the gross income of such business multiplied by the rate of 0.484 percent.
     (12) Upon every person engaging within this state in business as a hospital, as defined in chapter 70.41 RCW, that is operated as a nonprofit corporation or by the state or any of its political subdivisions, as to such persons, the amount of tax with respect to such activities shall be equal to the gross income of the business multiplied by the rate of 0.75 percent through June 30, 1995, and 1.5 percent thereafter. The moneys collected under this subsection shall be deposited in the health services account created under RCW 43.72.900.
     (13)(a) Beginning October 1, 2005, upon every person engaging within this state in the business of manufacturing commercial airplanes, or components of such airplanes, as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall, in the case of manufacturers, be equal to the value of the product manufactured, or in the case of processors for hire, be equal to the gross income of the business, multiplied by the rate of:
     (i) 0.4235 percent from October 1, 2005, through the later of June 30, 2007, or the day preceding the date final assembly of a superefficient airplane begins in Washington state, as determined under RCW 82.32.550; and
     (ii) 0.2904 percent beginning on the later of July 1, 2007, or the date final assembly of a superefficient airplane begins in Washington state, as determined under RCW 82.32.550.
     (b) Beginning October 1, 2005, upon every person engaging within this state in the business of making sales, at retail or wholesale, of commercial airplanes, or components of such airplanes, manufactured by that person, as to such persons the amount of tax with respect to such business shall be equal to the gross proceeds of sales of the airplanes or components multiplied by the rate of:
     (i) 0.4235 percent from October 1, 2005, through the later of June 30, 2007, or the day preceding the date final assembly of a superefficient airplane begins in Washington state, as determined under RCW 82.32.550; and
     (ii) 0.2904 percent beginning on the later of July 1, 2007, or the date final assembly of a superefficient airplane begins in Washington state, as determined under RCW 82.32.550.
     (c) For the purposes of this subsection (13), "commercial airplane," "component," and "final assembly of a superefficient airplane" have the meanings given in RCW 82.32.550.
     (d) In addition to all other requirements under this title, a person eligible for the tax rate under this subsection (13) must report as required under RCW 82.32.545.
     (e) This subsection (13) does not apply after the earlier of: July 1, 2024; or December 31, 2007, if assembly of a superefficient airplane does not begin by December 31, 2007, as determined under RCW 82.32.550.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
     (1) "Applicant" means a person applying for a tax deferral under this chapter.
     (2) "Cold storage warehouse" means a storage warehouse used to store fresh and/or frozen perishable fruits or vegetables, or any combination thereof, at a desired temperature to maintain the quality of the product for orderly marketing.
     (3) "Department" means the department of revenue.
     (4) "Eligible investment project" means an investment in qualified buildings or qualified machinery and equipment, including labor and services rendered in the planning, installation, and construction of the project. The lessor or owner of a qualified building is not eligible for a deferral unless the underlying ownership of the buildings, machinery, and equipment vests exclusively in the same person, or unless the lessor by written contract agrees to pass the economic benefit of the deferral to the lessee in the form of reduced rent payments.
     (5) "Fresh fruit and vegetable processing" means manufacturing as defined in RCW 82.04.120 which consists of the canning, preserving, freezing, processing, or dehydrating fresh fruits and/or vegetables.
     (6) "Person" has the meaning given in RCW 82.04.030.
     (7) "Qualified buildings" means construction of new structures, and expansion or renovation of existing structures for the purpose of increasing floor space or production capacity used for fresh fruit and vegetable processing, cold storage warehouse, and research and development activities, including plant offices and warehouses or other facilities for the storage of raw material or finished goods if such facilities are an essential or an integral part of a factory, plant, or laboratory used for fresh fruit and vegetable processing, cold storage warehousing, or research and development. If a building is used partly for fresh fruit and vegetable processing, cold storage warehousing, or research and development and partly for other purposes, the applicable tax deferral shall be determined by apportionment of the costs of construction under rules adopted by the department.
     (8) "Qualified machinery and equipment" means all new industrial and research fixtures, equipment, and support facilities that are an integral and necessary part of a fresh fruit and vegetable processing, cold storage warehouse, or research and development operation. "Qualified machinery and equipment" includes: Computers; software; data processing equipment; laboratory equipment; manufacturing components such as belts, pulleys, shafts, and moving parts; molds, tools, and dies; operating structures; and all equipment used to control or operate the machinery.
     (9) "Recipient" means a person receiving a tax deferral under this chapter.
     (10) "Research and development" means the development, refinement, testing, marketing, and commercialization of a product, service, or process related to fresh fruit and vegetable processing or cold storage warehousing before commercial sales have begun. As used in this subsection, "commercial sales" excludes sales of prototypes or sales for market testing if the total gross receipts from such sales of the product, service, or process do not exceed one million dollars.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) Application for deferral of taxes under this chapter must be made before initiation of the construction of the investment project or acquisition of equipment or machinery. The application shall be made to the department in a form and manner prescribed by the department. The application shall contain information regarding the location of the investment project, the applicant's average employment in the state for the prior year, estimated or actual new employment related to the project, estimated or actual wages of employees related to the project, estimated or actual costs, time schedules for completion and operation, and other information required by the department.
     (2) The department shall rule on the application within sixty days. The department shall keep a running total of all deferrals granted under this chapter during each fiscal biennium.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   (1) 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 if the investment project is undertaken for the purpose of fresh fruit and vegetable processing, cold storage warehousing, or research and development.
     (2) This section expires July 1, 2010.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   (1) Each recipient of a deferral granted under this chapter shall submit a report to the department on December 31st of the year in which the investment project is certified by the department as having been operationally completed, and on December 31st of each of the seven succeeding calendar years. The report shall contain information, as required by the department, from which the department may determine whether the recipient is meeting the requirements of this chapter. If the recipient fails to submit a report or submits an inadequate report, the department may declare the amount of deferred taxes outstanding to be immediately assessed and payable.
     (2) If, on the basis of a report under this section or other information, the department finds that an investment project is not eligible for tax deferral under this chapter, the amount of deferred taxes outstanding for the project are immediately due. For any taxes that are due, penalties and interest applicable to delinquent excise taxes shall 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.
     (3) Deferred taxes need not be repaid if the department determines, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, that the recipient has met the requirements of this chapter for the seven calendar years following the certification by the department that the investment project has been operationally completed.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   The employment security department shall make, and certify to the department of revenue, all determinations of employment and wages as requested by the department under this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   Chapter 82.32 RCW applies to the administration of this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9   Applications, reports, and any other information received by the department under this chapter shall not be confidential and shall be subject to disclosure.

Sec. 10   RCW 82.08.820 and 1997 c 450 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Wholesalers or third-party warehousers who own or operate warehouses or grain elevators and retailers who own or operate distribution centers, and who have paid the tax levied by RCW 82.08.020 on:
     (a) Material-handling and racking equipment, and labor and services rendered in respect to installing, repairing, cleaning, altering, or improving the equipment; or
     (b) Construction of a warehouse or grain elevator, including materials, and including service and labor costs,
are eligible for an exemption in the form of a remittance. The amount of the remittance is computed under subsection (3) of this section and is based on the state share of sales tax.
     (2) For purposes of this section and RCW 82.12.820:
     (a) "Agricultural products" has the meaning given in RCW 82.04.213;
     (b) "Cold storage warehouse" means a storage warehouse used to store fresh and/or frozen perishable fruits or vegetables, or any combination thereof, at a desired temperature to maintain the quality of the product for orderly marketing;
     (c) "Construction" means the actual construction of a warehouse or grain elevator that did not exist before the construction began. "Construction" includes expansion if the expansion adds at least twenty-five thousand square feet of additional space to an existing cold storage warehouse, at least two hundred thousand square feet of additional space to an existing warehouse other than a cold storage warehouse, or additional storage capacity of at least one million bushels to an existing grain elevator. "Construction" does not include renovation, remodeling, or repair;
     (((c))) (d) "Department" means the department of revenue;
     (((d))) (e) "Distribution center" means a warehouse that is used exclusively by a retailer solely for the storage and distribution of finished goods to retail outlets of the retailer. "Distribution center" does not include a warehouse at which retail sales occur;
     (((e))) (f) "Finished goods" means tangible personal property intended for sale by a retailer or wholesaler. "Finished goods" does not include agricultural products stored by wholesalers, third-party warehouses, or retailers if the storage takes place on the land of the person who produced the agricultural product. "Finished goods" does not include logs, minerals, petroleum, gas, or other extracted products stored as raw materials or in bulk;
     (((f))) (g) "Grain elevator" means a structure used for storage and handling of grain in bulk;
     (((g))) (h) "Material-handling equipment and racking equipment" means equipment in a warehouse or grain elevator that is primarily used to handle, store, organize, convey, package, or repackage finished goods. The term includes tangible personal property with a useful life of one year or more that becomes an ingredient or component of the equipment, including repair and replacement parts. The term does not include equipment in offices, lunchrooms, restrooms, and other like space, within a warehouse or grain elevator, or equipment used for nonwarehousing purposes. "Material-handling equipment" includes but is not limited to: Conveyers, carousels, lifts, positioners, pick-up-and-place units, cranes, hoists, mechanical arms, and robots; mechanized systems, including containers that are an integral part of the system, whose purpose is to lift or move tangible personal property; and automated handling, storage, and retrieval systems, including computers that control them, whose purpose is to lift or move tangible personal property; and forklifts and other off-the-road vehicles that are used to lift or move tangible personal property and that cannot be operated legally on roads and streets. "Racking equipment" includes, but is not limited to, conveying systems, chutes, shelves, racks, bins, drawers, pallets, and other containers and storage devices that form a necessary part of the storage system;
     (((h))) (i) "Person" has the meaning given in RCW 82.04.030;
     (((i))) (j) "Retailer" means a person who makes "sales at retail" as defined in chapter 82.04 RCW of tangible personal property;
     (((j))) (k) "Square footage" means the product of the two horizontal dimensions of each floor of a specific warehouse. The entire footprint of the warehouse shall be measured in calculating the square footage, including space that juts out from the building profile such as loading docks. "Square footage" does not mean the aggregate of the square footage of more than one warehouse at a location or the aggregate of the square footage of warehouses at more than one location;
     (((k))) (l) "Third-party warehouser" means a person taxable under RCW 82.04.280(4);
     (((l))) (m) "Warehouse" means an enclosed building or structure in which finished goods are stored. A warehouse building or structure may have more than one storage room and more than one floor. Office space, lunchrooms, restrooms, and other space within the warehouse and necessary for the operation of the warehouse are considered part of the warehouse as are loading docks and other such space attached to the building and used for handling of finished goods. Landscaping and parking lots are not considered part of the warehouse. A storage yard is not a warehouse, nor is a building in which manufacturing takes place; and
     (((m))) (n) "Wholesaler" means a person who makes "sales at wholesale" as defined in chapter 82.04 RCW of tangible personal property, but "wholesaler" does not include a person who makes sales exempt under 82.04.330.
     (3)(a) A person claiming an exemption from state tax in the form of a remittance under this section must pay the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020. The buyer may then apply to the department for remittance of all or part of the tax paid under RCW 82.08.020. For grain elevators with bushel capacity of one million but less than two million, the remittance is equal to fifty percent of the amount of tax paid. For warehouses with square footage of two hundred thousand or more, other than cold storage warehouses, and for grain elevators with bushel capacity of two million or more, the remittance is equal to one hundred percent of the amount of tax paid for qualifying construction, materials, service, and labor, and fifty percent of the amount of tax paid for qualifying material-handling equipment and racking equipment, and labor and services rendered in respect to installing, repairing, cleaning, altering, or improving the equipment. For cold storage warehouses with square footage of twenty-five thousand or more, the remittance is equal to one hundred percent of the amount of tax paid for qualifying construction, materials, service, and labor, and one hundred percent of the amount of tax paid for qualifying material-handling equipment and racking equipment, and labor and services rendered in respect to installing, repairing, cleaning, altering, or improving the equipment.
     (b) The department shall determine eligibility under this section based on information provided by the buyer and through audit and other administrative records. The buyer shall on a quarterly basis submit an information sheet, in a form and manner as required by the department by rule, specifying the amount of exempted tax claimed and the qualifying purchases or acquisitions for which the exemption is claimed. The buyer shall retain, in adequate detail to enable the department to determine whether the equipment or construction meets the criteria under this section: Invoices; proof of tax paid; documents describing the material-handling equipment and racking equipment; location and size of warehouses and grain elevators; and construction invoices and documents.
     (c) The department shall on a quarterly basis remit exempted amounts to qualifying persons who submitted applications during the previous quarter.
     (4) Warehouses, grain elevators, and material-handling equipment and racking equipment for which an exemption, credit, or deferral has been or is being received under chapter 82.60, 82.61, 82.62, or 82.63 RCW or RCW 82.08.02565 or 82.12.02565 are not eligible for any remittance under this section. Warehouses and grain elevators upon which construction was initiated before May 20, 1997, are not eligible for a remittance under this section.
     (5) The lessor or owner of a warehouse or grain elevator is not eligible for a remittance under this section unless the underlying ownership of the warehouse or grain elevator and the material-handling equipment and racking equipment vests exclusively in the same person, or unless the lessor by written contract agrees to pass the economic benefit of the remittance to the lessee in the form of reduced rent payments.

Sec. 11   RCW 82.12.820 and 2003 c 5 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Wholesalers or third-party warehousers who own or operate warehouses or grain elevators, and retailers who own or operate distribution centers, and who have paid the tax levied under RCW 82.12.020 on:
     (a) Material-handling equipment and racking equipment and labor and services rendered in respect to installing, repairing, cleaning, altering, or improving the equipment; or
     (b) Materials incorporated in the construction of a warehouse or grain elevator, are eligible for an exemption on tax paid in the form of a remittance or credit against tax owed. The amount of the remittance or credit is computed under subsection (2) of this section and is based on the state share of use tax.
     (2)(a) A person claiming an exemption from state tax in the form of a remittance under this section must pay the tax imposed by RCW 82.12.020 to the department. The person may then apply to the department for remittance of all or part of the tax paid under RCW 82.12.020. For grain elevators with bushel capacity of one million but less than two million, the remittance is equal to fifty percent of the amount of tax paid. For warehouses with square footage of two hundred thousand or more, other than cold storage warehouses, and for grain elevators with bushel capacity of two million or more, the remittance is equal to one hundred percent of the amount of tax paid for qualifying construction materials, and fifty percent of the amount of tax paid for qualifying material-handling equipment and racking equipment. For cold storage warehouses with square footage of twenty-five thousand or more, the remittance is equal to one hundred percent of the amount of tax paid for qualifying construction, materials, service, and labor, and one hundred percent of the amount of tax paid for qualifying material-handling equipment and racking equipment, and labor and services rendered in respect to installing, repairing, cleaning, altering, or improving the equipment.
     (b) The department shall determine eligibility under this section based on information provided by the buyer and through audit and other administrative records. The buyer shall on a quarterly basis submit an information sheet, in a form and manner as required by the department by rule, specifying the amount of exempted tax claimed and the qualifying purchases or acquisitions for which the exemption is claimed. The buyer shall retain, in adequate detail to enable the department to determine whether the equipment or construction meets the criteria under this section: Invoices; proof of tax paid; documents describing the material-handling equipment and racking equipment; location and size of warehouses, if applicable; and construction invoices and documents.
     (c) The department shall on a quarterly basis remit or credit exempted amounts to qualifying persons who submitted applications during the previous quarter.
     (3) Warehouse, grain elevators, and material-handling equipment and racking equipment for which an exemption, credit, or deferral has been or is being received under chapter 82.60, 82.61, 82.62, or 82.63 RCW or RCW 82.08.02565 or 82.12.02565 are not eligible for any remittance under this section. Materials incorporated in warehouses and grain elevators upon which construction was initiated prior to May 20, 1997, are not eligible for a remittance under this section.
     (4) The lessor or owner of the warehouse or grain elevator is not eligible for a remittance or credit under this section unless the underlying ownership of the warehouse or grain elevator and material-handling equipment and racking equipment vests exclusively in the same person, or unless the lessor by written contract agrees to pass the economic benefit of the exemption to the lessee in the form of reduced rent payments.
     (5) The definitions in RCW 82.08.820 apply to this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12   Sections 3 through 9 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 82 RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 13   This act takes effect July 1, 2005.