(1) Introduction. This rule explains how an assessor determines the adjusted gross income for the claimant, the claimant's spouse or domestic partner, and any cotenants. In order to meet the income requirements for the senior citizen, disabled person, and one hundred percent disabled veteran exemption program, the claimant must provide supporting documents verifying combined disposable income. The adjusted gross income for federal income tax purposes of the claimant, the claimant's spouse or domestic partner, and any cotenants represents a part of the claimant's combined disposable income.

(a) Income tax return. In most cases, the claimant presents copies of federal income tax returns to demonstrate adjusted gross income amount(s) for the claimant, the claimant's spouse or domestic partner, and any cotenants. The assessor then determines the disposable income for each person based upon that person's income tax return and other information supplied by the claimant.

(b) No income tax return. When the claimant does not present federal income tax return(s), the assessor must determine what constitutes the gross income and the adjusted gross income of the nonfiler and obtain copies of income documents to determine that person's income amounts. This rule provides the assessor with some guidance in determining the adjusted gross income for a nonfiler.

(c) Verifying the adjusted gross income amount. In some cases, the assessor may choose to verify income amount(s). The rule provides the assessor some guidance in verifying all or part of the adjusted gross income for the claimant, the claimant's spouse or domestic partner, or any of the cotenants.

(2) Adjusted gross income. Internal Revenue Code section 62 defines "adjusted gross income" as gross income minus the following deductions:

(a) Trade and business deductions. Business owners may deduct from gross income trade or business expenses. If the claimant submits a copy of a Form 1040 federal income tax return, these deductions will be taken on the Schedule C, the Schedule C-EZ, or, for a farm, the Schedule F. If the business owned is a partnership, limited partnership, S Corporation, or Limited Liability Company (LLC), the deduction is taken on the return submitted by the partnership, limited partnership, S Corporation, or LLC (Tax Return Forms 1065 and 1120S) and passed through to the individual on a Schedule K-1. A claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant that does not file a federal income tax return, but claims to have trade or business deductions should provide documentation of income and expenses from the business to allow the assessor to determine the amount of trade or business expenses to be deducted.

(b) Unreimbursed expenses paid or incurred by an elementary or secondary school teacher for educational materials and equipment, an employee who is a qualified performing artist, or a state or local government official paid on a fee basis. From 2002 until 2010, an elementary or secondary school teacher may deduct from gross income up to two hundred fifty dollars of unreimbursed amounts that the teacher pays for educational materials and equipment used in the teacher's classroom. A teacher may take this deduction on a Form 1040 or a 1040A. A qualified performing artist, defined by Internal Revenue Code section 62(b), or a state or local government official paid on a fee basis may deduct from gross income any unreimbursed trade or business expenses incurred for that employer as an employee. If the claimant submits a copy of a Form 1040 federal income tax return, the deduction will be taken on the dotted line before the final line for determining adjusted gross income with a designation of "QPA" or "FBO." A claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant that does not file a tax return, but claims to have unreimbursed expenses for this deduction, should provide documentation to demonstrate his or her status as an elementary or secondary school teacher, a qualified performing artist, or a government employee paid on a fee basis and documentation of the unreimbursed educational materials and equipment or trade or business amounts spent as an employee for his or her employer.

(c) Losses from sale or exchange of property. A property owner may deduct from gross income losses from the sale or exchange of property for federal income tax purposes. If the claimant submits a copy of a Form 1040 federal income tax return, the deduction is generally determined on a Schedule D. For purposes of this program, losses cannot be deducted from income. Any losses taken must be added onto adjusted gross income. An assessor may refuse documentation of losses from a claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant that does not file a tax return as these losses do not result in any change to the claimant's final combined disposable income.

(d) Deductions attributable to rents and royalties. A property owner may deduct from gross income expenses attributable to property held for the production of rents and royalties. If the claimant submits a copy of a Form 1040 federal income tax return, the deductions are determined on a Schedule E. A claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant that does not file a tax return, but claims to have expenses from rental property or licensed property, should provide documentation of these expenses.

(e) Certain deductions of life tenants and income beneficiaries of property. A life tenant or income beneficiary of a trust or estate may deduct from gross income for federal income tax purposes depreciation or depletion expenses related to the business or rental property in which he or she has a life estate or when the property is owned by a trust or estate, if he or she has a beneficial interest in the property. If the claimant submits a copy of a Form 1040 federal income tax return, these deductions are shown on Schedule E. A claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant with a beneficial interest in business property owned by a trust or estate would show the depreciation or depletion deduction on the Schedule K-1 from that trust or estate. An assessor may refuse documentation of depreciation or depletion on property from a claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant that does not file a tax return as these expenses do not result in any change to the claimant's final combined disposable income.

(f) Pension, profit-sharing, annuity, and annuity plans of self-employed individuals. A self-employed person may deduct from gross income contributions to a SEP, SIMPLE, or other qualified plan. These deductions are claimed on the Form 1040 federal income tax return. A self-employed claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant that does not file a tax return, but claims this deduction, should provide documentation of the contributions made to a qualified plan by his or her business.

(g) Self-employed health insurance deduction. As part of his or her trade and business expenses, a self-employed person may deduct from gross income part (and after 2002, all) of the business's payments for his or her health insurance. This deduction is claimed on the Form 1040 federal income tax return. A self-employed claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant that does not file a tax return, but claims this deduction, should provide documentation of the payments made for his or her health insurance by his or her business. The assessor may request the claimant to submit a copy of the deduction worksheet provided in the instructions for Form 1040 to calculate this deduction whether or not the self-employed person filed a tax return.

(h) One-half of self-employment tax. As part of his or her trade or business expenses, a self-employed person may deduct from gross income one-half of the self-employment tax paid to the federal government determined on a Schedule SE. This deduction is claimed on the Form 1040 federal income tax return. A self-employed person that has not filed a return, may not claim this deduction as the self-employment tax is reported and paid with that return.

(i) Retirement savings. A person may deduct from gross income qualifying contributions (up to three thousand five hundred dollars) made to an individual retirement account (IRA). This deduction may be claimed on either the Form 1040 or Form 1040A federal income tax return. A claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant that does not file a tax return, but claims to have made qualifying contributions to an IRA, should provide documentation of these contributions. The assessor may request the claimant to submit a copy of the IRA deduction worksheet provided in the instructions for Form 1040 and Form 1040A to calculate this deduction whether or not the person filed a tax return.

(j) Penalties on early withdrawal of savings. A person may deduct from gross income for purposes of federal income tax penalties paid because of an early withdrawal of savings. This deduction is claimed on the Form 1040 federal income tax return. The IRS classifies these penalties as losses. For purposes of this program, losses may not be deducted from income. Any deduction taken on this line must be added to adjusted gross income. An assessor may refuse documentation about these penalties from a claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant that does not file a tax return as these losses do not result in any change to the claimant's final combined disposable income.

(k) Alimony. A person may deduct from gross income alimony paid in cash to a previous spouse. This deduction is claimed on the Form 1040 federal income tax return. A person that does not file a tax return, but made alimony payments, should provide copies of documentation showing alimony payments were made in cash to a prior spouse. The documents should include a copy of the divorce or separation instrument providing for the alimony payments and the amount of the alimony payments made during the year.

(l) Reforestation costs. A landowner may deduct from gross income for purposes of federal income tax the amortized reforestation costs for qualified timber property over a period of eighty-four months. If the property is held as business property, the deduction will appear with the trade and business expenses. If the property is not held as business property and the claimant submits a copy of a Form 1040 federal income tax return, this deduction is claimed on the dotted line before the final line for determining adjusted gross income on the Form 1040 federal income tax return and identified as "RFST." An assessor may refuse documentation of the amortization of reforestation costs from a claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant that does not file a tax return as these amortized costs are depreciation expenses. These expenses would be added onto adjusted gross income for purposes of this program and do not result in any change to the claimant's final combined disposable income.

(m) Required repayment of supplemental unemployment compensation. A person may deduct from gross income required repayments of supplemental unemployment compensation benefits. If the claimant submits a Form 1040 federal income tax return, the deduction may show on the return in one of two ways. If the repayment is made in the same year the benefits are received, the taxpayer reduces the total unemployment compensation reported on the return by the amount of repayment. If the repayment is made in a later year, the taxpayer deducts the repayment on the dotted line before the final line for determining adjusted gross income on the return and identifies it as "Sub-Pay TRA." A person that does not file a tax return, but claims to have repaid supplemental unemployment compensation, should provide documentation of these repayments.

(n) Jury duty pay given to employer. An employee may deduct from gross income jury duty pay given to his or her employer. An employee deducts the jury pay given to the employer on the dotted line before the final line for determining adjusted gross income on the Form 1040 federal income tax return and identifies it as "Jury Pay." A person that does not file a tax return, but claims to have given jury pay received during the year to their employer, should provide documentation of the amount of jury pay given over to the employer.

(o) Clean-fuel vehicles and certain refueling property. A person may deduct from gross income a portion of the cost for a qualified clean-fuel vehicle and certain refueling property until the end of calendar year 2004. This deduction may show on the Form 1040 federal income tax return in one of two ways. If the property is held as business property, the deduction will appear with the trade and business expenses. If a clean-fuel vehicle is not held as business property, or is claimed by an employee who used it in whole or part for business, this deduction is claimed on the dotted line before the final line for determining adjusted gross income on the return and identified as "Clean Fuel." A purchaser that does not file a tax return, but purchased clean-fuel property, should provide documentation about the qualifying clean-fuel vehicle or the refueling property, the amount paid for the clean-fuel property, and a calculation of the deduction amount allowed.

(p) Unreimbursed moving expenses. If the claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant had to move a significant distance for a job or business, he or she may deduct from gross income the unreimbursed moving costs. This deduction is claimed on the Form 1040 federal income tax return. If the claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant does not file a tax return, the claimant should provide documentation of the distance moved, the reason for the move, and the moving expenses. The assessor may request a copy of Form 3903, Moving Expenses, and the distance test worksheet on that form to prove the amount of the person's adjusted gross income whether or not the claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant filed a federal income tax return.

(q) Archer MSAs (medical savings accounts). A person may deduct from gross income a qualifying contribution to an Archer MSA. An MSA is an account set up exclusively for paying the qualified medical expenses of the account holder or the account holder's spouse or dependent(s) in conjunction with a high deductible health plan (HDHP). To be eligible for an MSA, the person must work as an employee for a small employer or be self-employed. The person must also have an HDHP, and have no other health insurance coverage except permitted coverage. The calculation of the deduction is performed on a Form 8853. This deduction is claimed on the Form 1040 federal income tax return. If the person does not file a tax return, but claims to have made a qualifying contribution to an Archer MSA, the claimant should provide copies of documentation as to that person's qualifications for the deduction and how the deduction was calculated. If this deduction is claimed, the assessor may ask the claimant to submit a copy of Form 8853, Archer MSAs and Long Term Care Insurance Contracts, whether or not the claimant, spouse, domestic partner, or cotenant filed a federal income tax return.

(r) Interest on student loans. A person may deduct from gross income some or all student loan interest paid on his or her student loan(s) during the first sixty months of the loan repayment period. The deduction may not be claimed by a taxpayer claimed as a dependent, a taxpayer filing as married filing separately, or when the taxpayer has an adjusted gross income amount over fifty-five thousand dollars (seventy-five thousand dollars if married filing jointly). This deduction is claimed on either the Form 1040 or Form 1040A federal income tax return. A person that does not file a tax return, but claims to have paid student loan interest, should provide copies of documentation of that person's qualification for the deduction and how the deduction was calculated. For 2002 and after, a person may deduct some or all of this student loan interest (not over two thousand five hundred dollars) repaid for any repayment period (the sixty-month limit is gone), provided the taxpayer does not have adjusted gross income above sixty-five thousand dollars (one hundred thirty thousand dollars if married filing jointly). The two thousand five hundred dollar limit on the interest gets reduced for taxpayers with adjusted gross income over fifty thousand dollars (one hundred thousand dollars if married filing jointly). See Internal Revenue Code section 221.

(s) Higher education expenses. From 2002 to 2005, an individual with adjusted gross income below a set amount (generally sixty-five thousand dollars) may take a deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses paid by that person for that person, that person's spouse, or a dependent of that person. Depending on the individual's gross income, the deduction cannot exceed three thousand dollars (four thousand dollars in 2004 and 2005). The deduction is claimed on either the Form 1040 or Form 1040A federal income tax return. A person that does not file a tax return, but claims to have paid higher education expenses, should provide copies of documentation of that person's qualification for the deduction and how the deduction was calculated. This deduction may only be taken if the income was not excluded from gross income. See WAC 458-16A-110 (savings bonds, qualified state tuition programs, and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts).