BILL REQ. #: Z-1105.1
State of Washington | 61st Legislature | 2010 Regular Session |
Prefiled 01/08/10. Read first time 01/11/10. Referred to Committee on Finance.
AN ACT Relating to excise taxation of certain products and services provided or furnished electronically; amending RCW 82.04.190, 82.04.192, 82.04.257, 82.04.2907, 82.04.297, 82.32.080, 35.102.130, 82.08.02082, 82.08.02087, 82.12.02082, 82.12.02087, 82.32.532, and 82.32.533; reenacting and amending RCW 82.04.050 and 82.08.195; creating new sections; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 101 The 2009 legislature enacted Engrossed
Substitute House Bill No. 2075 (chapter 535, Laws of 2009), an act
relating to the excise taxation of certain products and services
provided or furnished electronically. The bill took effect July 26,
2009.
Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2075, at eighty-five pages, was
a comprehensive piece of legislation that made major changes to state
and local sales and use taxes, as well as the state business and
occupation tax. Moreover, Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2075 was
a complex piece of legislation because of the intricate
interrelationship between the sales tax and the business and occupation
tax and also because the bill affects the taxation of products and
services that involve technologies that are changing rapidly.
Because of the complexity and length of Engrossed Substitute House
Bill No. 2075, it was the legislature's expectation that, in the course
of implementing the bill, ambiguities and unintended consequences would
be discovered, which, if not corrected, will unsettle expectations.
Thus, the legislature further anticipated that it would need to
consider legislation in the 2010 legislative session to address these
issues.
Therefore, the purpose of this act is to clarify ambiguities,
correct unintended consequences, restore expectations, and conform the
law to the original intent of the legislature.
Sec. 201 RCW 82.04.050 and 2009 c 563 s 301 and 2009 c 535 s 301
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) "Sale at retail" or "retail sale" means every sale of tangible
personal property (including articles produced, fabricated, or
imprinted) to all persons irrespective of the nature of their business
and including, among others, without limiting the scope hereof, persons
who install, repair, clean, alter, improve, construct, or decorate real
or personal property of or for consumers other than a sale to a person
who presents a seller's permit or uniform exemption certificate in
conformity with RCW 82.04.470 and who:
(a) Purchases for the purpose of resale as tangible personal
property in the regular course of business without intervening use by
such person, but a purchase for the purpose of resale by a regional
transit authority under RCW 81.112.300 is not a sale for resale; or
(b) Installs, repairs, cleans, alters, imprints, improves,
constructs, or decorates real or personal property of or for consumers,
if such tangible personal property becomes an ingredient or component
of such real or personal property without intervening use by such
person; or
(c) Purchases for the purpose of consuming the property purchased
in producing for sale a new article of tangible personal property or
substance, of which such property becomes an ingredient or component or
is a chemical used in processing, when the primary purpose of such
chemical is to create a chemical reaction directly through contact with
an ingredient of a new article being produced for sale; or
(d) Purchases for the purpose of consuming the property purchased
in producing ferrosilicon which is subsequently used in producing
magnesium for sale, if the primary purpose of such property is to
create a chemical reaction directly through contact with an ingredient
of ferrosilicon; or
(e) Purchases for the purpose of providing the property to
consumers as part of competitive telephone service, as defined in RCW
82.04.065. The term shall include every sale of tangible personal
property which is used or consumed or to be used or consumed in the
performance of any activity classified as a "sale at retail" or "retail
sale" even though such property is resold or utilized as provided in
(a), (b), (c), (d), or (e) of this subsection following such use. The
term also means every sale of tangible personal property to persons
engaged in any business which is taxable under RCW 82.04.280 (2) and
(7), 82.04.290, and 82.04.2908; or
(f) Purchases for the purpose of satisfying the person's
obligations under an extended warranty as defined in subsection (7) of
this section, if such tangible personal property replaces or becomes an
ingredient or component of property covered by the extended warranty
without intervening use by such person.
(2) The term "sale at retail" or "retail sale" includes the sale of
or charge made for tangible personal property consumed and/or for labor
and services rendered in respect to the following:
(a) The installing, repairing, cleaning, altering, imprinting, or
improving of tangible personal property of or for consumers, including
charges made for the mere use of facilities in respect thereto, but
excluding charges made for the use of self-service laundry facilities,
and also excluding sales of laundry service to nonprofit health care
facilities, and excluding services rendered in respect to live animals,
birds and insects;
(b) The constructing, repairing, decorating, or improving of new or
existing buildings or other structures under, upon, or above real
property of or for consumers, including the installing or attaching of
any article of tangible personal property therein or thereto, whether
or not such personal property becomes a part of the realty by virtue of
installation, and shall also include the sale of services or charges
made for the clearing of land and the moving of earth excepting the
mere leveling of land used in commercial farming or agriculture;
(c) The constructing, repairing, or improving of any structure
upon, above, or under any real property owned by an owner who conveys
the property by title, possession, or any other means to the person
performing such construction, repair, or improvement for the purpose of
performing such construction, repair, or improvement and the property
is then reconveyed by title, possession, or any other means to the
original owner;
(d) The cleaning, fumigating, razing, or moving of existing
buildings or structures, but may not include the charge made for
janitorial services; and for purposes of this section the term
"janitorial services" shall mean those cleaning and caretaking services
ordinarily performed by commercial janitor service businesses
including, but not limited to, wall and window washing, floor cleaning
and waxing, and the cleaning in place of rugs, drapes and upholstery.
The term "janitorial services" does not include painting, papering,
repairing, furnace or septic tank cleaning, snow removal or
sandblasting;
(e) Automobile towing and similar automotive transportation
services, but not in respect to those required to report and pay taxes
under chapter 82.16 RCW;
(f) The furnishing of lodging and all other services by a hotel,
rooming house, tourist court, motel, trailer camp, and the granting of
any similar license to use real property, as distinguished from the
renting or leasing of real property, and it is presumed that the
occupancy of real property for a continuous period of one month or more
constitutes a rental or lease of real property and not a mere license
to use or enjoy the same. For the purposes of this subsection, it
shall be presumed that the sale of and charge made for the furnishing
of lodging for a continuous period of one month or more to a person is
a rental or lease of real property and not a mere license to enjoy the
same;
(g) The installing, repairing, altering, or improving of digital
goods for consumers;
(h) Persons taxable under (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g) of
this subsection when such sales or charges are for property, labor and
services which are used or consumed in whole or in part by such persons
in the performance of any activity defined as a "sale at retail" or
"retail sale" even though such property, labor and services may be
resold after such use or consumption. Nothing contained in this
subsection shall be construed to modify subsection (1) of this section
and nothing contained in subsection (1) of this section may be
construed to modify this subsection.
(3) The term "sale at retail" or "retail sale" includes the sale of
or charge made for personal, business, or professional services
including amounts designated as interest, rents, fees, admission, and
other service emoluments however designated, received by persons
engaging in the following business activities:
(a) Amusement and recreation services including but not limited to
golf, pool, billiards, skating, bowling, ski lifts and tows, day trips
for sightseeing purposes, and others, when provided to consumers;
(b) Abstract, title insurance, and escrow services;
(c) Credit bureau services;
(d) Automobile parking and storage garage services;
(e) Landscape maintenance and horticultural services but excluding
(i) horticultural services provided to farmers and (ii) pruning,
trimming, repairing, removing, and clearing of trees and brush near
electric transmission or distribution lines or equipment, if performed
by or at the direction of an electric utility;
(f) Service charges associated with tickets to professional
sporting events; and
(g) The following personal services: Physical fitness services,
tanning salon services, tattoo parlor services, steam bath services,
turkish bath services, escort services, and dating services.
(4)(a) The term also includes:
(i) The renting or leasing of tangible personal property to
consumers; and
(ii) Providing tangible personal property along with an operator
for a fixed or indeterminate period of time. A consideration of this
is that the operator is necessary for the tangible personal property to
perform as designed. For the purpose of this subsection (4)(a)(ii), an
operator must do more than maintain, inspect, or set up the tangible
personal property.
(b) The term does not include the renting or leasing of tangible
personal property where the lease or rental is for the purpose of
sublease or subrent.
(5) The term also includes the providing of "competitive telephone
service," "telecommunications service," or "ancillary services," as
those terms are defined in RCW 82.04.065, to consumers.
(6)(a) The term also includes the sale of prewritten computer
software other than a sale to a person who presents a seller's permit
or uniform exemption certificate in conformity with RCW 82.04.470,
regardless of the method of delivery to the end user. For purposes of
this subsection (6)(a), the sale of prewritten computer software
includes the sale of or charge made for a key or an enabling or
activation code, where the key or code is required to activate
prewritten computer software and put the software into use. There is
no separate sale of the key or code from the prewritten computer
software, regardless of how the sale may be characterized by the vendor
or by the purchaser.
The term "retail sale" does not include the sale of or charge made
for:
(i) Custom software; or
(ii) The customization of prewritten computer software.
(b)(i) The term also includes the charge made to consumers for the
right to access and use prewritten computer software, where possession
of the software is maintained by the seller or a third party,
regardless of whether the charge for the service is on a per use, per
user, per license, subscription, or some other basis.
(ii)(A) The service described in (b)(i) of this subsection (6)
includes the right to access and use prewritten computer software to
perform data processing.
(B) For purposes of this subsection (6)(b)(ii), "data processing"
means the systematic performance of operations on data to extract the
required information in an appropriate form or to convert the data to
usable information. Data processing includes check processing, image
processing, form processing, survey processing, payroll processing,
claim processing, and similar activities.
(7) The term also includes the sale of or charge made for an
extended warranty to a consumer. For purposes of this subsection,
"extended warranty" means an agreement for a specified duration to
perform the replacement or repair of tangible personal property at no
additional charge or a reduced charge for tangible personal property,
labor, or both, or to provide indemnification for the replacement or
repair of tangible personal property, based on the occurrence of
specified events. The term "extended warranty" does not include an
agreement, otherwise meeting the definition of extended warranty in
this subsection, if no separate charge is made for the agreement and
the value of the agreement is included in the sales price of the
tangible personal property covered by the agreement. For purposes of
this subsection, "sales price" has the same meaning as in RCW
82.08.010.
(8)(a) The term also includes the following sales to consumers of
digital goods, digital codes, and digital automated services:
(i) Sales in which the seller has granted the purchaser the right
of permanent use;
(ii) Sales in which the seller has granted the purchaser a right of
use that is less than permanent;
(iii) Sales in which the purchaser is not obligated to make
continued payment as a condition of the sale; and
(iv) Sales in which the purchaser is obligated to make continued
payment as a condition of the sale.
(b) A retail sale of digital goods, digital codes, or digital
automated services under this subsection (8) includes any services
provided by the seller exclusively in connection with the digital
goods, digital codes, or digital automated services, whether or not a
separate charge is made for such services.
(c) For purposes of this subsection, "permanent" means perpetual or
for an indefinite or unspecified length of time. A right of permanent
use is presumed to have been granted unless the agreement between the
seller and the purchaser specifies or the circumstances surrounding the
transaction suggest or indicate that the right to use terminates on the
occurrence of a condition subsequent.
(9) The term does not include the sale of or charge made for labor
and services rendered in respect to the building, repairing, or
improving of any street, place, road, highway, easement, right-of-way,
mass public transportation terminal or parking facility, bridge,
tunnel, or trestle which is owned by a municipal corporation or
political subdivision of the state or by the United States and which is
used or to be used primarily for foot or vehicular traffic including
mass transportation vehicles of any kind.
(10) The term also does not include sales of chemical sprays or
washes to persons for the purpose of postharvest treatment of fruit for
the prevention of scald, fungus, mold, or decay, nor does it include
sales of feed, seed, seedlings, fertilizer, agents for enhanced
pollination including insects such as bees, and spray materials to:
(a) Persons who participate in the federal conservation reserve
program, the environmental quality incentives program, the wetlands
reserve program, and the wildlife habitat incentives program, or their
successors administered by the United States department of agriculture;
(b) farmers for the purpose of producing for sale any agricultural
product; and (c) farmers acting under cooperative habitat development
or access contracts with an organization exempt from federal income tax
under Title 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3) or the Washington state department
of fish and wildlife to produce or improve wildlife habitat on land
that the farmer owns or leases.
(11) The term does not include the sale of or charge made for labor
and services rendered in respect to the constructing, repairing,
decorating, or improving 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 article of tangible personal property
therein or thereto, whether or not such personal property becomes a
part of the realty by virtue of installation. Nor does the term
include the sale of services or charges made for the clearing of land
and the moving of earth of or for the United States, any
instrumentality thereof, or a county or city housing authority. Nor
does the term include the sale of services or charges made for cleaning
up for the United States, or its instrumentalities, radioactive waste
and other by-products of weapons production and nuclear research and
development.
(12) The term does not include the sale of or charge made for
labor, services, or tangible personal property pursuant to agreements
providing maintenance services for bus, rail, or rail fixed guideway
equipment when a regional transit authority is the recipient of the
labor, services, or tangible personal property, and a transit agency,
as defined in RCW 81.104.015, performs the labor or services.
Sec. 202 RCW 82.04.190 and 2009 c 535 s 302 are each amended to
read as follows:
"Consumer" means the following:
(1) Any person who purchases, acquires, owns, holds, or uses any
article of tangible personal property irrespective of the nature of the
person's business and including, among others, without limiting the
scope hereof, persons who install, repair, clean, alter, improve,
construct, or decorate real or personal property of or for consumers
other than for the purpose (a) of resale as tangible personal property
in the regular course of business or (b) of incorporating such property
as an ingredient or component of real or personal property when
installing, repairing, cleaning, altering, imprinting, improving,
constructing, or decorating such real or personal property of or for
consumers or (c) of consuming such property in producing for sale a new
article of tangible personal property or a new substance, of which such
property becomes an ingredient or component or as a chemical used in
processing, when the primary purpose of such chemical is to create a
chemical reaction directly through contact with an ingredient of a new
article being produced for sale or (d) of consuming the property
purchased in producing ferrosilicon which is subsequently used in
producing magnesium for sale, if the primary purpose of such property
is to create a chemical reaction directly through contact with an
ingredient of ferrosilicon or (e) of satisfying the person's
obligations under an extended warranty as defined in RCW 82.04.050(7),
if such tangible personal property replaces or becomes an ingredient or
component of property covered by the extended warranty without
intervening use by such person;
(2)(a) Any person engaged in any business activity taxable under
RCW 82.04.290 or 82.04.2908; (b) any person who purchases, acquires, or
uses any competitive telephone service, ancillary services, or
telecommunications service as those terms are defined in RCW 82.04.065,
other than for resale in the regular course of business; (c) any person
who purchases, acquires, or uses any service defined in RCW
82.04.050(2) (a) or (g), other than for resale in the regular course of
business or for the purpose of satisfying the person's obligations
under an extended warranty as defined in RCW 82.04.050(7); (d) any
person who purchases, acquires, or uses any amusement and recreation
service defined in RCW 82.04.050(3)(a), other than for resale in the
regular course of business; (e) any person who purchases or acquires an
extended warranty as defined in RCW 82.04.050(7) other than for resale
in the regular course of business; and (f) any person who is an end
user of software. For purposes of this subsection (2)(f) and RCW
82.04.050(6), a person who purchases or otherwise acquires prewritten
computer software, who provides services described in RCW
82.04.050(6)(b) and who will charge consumers for the right to access
and use the prewritten computer software, is not an end user of the
prewritten computer software;
(3) Any person engaged in the business of contracting for the
building, repairing or improving of any street, place, road, highway,
easement, right-of-way, mass public transportation terminal or parking
facility, bridge, tunnel, or trestle which is owned by a municipal
corporation or political subdivision of the state of Washington or by
the United States and which is used or to be used primarily for foot or
vehicular traffic including mass transportation vehicles of any kind as
defined in RCW 82.04.280, in respect to tangible personal property when
such person incorporates such property as an ingredient or component of
such publicly owned street, place, road, highway, easement,
right-of-way, mass public transportation terminal or parking facility,
bridge, tunnel, or trestle by installing, placing or spreading the
property in or upon the right-of-way of such street, place, road,
highway, easement, bridge, tunnel, or trestle or in or upon the site of
such mass public transportation terminal or parking facility;
(4) Any person who is an owner, lessee or has the right of
possession to or an easement in real property which is being
constructed, repaired, decorated, improved, or otherwise altered by a
person engaged in business, excluding only (a) municipal corporations
or political subdivisions of the state in respect to labor and services
rendered to their real property which is used or held for public road
purposes, and (b) the United States, instrumentalities thereof, and
county and city housing authorities created pursuant to chapter 35.82
RCW in respect to labor and services rendered to their real property.
Nothing contained in this or any other subsection of this definition
shall be construed to modify any other definition of "consumer";
(5) Any person who is an owner, lessee, or has the right of
possession to personal property which is being constructed, repaired,
improved, cleaned, imprinted, or otherwise altered by a person engaged
in business;
(6) Any person engaged in the business of constructing, repairing,
decorating, or improving 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 article of tangible personal property therein or thereto, whether
or not such personal property becomes a part of the realty by virtue of
installation; also, any person engaged in the business of clearing land
and moving earth of or for the United States, any instrumentality
thereof, or a county or city housing authority created pursuant to
chapter 35.82 RCW. Any such person shall be a consumer within the
meaning of this subsection in respect to tangible personal property
incorporated into, installed in, or attached to such building or other
structure by such person, except that consumer does not include any
person engaged in the business of constructing, repairing, decorating,
or improving new or existing buildings or other structures under, upon,
or above real property of or for the United States, or any
instrumentality thereof, if the investment project would qualify for
sales and use tax deferral under chapter 82.63 RCW if undertaken by a
private entity;
(7) Any person who is a lessor of machinery and equipment, the
rental of which is exempt from the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020 under
RCW 82.08.02565, with respect to the sale of or charge made for
tangible personal property consumed in respect to repairing the
machinery and equipment, if the tangible personal property has a useful
life of less than one year. Nothing contained in this or any other
subsection of this section shall be construed to modify any other
definition of "consumer";
(8) Any person engaged in the business of cleaning up for the
United States, or its instrumentalities, radioactive waste and other
by-products of weapons production and nuclear research and development;
(9) Any person who is an owner, lessee, or has the right of
possession of tangible personal property that, under the terms of an
extended warranty as defined in RCW 82.04.050(7), has been repaired or
is replacement property, but only with respect to the sale of or charge
made for the repairing of the tangible personal property or the
replacement property;
(10) Any person who purchases, acquires, or uses services described
in RCW 82.04.050(6)(b) other than:
(a) For resale in the regular course of business; or
(b) For purposes of consuming the service described in RCW
82.04.050(6)(b) in producing for sale a new product, but only if such
service becomes a component of the new product. For purposes of this
subsection (10), "product" means a digital product, an article of
tangible personal property, or the service described in RCW
82.04.050(6)(b); and
(11)(a) Any end user of a digital product or digital code.
"Consumer" does not include any person who is not an end user of a
digital product or a digital code and purchases, acquires, owns, holds,
or uses any digital product or digital code for purposes of consuming
the digital product or digital code in producing for sale a new
product, but only if the digital product or digital code becomes a
component of the new product. A digital code becomes a component of a
new product if the digital good or digital automated service acquired
through the use of the digital code becomes incorporated into a new
product. For purposes of this subsection, "product" has the same
meaning as in subsection (10) of this section.
(b)(i) For purposes of this subsection, "end user" means any
taxpayer as defined in RCW 82.12.010 other than a taxpayer who receives
by contract a digital product for further commercial broadcast,
rebroadcast, transmission, retransmission, licensing, relicensing,
distribution, redistribution or exhibition of the product, in whole or
in part, to others. A person that purchases digital products or
digital codes for the purpose of giving away such products or codes
will not be considered to have engaged in the distribution or
redistribution of such products or codes and will be treated as an end
user;
(ii) If a purchaser of a digital code does not receive the
contractual right to further redistribute, after the digital code is
redeemed, the underlying digital product to which the digital code
relates, then the purchaser of the digital code is an end user. If the
purchaser of the digital code receives the contractual right to further
redistribute, after the digital code is redeemed, the underlying
digital product to which the digital code relates, then the purchaser
of the digital code is not an end user. A purchaser of a digital code
who has the contractual right to further redistribute the digital code
is an end user if that purchaser does not have the right to further
redistribute, after the digital code is redeemed, the underlying
digital product to which the digital code relates.
Sec. 203 RCW 82.04.192 and 2009 c 535 s 201 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) "Digital audio works" means works that result from the fixation
of a series of musical, spoken, or other sounds, including ringtones.
(2) "Digital audio-visual works" means a series of related images
which, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion,
together with accompanying sounds, if any.
(3)(a) "Digital automated service," except as provided in (b) of
this subsection (3), means any service transferred electronically that
uses one or more software applications.
(b) "Digital automated service" does not include:
(i) Any service that primarily involves the application of human
effort by the seller, and the human effort originated after the
customer requested the service;
(ii) The loaning or transferring of money or the purchase, sale, or
transfer of financial instruments. For purposes of this subsection
(3)(b)(ii), "financial instruments" include cash, accounts receivable
and payable, loans and notes receivable and payable, debt securities,
equity securities, as well as derivative contracts such as forward
contracts, swap contracts, and options;
(iii) Dispensing cash or other physical items from a machine;
(iv) Payment processing services;
(v) Parimutuel wagering and handicapping contests as authorized by
chapter 67.16 RCW;
(vi) Telecommunications services and ancillary services as those
terms are defined in RCW 82.04.065;
(vii) The internet and internet access as those terms are defined
in RCW 82.04.297;
(viii) The service described in RCW 82.04.050(6)(b);
(ix) Online educational programs provided by a:
(A) Public or private elementary or secondary school; or
(B) An institution of higher education as defined in sections 1001
or 1002 of the federal higher education act of 1965 (Title 20 U.S.C.
Secs. 1001 and 1002), as existing on July 1, 2009. For purposes of
this subsection (3)(b)(ix)(B), an online educational program must be
encompassed within the institution's accreditation;
(x) Live presentations, such as lectures, seminars, workshops, or
courses, where participants are connected to other participants via the
internet or telecommunications equipment, which allows audience members
and the presenter or instructor to give, receive, and discuss
information with each other in real time;
(xi) Travel agent services, including online travel services, and
automated systems used by travel agents to book reservations;
(((xi))) (xii)(A) A service that allows the person receiving the
service to make online sales of products or services, digital or
otherwise, using either: (I) The service provider's web site; or (II)
the service recipient's web site, but only when the service provider's
technology is used in creating or hosting the service recipient's web
site or is used in processing orders from customers using the service
recipient's web site.
(B) The service described in this subsection (3)(b)(((xi))) (xii)
does not include the underlying sale of the products or services,
digital or otherwise, by the person receiving the service; ((and)) (xiii) Advertising services. For
purposes of this subsection (3)(b)(xiii), "advertising services" means
all services directly related to the creation, preparation, production,
or the dissemination of advertisements. Advertising services include
layout, art direction, graphic design, mechanical preparation,
production supervision, placement, and rendering advice to a client
concerning the best methods of advertising that client's products or
services. Advertising services also include online referrals, search
engine marketing and lead generation optimization, web campaign
planning, the acquisition of advertising space in the internet media,
and the monitoring and evaluation of web site traffic for purposes of
determining the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. Advertising
services do not include web hosting services and domain name
registration;
(xii) Online classified
(xiv) The mere storage of digital products, digital codes, computer
software, or master copies of software. This exclusion from the
definition of digital automated services includes providing space on a
server for web hosting or the backing up of data or other information;
(xv) Data processing services. For purposes of this subsection
(3)(b)(xv), "data processing service" means a primarily automated
service provided to a business or other organization that involves the
systematic performance of operations on data supplied in whole or in
part by the customer to extract the required information in an
appropriate form or to convert the data to usable information. Data
processing services include check processing, image processing, form
processing, survey processing, payroll processing, claim processing,
and similar activities. Data processing does not include the service
described in RCW 82.04.050(6)(b); and
(xvi) Digital goods.
(4) "Digital books" means works that are generally recognized in
the ordinary and usual sense as books.
(5) "Digital code" means a code that provides a purchaser with the
right to obtain one or more digital products, if all of the digital
products to be obtained through the use of the code have the same sales
and use tax treatment. "Digital code" does not include a code that
represents a stored monetary value that is deducted from a total as it
is used by the purchaser. "Digital code" also does not include a code
that represents a redeemable card, gift card, or gift certificate that
entitles the holder to select digital products of an indicated cash
value. A digital code may be obtained by any means, including e-mail
or by tangible means regardless of its designation as song code, video
code, book code, or some other term.
(6)(a) "Digital goods," except as provided in (b) of this
subsection (6), means sounds, images, data, facts, or information, or
any combination thereof, transferred electronically, including, but not
limited to, specified digital products and other products transferred
electronically not included within the definition of specified digital
products.
(b) The term "digital goods" does not include:
(i) Telecommunications services and ancillary services as those
terms are defined in RCW 82.04.065;
(ii) Computer software as defined in RCW 82.04.215;
(iii) The internet and internet access as those terms are defined
in RCW 82.04.297;
(iv)(A) Except as provided in (b)(iv)(B) of this subsection (6),
the representation of a personal or professional service in electronic
form, such as an electronic copy of an engineering report prepared by
an engineer, ((that)) where the service primarily involves the
application of human effort by the service provider, and the human
effort originated after the customer requested the service((; and)).
(B) The exclusion in (b)(iv)(A) of this subsection (6) does not
apply to photographers in respect to amounts received for the taking of
photographs that are transferred electronically to the customer, but
only if the customer is an end user, as defined in RCW 82.04.190(11),
of the photographs. Such amounts are considered to be for the sale of
digital goods; and
(v) ((Digital automated services and)) Services and activities
excluded from the definition of digital automated services in
subsection (3)(b)(i) through (xv) of this section and not otherwise
described in (b)(i) through (iv) of this subsection (6).
(7) "Digital products" means digital goods and digital automated
services.
(8) "Electronically transferred" or "transferred electronically"
means obtained by the purchaser by means other than tangible storage
media. It is not necessary that a copy of the product be physically
transferred to the purchaser. So long as the purchaser may access the
product, it will be considered to have been electronically transferred
to the purchaser.
(9) "Specified digital products" means electronically transferred
digital audio-visual works, digital audio works, and digital books.
(10) "Subscription radio services" means the sale of audio
programming by a radio broadcaster as defined in RCW 82.08.02081,
except as otherwise provided in this subsection. "Subscription radio
services" does not include audio programming that is sold on a pay-per-program basis or that allows the buyer to access a library of programs
at any time for a specific charge for that service.
(11) "Subscription television services" means the sale of video
programming by a television broadcaster as defined in RCW 82.08.02081,
except as otherwise provided in this subsection. "Subscription
television services" does not include video programming that is sold on
a pay-per-program basis or that allows the buyer to access a library of
programs at any time for a specific charge for that service, but only
if the seller is not subject to a franchise fee in this state under the
authority of Title 47 U.S.C. Sec. 542(a) on the gross revenue derived
from the sale.
Sec. 301 RCW 82.04.257 and 2009 c 535 s 401 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, upon
every person engaging within this state in the business of making sales
at retail or wholesale of digital goods, digital codes, digital
automated services, or services described in RCW 82.04.050 (2)(g) or
(6)(b), as to such persons, the amount of tax with respect to such
business is equal to the gross proceeds of sales of the business,
multiplied by the rate of 0.471 percent in the case of retail sales and
by the rate of 0.484 percent in the case of wholesale sales.
(2) Persons providing subscription television services or
subscription radio services are subject to tax under RCW 82.04.290(2)
on the gross income of the business received from providing such
services.
(3) For purposes of this section, a person is considered to be
engaging within this state in the business of making sales of digital
goods, digital codes, digital automated services, or services described
in RCW 82.04.050 (2)(g) or (6)(b), if the person makes sales of digital
goods, digital codes, digital automated services, or services described
in RCW 82.04.050 (2)(g) or (6)(b) and the sales are sourced to this
state under RCW 82.32.730 for sales tax purposes or would have been
sourced to this state under RCW 82.32.730 if the sale had been taxable
under chapter 82.08 RCW.
(((3))) (4) A person subject to tax under this section ((must
report the tax imposed in this chapter in an electronic format provided
by the department)) is subject to the mandatory electronic filing and
payment requirements in RCW 82.32.080.
Sec. 302 RCW 82.04.2907 and 2009 c 535 s 407 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Upon every person engaging within this state in the business of
receiving income from royalties or charges in the nature of royalties
for the granting of intangible rights, such as copyrights, licenses,
patents, or franchise fees, the amount of tax with respect to ((such))
the business ((shall be)) is equal to the gross income from royalties
or charges in the nature of royalties from the business multiplied by
the rate of 0.484 percent.
(2) For the purposes of this section, "royalties" means
compensation for the use of intangible property, such as copyrights,
patents, licenses, franchises, trademarks, trade names, and similar
items. It does not include compensation for any natural resource, the
licensing of prewritten computer software to the end user, or the
licensing ((or use)) of digital goods, digital codes, or digital
automated services to the end user as defined in RCW 82.04.190(11).
Sec. 303 RCW 82.04.297 and 2009 c 535 s 408 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The provision of internet access is subject to tax under RCW
82.04.290(2).
(2)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, "internet" and
"internet access" have the same meaning as those terms are defined in
the federal internet tax freedom act, Title 47 U.S.C. Sec. 151 note, as
existing on July 1, 2009.
(b) "Internet access" does not include telecommunications service
purchased, used, or sold by a person that provides a service that
enables users to connect to the internet to access content,
information, or other services offered over the internet, to the extent
such telecommunications service is purchased, used, or sold: (i) To
provide such service; or (ii) to otherwise enable users to access
content, information, or other services offered over the internet.
(3) Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions
in this section apply throughout this chapter.
Sec. 304 RCW 82.32.080 and 2009 c 176 s 2 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) When authorized by the department, payment of the tax may be
made by uncertified check under such rules as the department
prescribes, 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, will
remain liable for payment of the tax and for all legal penalties, the
same as if such check had not been tendered.
(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, payment of
the tax must be made by electronic funds transfer, as defined in RCW
82.32.085, if the taxpayer is required to file and remit its taxes on
a monthly basis. As an alternative to electronic funds transfer, the
department may authorize other forms of electronic payment, such as
credit card and e-check. 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 subsection to require electronic payment for those taxes
reported on the department's combined excise tax return or any
successor return. The mandatory electronic payment requirement in this
subsection also applies to taxpayers who: (i) Are subject to the tax
imposed in RCW 82.04.257 but for whom the department has authorized a
tax reporting frequency that is less frequent than monthly; or (ii)
meet the threshold for filing and remitting taxes on a monthly basis as
established by rule of the department but for whom the department has
authorized a less frequent reporting frequency, when such authorization
became effective on or after July 26, 2009.
(b) The department, for good cause, may waive the electronic
payment requirement in this subsection for any taxpayer. In the
discretion of the department, a waiver under this subsection may be
made temporary or permanent, and may be made on the department's own
motion.
(c) The department is authorized to accept payment of taxes by
electronic funds transfer or other acceptable forms of electronic
payment from taxpayers that are not subject to the mandatory electronic
payment requirements in this subsection.
(3)(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, returns
must be filed electronically using the department's online tax filing
service, if the taxpayer is required to file and remit its taxes on a
monthly basis. The mandatory electronic filing requirement in this
subsection also applies to taxpayers who: (i) Are subject to the tax
imposed in RCW 82.04.257 but for whom the department has authorized a
tax reporting frequency that is less frequent than monthly; or (ii)
meet the threshold for filing and remitting taxes on a monthly basis as
established by rule of the department but for whom the department has
authorized a less frequent reporting frequency, when such authorization
became effective on or after July 26, 2009.
(b) The department, for good cause, may waive the electronic filing
requirement in this subsection for any taxpayer. In the discretion of
the department, a waiver under this subsection may be made temporary or
permanent, and may be made on the department's own motion.
(c) The department is authorized to ((accept payment of taxes by
electronic funds transfer or other acceptable forms of electronic
payment)) allow electronic filing of returns from taxpayers that are
not subject to the mandatory electronic ((payment)) filing requirements
in this subsection.
(4)(a)(i) 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 must be conditional on deposit with
the department of an amount to be determined by the department which
((shall be)) is 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 must 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.
(ii) The department must 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.
(b) During a state of emergency declared under RCW 43.06.010(12),
the department, on its own motion or at the request of any taxpayer
affected by the emergency, may extend the time for making or filing any
return as the department deems proper. The department may not require
any deposit as a condition for granting an extension under this
subsection (4)(b).
(5) The department must 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 must apply the payment of the
taxpayer first against penalties and interest, and then upon the tax,
without regard to any direction of the taxpayer.
(6) The department may refuse to accept any return that is not
accompanied by a remittance of the tax shown to be due thereon or that
is not filed electronically as required in this section. When such
return is not accepted, the taxpayer is deemed to have failed or
refused to file a return and is 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 may not apply when a
return is timely filed electronically and a timely payment has been
made by electronic funds transfer or other form of electronic payment
as authorized by the department.
(7) Except for returns and remittances required to be transmitted
to the department electronically under this section and except as
otherwise provided in this chapter, a return or remittance that is
transmitted to the department by United States mail is deemed filed or
received on the date shown by the post office cancellation mark stamped
upon the envelope containing it. A return or remittance that is
transmitted to the department electronically is deemed filed or
received according to procedures set forth by the department.
(8)(a) For purposes of subsections (2) and (3) of this section,
"good cause" means the inability of a taxpayer to comply with the
requirements of subsection (2) or (3) of this section because:
(i) The taxpayer does not have the equipment or software necessary
to enable the taxpayer to comply with subsection (2) or (3) of this
section;
(ii) The equipment or software necessary to enable the taxpayer to
comply with subsection (2) or (3) of this section is not functioning
properly;
(iii) The taxpayer does not have access to the internet using the
taxpayer's own equipment;
(iv) The taxpayer does not have a bank account or a credit card;
(v) The taxpayer's bank is unable to send or receive electronic
funds transfer transactions; or
(vi) Some other circumstance or condition exists that, in the
department's judgment, prevents the taxpayer from complying with the
requirements of subsection (2) or (3) of this section.
(b) "Good cause" also includes any circumstance that, in the
department's judgment, supports the efficient or effective
administration of the tax laws of this state, including providing
relief from the requirements of subsection (2) or (3) of this section
to any taxpayer that is voluntarily collecting and remitting this
state's sales or use taxes on sales to Washington customers but has no
legal requirement to be registered with the department.
Sec. 305 RCW 35.102.130 and 2003 c 79 s 13 are each amended to
read as follows:
A city that imposes a business and occupation tax ((shall)) must
provide for the allocation and apportionment of a person's gross
income, other than persons subject to the provisions of chapter 82.14A
RCW, as follows:
(1) Gross income derived from all activities other than those taxed
as service or royalties ((shall)) must be allocated to the location
where the activity takes place.
(a) In the case of sales of tangible personal property, the
activity takes place where delivery to the buyer occurs.
(b)(i) In the case of sales of digital products, the activity takes
place where delivery to the buyer occurs. The delivery of digital
products will be deemed to occur at:
(A) The seller's place of business if the purchaser receives the
digital product at the seller's place of business;
(B) If not received at the seller's place of business, the location
where the purchaser or the purchaser's donee, designated as such by the
purchaser, receives the digital product, including the location
indicated by instructions for delivery to the purchaser or donee, known
to the seller;
(C) If the location where the purchaser or the purchaser's donee
receives the digital product is not known, the purchaser's address
maintained in the ordinary course of the seller's business when use of
this address does not constitute bad faith;
(D) If no address for the purchaser is maintained in the ordinary
course of the seller's business, the purchaser's address obtained
during the consummation of the sale, including the address of a
purchaser's payment instrument, if no other address is available, when
use of this address does not constitute bad faith; and
(E) If no address for the purchaser is obtained during the
consummation of the sale, the address where the digital good or digital
code is first made available for transmission by the seller or the
address from which the digital automated service or service described
in RCW 82.04.050 (2)(g) or (6)(b) was provided, disregarding for these
purposes any location that merely provided the digital transfer of the
product sold.
(ii) If none of the methods in (b)(i) of this subsection (1) for
determining where the delivery of digital products occurs are available
after a good faith effort by the taxpayer to apply the methods provided
in (b)(i)(A) through (E) of this subsection (1), then the city and the
taxpayer may mutually agree to employ any other method to effectuate an
equitable allocation of income from the sale of digital products. The
taxpayer will be responsible for petitioning the city to use an
alternative method under this subsection (1)(b)(ii). The city may
employ an alternative method for allocating the income from the sale of
digital products if the methods provided in (b)(i)(A) through (E) of
this subsection (1) are not available and the taxpayer and the city are
unable to mutually agree on an alternative method to effectuate an
equitable allocation of income from the sale of digital products.
(iii) For purposes of this subsection (1)(b), the following
definitions apply:
(A) "Digital automated services," "digital codes," and "digital
goods" have the same meaning as in RCW 82.04.192;
(B) "Digital products" means digital goods, digital codes, digital
automated services, and the services described in RCW 82.04.050 (2)(g)
and (6)(b); and
(C) "Receive" has the same meaning as in RCW 82.32.730.
(c) If a business activity allocated under this subsection (1)
takes place in more than one city and all cities impose a gross
receipts tax, a credit ((shall)) must be allowed as provided in RCW
35.102.060; if not all of the cities impose a gross receipts tax, the
affected cities ((shall)) must allow another credit or allocation
system as they and the taxpayer agree.
(2) Gross income derived as royalties from the granting of
intangible rights ((shall)) must be allocated to the commercial
domicile of the taxpayer.
(3) Gross income derived from activities taxed as services shall be
apportioned to a city by multiplying apportionable income by a
fraction, the numerator of which is the payroll factor plus the
service-income factor and the denominator of which is two.
(a) The payroll factor is a fraction, the numerator of which is the
total amount paid in the city during the tax period by the taxpayer for
compensation and the denominator of which is the total compensation
paid everywhere during the tax period. Compensation is paid in the
city if:
(i) The individual is primarily assigned within the city;
(ii) The individual is not primarily assigned to any place of
business for the tax period and the employee performs fifty percent or
more of his or her service for the tax period in the city; or
(iii) The individual is not primarily assigned to any place of
business for the tax period, the individual does not perform fifty
percent or more of his or her service in any city(([,])), and the
employee resides in the city.
(b) The service income factor is a fraction, the numerator of which
is the total service income of the taxpayer in the city during the tax
period, and the denominator of which is the total service income of the
taxpayer everywhere during the tax period. Service income is in the
city if:
(i) The customer location is in the city; or
(ii) The income-producing activity is performed in more than one
location and a greater proportion of the service-income-producing
activity is performed in the city than in any other location, based on
costs of performance, and the taxpayer is not taxable at the customer
location; or
(iii) The service-income-producing activity is performed within the
city, and the taxpayer is not taxable in the customer location.
(c) If the allocation and apportionment provisions of this
subsection do not fairly represent the extent of the taxpayer's
business activity in the city or cities in which the taxpayer does
business, the taxpayer may petition for or the tax administrators may
jointly require, in respect to all or any part of the taxpayer's
business activity, that one of the following methods be used jointly by
the cities to allocate or apportion gross income, if reasonable:
(i) Separate accounting;
(ii) The use of a single factor;
(iii) The inclusion of one or more additional factors that will
fairly represent the taxpayer's business activity in the city; or
(iv) The employment of any other method to effectuate an equitable
allocation and apportionment of the taxpayer's income.
(4) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this
section.
(a) "Apportionable income" means the gross income of the business
taxable under the service classifications of a city's gross receipts
tax, including income received from activities outside the city if the
income would be taxable under the service classification if received
from activities within the city, less any exemptions or deductions
available.
(b) "Compensation" means wages, salaries, commissions, and any
other form of remuneration paid to individuals for personal services
that are or would be included in the individual's gross income under
the federal internal revenue code.
(c) "Individual" means any individual who, under the usual common
law rules applicable in determining the employer-employee relationship,
has the status of an employee of that taxpayer.
(d) "Customer location" means the city or unincorporated area of a
county where the majority of the contacts between the taxpayer and the
customer take place.
(e) "Primarily assigned" means the business location of the
taxpayer where the individual performs his or her duties.
(f) "Service-taxable income" or "service income" means gross income
of the business subject to tax under either the service or royalty
classification.
(g) "Tax period" means the calendar year during which tax liability
is accrued. If taxes are reported by a taxpayer on a basis more
frequent than once per year, taxpayers shall calculate the factors for
the previous calendar year for reporting in the current calendar year
and correct the reporting for the previous year when the factors are
calculated for that year, but not later than the end of the first
quarter of the following year.
(h) "Taxable in the customer location" means either that a taxpayer
is subject to a gross receipts tax in the customer location for the
privilege of doing business, or that the government where the customer
is located has the authority to subject the taxpayer to gross receipts
tax regardless of whether, in fact, the government does so.
Sec. 401 RCW 82.08.02082 and 2009 c 535 s 503 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020 does not apply to ((sales of
digital goods, digital codes, digital automated services, or services
defined as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050(6)(b) for purposes of:)) a business or other organization for the purpose of making
the digital good or digital automated service, including a digital good
or digital automated service acquired through the use of a digital
code, or service defined as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050(6)(b)
available free of charge for the use or enjoyment of ((
(a) Consuming the digital good, digital code, digital automated
service, or service defined as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050(6)(b) in
producing for sale a new product, where the digital good, digital code,
digital automated service, or service defined as a retail sale in RCW
82.04.050(6)(b) becomes an ingredient or component of the new product.
A digital code becomes an ingredient or component of a new product if
the digital good or digital automated service acquired through the use
of the digital code becomes an ingredient or component of a new
product; or
(b)others)) the
general public. The exemption provided in this section does not apply
unless the purchaser has the legal right to broadcast, rebroadcast,
transmit, retransmit, license, relicense, distribute, redistribute, or
exhibit the product, in whole or in part, to the general public.
(2) The exemption is available only when the buyer provides the
seller with an exemption certificate in a form and manner prescribed by
the department. The seller must retain a copy of the certificate for
the seller's files.
(3) For purposes of this section, "general public" means all
persons and not limited or restricted to a particular class of persons,
except that the general public includes:
(a) A class of persons that is defined as all persons residing or
owning property within the boundaries of a state, political subdivision
of a state, or a municipal corporation; and
(b) With respect to libraries, authorized library patrons.
Sec. 402 RCW 82.08.02087 and 2009 c 535 s 504 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020 does not apply to the sale to
a business of ((standard)) digital ((information)) goods, and services
rendered in respect to ((standard)) digital ((information)) goods,
where the ((standard)) digital ((information)) goods and services
rendered in respect to digital goods are purchased solely for business
purposes. The exemption provided by this section also applies to the
sale to a business of a digital code if all of the digital goods to be
obtained through the use of the code will be used solely for business
purposes.
(2) The exemption is available only when the buyer provides the
seller with an exemption certificate in a form and manner prescribed by
the department. The seller must retain a copy of the certificate for
the seller's files.
(3) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(a) "Business purposes" means any purpose relevant to the business
needs of the taxpayer claiming an exemption under this section.
Business purposes do not include any personal, family, or household
purpose. The term also does not include any activity conducted by a
government entity as that term is defined in RCW 7.25.005; and
(b) (("Standard digital information" means a digital good
consisting primarily of data, facts, or information, or any combination
thereof, not generated or compiled for a specific client or customer.))
"Services rendered in respect to digital goods" means those services
defined as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050(2)(g).
Sec. 501 RCW 82.12.02082 and 2009 c 535 s 603 are each amended to
read as follows:
((The provisions of this chapter do not apply to the use of digital
goods, digital codes, digital automated services, or services defined
as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050(6)(b) for purposes of: (1) Consuming
the digital good, digital code, digital automated service, or service
defined as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050(6)(b) in producing for sale
a new product, where the digital good, digital code, digital automated
service, or service defined as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050(6)(b)
becomes an ingredient or component of the new product. A digital code
becomes an ingredient or component of a new product if the digital good
or digital automated service acquired through the use of the digital
code becomes an ingredient or component of a new product; or)) The provisions of this chapter do not apply to the use by a
business or other organization of digital goods, digital codes, digital
automated services, or services defined as a retail sale in RCW
82.04.050(6)(b) for the purpose of making the digital good or digital
automated service, including a digital good or digital automated
service acquired through the use of a digital code, or service defined
as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050(6)(b) available free of charge for
the use or enjoyment of ((
(2)others)) the general public. For purposes of
this section, "general public" has the same meaning as in RCW
82.08.02082. The exemption provided in this section does not apply
unless the user has the legal right to broadcast, rebroadcast,
transmit, retransmit, license, relicense, distribute, redistribute, or
exhibit the product, in whole or in part, to the general public.
Sec. 502 RCW 82.12.02087 and 2009 c 535 s 607 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The provisions of this chapter do not apply to the use by a
business of ((standard)) digital ((information)) goods, and services
rendered in respect to ((standard)) digital ((information)) goods,
where the ((standard)) digital ((information)) goods and services
rendered in respect to digital goods are used solely for business
purposes. The exemption provided by this section also applies to the
use by a business of a digital code if all of the digital goods to be
obtained through the use of the code will be used solely for business
purposes.
(2) For purposes of this section, the definitions in RCW
82.08.02087 apply.
Sec. 601 RCW 82.08.195 and 2009 c 535 s 801 and 2009 c 483 s 3
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section, a bundled
transaction is subject to the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020 if the
retail sale of any of its component products would be subject to the
tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020.
(2) The transactions described in RCW 82.08.190(4) (a) and (b) are
subject to the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020 if the service that is the
true object of the transaction is subject to the tax imposed by RCW
82.08.020. If the service that is the true object of the transaction
is not subject to the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020, the transaction is
not subject to the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020.
(3) The transaction described in RCW 82.08.190(4)(c) is not subject
to the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020.
(4) The transaction described in RCW 82.08.190(4)(d) is not subject
to the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020.
(5) In the case of a bundled transaction that includes any of the
following: Telecommunications service, ancillary service, internet
access, or audio or video programming service:
(a) If the price is attributable to products that are taxable and
products that are not taxable, the portion of the price attributable to
the nontaxable products are subject to the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020
unless the seller can identify by reasonable and verifiable standards
the portion from its books and records that are kept in the regular
course of business for other purposes including, but not limited to,
nontax purposes;
(b) If the price is attributable to products that are subject to
tax at different tax rates, the total price is attributable to the
products subject to the tax at the highest tax rate unless the seller
can identify by reasonable and verifiable standards the portion of the
price attributable to the products subject to the tax imposed by RCW
82.08.020 at the lower rate from its books and records that are kept in
the regular course of business for other purposes including, but not
limited to, nontax purposes.
(6) The tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020 does not apply in respect to
a bundled transaction consisting entirely of the sale of services or of
services and prepared food, if the sale is to a resident, sixty-two
years of age or older, of a qualified low-income senior housing
facility by the lessor or operator of the facility. A single bundled
transaction involving both spouses of a marital community or both
domestic partners of a domestic partnership meets the age requirement
in this subsection if at least one of the spouses or domestic partners
is at least sixty-two years of age. For purposes of this subsection,
"qualified low-income senior housing facility" has the same meaning as
in RCW 82.08.0293.
(7) In the case of the sale of a code that provides a purchaser
with the right to obtain more than one digital product((,)) or one or
more digital products and ((which may also include the right to
obtain)) other products or services, and all of the products and
services, digital or otherwise, to be obtained through the use of the
code do not have the same sales and use tax treatment, for purposes of
the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020:
(a) The transaction is deemed to be the sale of the products and
services to be obtained through the use of the code; and
(b)(i) The tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020 applies to the entire
selling price of the code, except as provided in (b)(ii) of this
subsection (7).
(ii) If the seller can identify by reasonable and verifiable
standards the portion of the selling price attributable to the products
and services that are not subject to the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020
from its books and records that are kept in the regular course of
business for other purposes including, but not limited to, nontax
purposes, the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020 does not apply to that
portion of the selling price of the code attributable to the products
and services that are not subject to the tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020
nor to that portion of the selling price of the code attributable to
any digital goods, the sale of which is exempt under RCW 82.08.02087.
Sec. 701 RCW 82.32.532 and 2009 c 535 s 901 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) For purposes of the taxes imposed in this title, the department
of revenue may not consider a person's ownership of, or rights in,
computer software as defined in RCW 82.04.215, including computer
software used in providing a digital automated service; master copies
of software; digital goods or digital codes residing on servers located
in this state in determining whether the person has substantial nexus
with this state.
(2) For purposes of this section, "substantial nexus" means the
requisite connection that a person has with a state to allow the state
to subject the person to the state's taxing authority, consistent with
the commerce clause of the United States Constitution.
Sec. 801 RCW 82.32.533 and 2009 c 535 s 1001 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, no person
may be held liable for the failure to collect or pay state and local
sales and use taxes accrued before July 26, 2009, on the sale or use of
digital goods or of services defined as a retail sale in RCW
82.04.050(2)(a) and rendered in respect to digital goods.
(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not relieve any person from
liability for state and local sales taxes that the person collected
from buyers but did not remit to the department of revenue.
(3) Nothing in this section may be construed as authorizing the
refund of state and local sales and use taxes properly paid on the sale
or use, before July 26, 2009, of digital goods ((before July 26, 2009))
or of services defined as a retail sale in RCW 82.04.050(2)(a) and
rendered in respect to digital goods.
(4) A person is not entitled to a credit or refund of any business
and occupation tax paid in excess of that properly due as a result of
the person paying tax on its income earned from the sale of eligible
digital products and services at the tax rate provided in RCW
82.04.290(2)(a) rather than the tax rate provided in RCW 82.04.250(1),
unless the person requesting the credit or refund has paid the proper
amount of state and local sales taxes due on the sales of the eligible
digital products and services that generated the income in respect to
which the business and occupation tax credit or refund is sought. For
purposes of this subsection, "eligible digital products and services"
means: (a) Digital goods; and (b) services defined as a retail sale in
RCW 82.04.050(2)(a) and rendered in respect to digital goods.
(5) For purposes of this section, "digital goods" has the same
meaning as in RCW 82.04.192.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 901 If any provision of this act or its
application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the
remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other
persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 902 (1) Except as provided in subsection (2)
of this section, this act applies both prospectively and retroactively
to July 26, 2009.
(2) Sections 202, 402, and 502 of this act, and those provisions of
sections 401 and 501 of this act that eliminate the sales and use tax
exemptions in RCW 82.08.02082 and 82.12.02082, apply prospectively
only.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 903 This act takes effect July 1, 2010.