PROPOSED RULES
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 07-11-161.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: The proposal adopts a new chapter within TITLE 192 WAC and contains provisions related to the transfer of a business. These include defining a predecessor/successor relationship, the factors to be considered in determining whether such a relationship exists, and the burden of proof; examples of predecessor/successor relationships; transfers through intermediaries; notification requirements for predecessors and successors; penalties for failure to respond to a request for information; tax rates that will be assigned following a business transfer; determining the percent of assets that will be transferred to a partial successor; defining the term "SUTA-dumping," its consequences, and the elements used to establish SUTA-dumping; and the penalties for knowingly evading the successorship requirements.
Hearing Location(s): Employment Security Department, Maple Leaf Conference Room, 2nd Floor, 212 Maple Park, Olympia, WA, on November 8, 2007, at 11:00 a.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: November 20, 2007.
Submit Written Comments to: Pamela Ames, ESD Rules Coordinator, Employment Security Department, P.O. Box 9046, Olympia, WA 98506, e-mail pames@esd.wa.gov, fax (360) 902-9799, by November 7, 2007.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Beverly Peterson by November 7, 2007, TTY (360) 902-9569 or (360) 902-9234.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The proposed rules will implement state legislation passed in 2006 (chapter 47, Laws of 2006, SSB 6359) and the SUTA-Dumping Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-295) passed by congress. The purpose of the rules is to clarify business transfer requirements for both predecessor and successor employers, and to reduce or eliminate the practice of SUTA-dumping, whereby employers attempt to unlawfully avoid the payment of state unemployment taxes.
WAC 192-300-050, 192-320-050, 192-320-051, and 192-320-055 are repealed. The business transfer requirements contained in these rules are incorporated into the new chapter 192-350 WAC which is included in this proposal.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: The rules will provide clarity for employers and staff concerning the requirements related to business transfers under the unemployment insurance program.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 50.12.010, 50.12.040, and 50.29.064.
Statute Being Implemented: Chapter 47, Laws of 2006.
Rule is necessary because of federal law, Public Law 108-295.
Name of Proponent: Employment security department, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Art Wang, 212 Maple Park, Olympia, (360) 902-9587; Implementation and Enforcement: Nan Thomas, 212 Maple Park, Olympia, (360) 902-9303.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. The proposed rules will not impose more than minor costs on businesses, nor will there be a disproportionate impact on small business. Further, business costs associated with these rules are the result of the underlying legislation.
A cost-benefit analysis is required under RCW 34.05.328. A preliminary cost-benefit analysis may be obtained by contacting Juanita Myers, UI Rules Coordinator, Employment Security Department, P.O. Box 9046, Olympia, WA 98506, phone (360) 902-9665, fax (360) 902-9799, e-mail jmyers@esd.wa.gov.
October 2, 2007
Paul Trause
Deputy Commissioner
OTS-1096.1
REPEALER
The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:
| WAC 192-300-050 | What is a predecessor-successor relationship? |
OTS-1097.1
REPEALER
The following sections of the Washington Administrative Code are repealed:
| WAC 192-320-050 | What are the requirements of partial successors under chapter 50.29 RCW? |
| WAC 192-320-051 | What are the requirements of partial predecessors under chapter 50.29 RCW? |
| WAC 192-320-055 | Predecessor-successor transfers through intermediaries. |
OTS-1098.1
TRANSFER OF BUSINESS
(2) A predecessor-successor relationship exists when a transfer occurs and one business (successor) acquires all or part of another business (predecessor). It may arise from the transfer of operating assets, including but not limited to the transfer of one or more employees from a predecessor to a successor. It may also arise from an internal reorganization of affiliated companies. Whether or not a predecessor-successor relationship (including a "partial successor" relationship) exists depends on the totality of the circumstances.
(3) Predecessor. An employer may be a "predecessor" if, during any calendar year, it transfers any of the following to another individual or organization:
(a) All or part of its operating assets as defined in subsection (5) of this section; or
(b) A separate unit or branch of its trade or business.
(4) Successor. An employer may be a "successor" if, during any calendar year, it acquires substantially all of a predecessor employer's operating assets. It may be a "partial successor" if, during any calendar year, it acquires:
(a) Part of a predecessor employer's operating assets; or
(b) A separate unit or branch of a predecessor employer's trade or business.
(5) Operating assets. "Operating assets" include the resources used in the normal course of business to produce operating income. They may include resources that are real or personal, and tangible or intangible. Examples include land, buildings, machinery, equipment, stock of goods, merchandise, fixtures, employees, or goodwill. "Goodwill" includes the value of a trade or business based on expected continued customer patronage due to its name, reputation, or any other factor.
(6) Transfer of assets. Transfers from a predecessor to a successor employer may occur by sale, lease, gift, or any legal process, except those listed in subsection (9) of this section.
(7) Simultaneous acquisition. For purposes of successor simultaneous acquisition, the term "simultaneous" means all transfers that resulted from acquiring or reorganizing the business, beginning when the acquisition started and ending when the primary unit is transferred.
(8) Factors. No single factor is necessarily conclusive, but some of the factors which the department may consider as favoring establishment of a predecessor-successor (including a "partial successor") relationship are:
(a) Whether the employers are in the same or a like business (e.g., providing similar or comparable goods or services or serving the same market);
(b) Whether the asset(s) transferred constitute a substantial or key portion of similar assets for either the predecessor or successor;
(c) Whether the assets were transferred directly and not through an independent third party;
(d) Whether multiple types of assets (e.g., employees, real property, equipment, goodwill) transferred;
(e) Whether a significant number or significant group of employees transferred between employers;
(f) Whether the assets transferred at the same time or in a connected sequence, as opposed to several independent transfers;
(g) Whether the business name of the first employer continued or was used in some way by the second employer;
(h) Whether the second employer retained or attempted to retain customers of the first employer;
(i) Whether there was relative continuity and not a significant lapse in time between the operations of the first and second employers;
(j) Whether there was continuity of management between employers;
(k) Whether the employers shared one or more of the same or related owners;
(l) Whether documents, such as a contract or corporate minutes, show the sale or transfer of a business or a portion of a business; and
(m) Whether other factors indicate that a predecessor-successor relationship exists.
(9) Exceptions. A predecessor-successor relationship will not exist:
(a) For the purposes of chapter 50.24 RCW (payment of taxes), when the property is acquired through court proceedings, including bankruptcies, to enforce a lien, security interest, judgment, or repossession under a security agreement unless the court specifies otherwise;
(b) For the purposes of chapter 50.29 RCW (experience rating), when any four consecutive quarters, one of which includes the acquisition date, pass without reportable employment by the predecessor, successor, or a combination of both.
(10) Burden of proof. The department has the burden to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that a business is the successor or partial successor to a predecessor business. However, if a business fails to respond to requests for information necessary to determine a predecessor-successor relationship, the department may meet its burden by applying RCW 50.12.080 to determine the necessary facts.
[]
(1) Business A, a sole proprietor widget manufacturer, sells its operations to new business B, a corporation. B plans to continue in the same type of widget manufacturing business as A. The sale includes the name of the business, goodwill, existing inventory, manufacturing equipment, and an ongoing lease. All employees of A transfer to B. This is a predecessor-successor relationship.
(2) Business A, a sole proprietorship retailer, goes out of business. It decides to sell some of its assets, including a company car. Business B, a retailer in a different business, decides to buy the car. It does not acquire any other assets, including employees, from A. Even though B has acquired an asset from A, there is no predecessor-successor relationship because the only relationship is a single asset which is incidental to the primary business of the employers.
(3) Business A and business B are independent corporations, but subdivisions of another entity C. C reorganizes and decides to eliminate A, lay off some employees, and transfer the remaining employees to B. B is the successor to A.
(4) Business A, a small sole proprietorship taxicab company, sells its one taxicab to business B, a much larger taxicab company. No employees transfer, but B tries to retain as much of A's customer base as possible. B is in the same business as A and is in a predecessor-successor relationship.
(5) Business A, a large taxicab company, sells one of its many taxicabs to business B, a small sole proprietorship taxicab company. No employees transfer, but B tries to retain as much of A's customer base as possible. B is in the same business as A and has acquired part of a predecessor employer's operating assets, so B is a partial successor.
(6) Business A, a sit-down restaurant for families which operates in a leased facility, closes. A month later business B, a family restaurant operating under a different name and under a new lease reopens in the same location. One of five servers laid off when business A closed is rehired by business B. If this is the full extent of the relationship between business A and business B, this is not a predecessor-successor relationship. Examples of some of the factors which might change this to a predecessor-successor relationship are: If business B shares some of the same ownership with business A; the extent to which they advertise the same, use the same suppliers, maintain the same restaurant motif and decor, or use the same menu; the extent to which they use the same equipment and dishes; the extent to which the terms of the new lease appear to continue the previous one; and the extent to which other key employees continue from one employer to the other.
[]
In determining if a predecessor-successor relationship exists, the department will consider the intent of the parties involved and the economic reality of the transactions, as opposed to the strict legal format of the multiple transfers.
[]
(2) A partial predecessor that does not quit or dispose of a business shall give written notice to the department within thirty days. The notice shall include the predecessor's or partial predecessor's department registration number and the name and contact information for the successor.
(3) In addition, a predecessor or partial predecessor shall provide the department with requested information about the transfer under WAC 192-350-060.
[]
(2) A successor or partial successor may notify the department through the master business application that it bought, leased, or acquired all or part of an existing business. Otherwise, a successor or partial successor shall notify the department in writing within thirty days. The notice shall include the successor's or partial successor's department registration number and the name of the predecessor.
(3) In addition, a successor or partial successor shall provide the department with requested information about the transfer under WAC 192-350-060.
[]
(2) If the employer does not respond, the department may apply RCW 50.12.080 to determine necessary facts. In addition, for subsequent rate years the commissioner may estimate the percentage of operating assets transferred based on the best available information, which may include employment reports filed. That percentage will transfer to the successor until it provides compelling evidence to change the estimate. Any change in the estimate will be prospective only.
[]
(2)(a) Under RCW 50.29.062 (2)(b), if the successor is not an employer at the time of the transfer of a business and if the transfer occurs after January 1, 2005, the successor's tax rate for the rest of the calendar year shall be the same as the predecessor employer at the time of the transfer. Any experience attributable to the predecessor shall be transferred to the successor.
(b) Under RCW 50.29.062 (2)(b)(ii), if there is a substantial continuity of ownership, control, or management by the successor, beginning on January 1 after the transfer, the successor's tax rate shall be based on a combination of the successor's experience and the transferred experience from the predecessor.
(c) Under RCW 50.29.062 (2)(b)(i), if there is not a substantial continuity of ownership, control, or management by the successor, beginning on January 1 after the transfer, the successor's tax rate shall be assigned under RCW 50.29.062 (2)(b)(i)(B).
(3) If the successor simultaneously acquires businesses from two or more employers with different tax rates, the successor's tax rate shall be assigned under RCW 50.29.062 (2)(b)(iii).
(4) The tax rate on any payroll retained by a predecessor employer shall remain unchanged for the rest of the rate year in which the transfer occurs. Beginning on January 1 after the transfer, the predecessor's tax rate shall be assigned under RCW 50.29.062 (3)(b).
(5) Changes in rate class for a predecessor or successor are effective only for the rate year the information was provided and for subsequent rate years.
(6) This section does not apply to a transfer of less than one percent of a business.
(7) This section does not apply if there is "SUTA dumping" under RCW 50.29.063.
[]
[]
To comply with federal requirements, Washington enacted RCW 50.29.063, which imposes higher unemployment insurance tax rates on employers if a significant purpose of the transfer of a business was to obtain a lower tax rate. The law also imposes penalties if the intent was to knowingly evade successorship tax provisions or to knowingly promote the evasion of successorship tax provisions.
(2) Examples of SUTA dumping include an employer with a high tax rate because of its experience that:
(a) Dissolves the business in its present structure and reorganizes into a new entity to obtain a lower tax rate;
(b) Buys a smaller business with a low rate, then transfers employees to the smaller business to obtain the low rate; or
(c) Reorganizes and intentionally gives a false description of its business to obtain a lower rate based on a lower industry average.
[]
(a) A business is a successor or partial successor to a predecessor business under WAC 192-350-010; and
(b) A significant purpose for the transfer of a business was to obtain a lower tax rate under RCW 50.29.063(1).
(2) A "significant purpose" must be more than an incidental purpose, but may be one of many purposes. The department may show that a significant purpose for the transfer was to obtain a lower tax rate by factors such as:
(a) Business records, such as corporate minutes or other documents, show that a lower tax rate was considered as part of the decision for the transfer;
(b) An outside party, such as an accounting firm or tax advisor, recommended the transfer in order to lower the tax rate; or
(c) The employer knew or should have known that transfer of employees to the successor would lower the tax rate and the actual effect of the transfer was to lower taxes significantly.
(3) For additional penalties under RCW 50.29.063 (2) or (3), the department must also prove that an employer intended to knowingly evade or knowingly evaded successorship provisions or that a nonemployer knowingly promoted the evasion of successorship provisions. "Knowingly" means having actual knowledge or acting with deliberate ignorance or reckless disregard for the prohibitions. "Knowingly" includes an intent to evade, misrepresentation, or willful nondisclosure.
[]
[]