Revised Code of Washington
Chapter 82.16 - Public Utility Tax.
82.16.010 - Definitions.

RCW 82.16.010
Definitions.

For the purposes of this chapter, unless otherwise required by the context:
(1) "Express business" means the business of carrying property for public hire on the line of any common carrier operated in this state, when such common carrier is not owned or leased by the person engaging in such business.
(2) "Gas distribution business" means the business of operating a plant or system for the production or distribution for hire or sale of gas, whether manufactured or natural.
(3) "Gross income" means the value proceeding or accruing from the performance of the particular public service or transportation business involved, including operations incidental thereto, but without any deduction on account of the cost of the commodity furnished or sold, the cost of materials used, labor costs, interest, discount, delivery costs, taxes, or any other expense whatsoever paid or accrued and without any deduction on account of losses.
(4) "Light and power business" means the business of operating a plant or system for the generation, production or distribution of electrical energy for hire or sale and/or for the wheeling of electricity for others.
(5) "Log transportation business" means the business of transporting logs by truck, except when such transportation meets the definition of urban transportation business or occurs exclusively upon private roads.
(6) "Motor transportation business" means the business (except urban transportation business) of operating any motor propelled vehicle by which persons or property of others are conveyed for hire, and includes, but is not limited to, the operation of any motor propelled vehicle as an auto transportation company (except urban transportation business), common carrier, or contract carrier as defined by RCW 81.68.010 and 81.80.010. However, "motor transportation business" does not mean or include: (a) A log transportation business; or (b) the transportation of logs or other forest products exclusively upon private roads or private highways.
(7)(a) "Public service business" means any of the businesses defined in subsections (1), (2), (4), (6), (8), (9), (10), (12), and (13) of this section or any business subject to control by the state, or having the powers of eminent domain and the duties incident thereto, or any business hereafter declared by the legislature to be of a public service nature, except telephone business and low-level radioactive waste site operating companies as redefined in RCW 81.04.010. It includes, among others, without limiting the scope hereof: Airplane transportation, boom, dock, ferry, pipe line, toll bridge, toll logging road, water transportation and wharf businesses.
(b) The definitions in this subsection (7)(b) apply throughout this subsection (7).
(i) "Competitive telephone service" has the same meaning as in RCW 82.04.065.
(ii) "Network telephone service" means the providing by any person of access to a telephone network, telephone network switching service, toll service, or coin telephone services, or the providing of telephonic, video, data, or similar communication or transmission for hire, via a telephone network, toll line or channel, cable, microwave, or similar communication or transmission system. "Network telephone service" includes the provision of transmission to and from the site of an internet provider via a telephone network, toll line or channel, cable, microwave, or similar communication or transmission system. "Network telephone service" does not include the providing of competitive telephone service, the providing of cable television service, the providing of broadcast services by radio or television stations, nor the provision of internet access as defined in RCW 82.04.297, including the reception of dial-in connection, provided at the site of the internet service provider.
(iii) "Telephone business" means the business of providing network telephone service. It includes cooperative or farmer line telephone companies or associations operating an exchange.
(iv) "Telephone service" means competitive telephone service or network telephone service, or both, as defined in (b)(i) and (ii) of this subsection.
(8) "Railroad business" means the business of operating any railroad, by whatever power operated, for public use in the conveyance of persons or property for hire. It shall not, however, include any business herein defined as an urban transportation business.
(9) "Railroad car business" means the business of operating stock cars, furniture cars, refrigerator cars, fruit cars, poultry cars, tank cars, sleeping cars, parlor cars, buffet cars, tourist cars, or any other kinds of cars used for transportation of property or persons upon the line of any railroad operated in this state when such railroad is not owned or leased by the person engaging in such business.
(10) "Telegraph business" means the business of affording telegraphic communication for hire.
(11) "Tugboat business" means the business of operating tugboats, towboats, wharf boats or similar vessels in the towing or pushing of vessels, barges or rafts for hire.
(12) "Urban transportation business" means the business of operating any vehicle for public use in the conveyance of persons or property for hire, insofar as (a) operating entirely within the corporate limits of any city or town, or within five miles of the corporate limits thereof, or (b) operating entirely within and between cities and towns whose corporate limits are not more than five miles apart or within five miles of the corporate limits of either thereof. Included herein, but without limiting the scope hereof, is the business of operating passenger vehicles of every type and also the business of operating cartage, pickup, or delivery services, including in such services the collection and distribution of property arriving from or destined to a point within or without the state, whether or not such collection or distribution be made by the person performing a local or interstate line-haul of such property.
(13) "Water distribution business" means the business of operating a plant or system for the distribution of water for hire or sale.
(14) The meaning attributed, in chapter 82.04 RCW, to the term "tax year," "person," "value proceeding or accruing," "business," "engaging in business," "in this state," "within this state," "cash discount" and "successor" shall apply equally in the provisions of this chapter.

[ 2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 § 702. Prior: (2010 c 106 § 224 expired June 30, 2013); 2009 c 535 § 1110; (2009 c 469 § 701 expired June 30, 2013); 2007 c 6 § 1023; 1996 c 150 § 1; 1994 c 163 § 4; 1991 c 272 § 14; 1989 c 302 § 203; prior: 1989 c 302 § 102; 1986 c 226 § 1; 1983 2nd ex.s. c 3 § 32; 1982 2nd ex.s. c 9 § 1; 1981 c 144 § 2; 1965 ex.s. c 173 § 20; 1961 c 293 § 12; 1961 c 15 § 82.16.010; prior: 1959 ex.s. c 3 § 15; 1955 c 389 § 28; 1949 c 228 § 10; 1943 c 156 § 10; 1941 c 178 § 12; 1939 c 225 § 20; 1937 c 227 § 11; 1935 c 180 § 37; Rem. Supp. 1949 § 8370-37.]
NOTES:

Tax preference performance statement—2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 §§ 702 and 703: "This section is the tax preference performance statement for the tax preference contained in sections 702 and 703 of this act. This performance statement is only intended to be used for subsequent evaluation of the tax preference. It is not intended to create a private right of action by any party or be used to determine eligibility for preferential tax treatment.
(1) The legislature categorizes this tax preference as one intended to provide tax relief for certain businesses or individuals, as indicated in RCW 82.32.808(2)(e).
(2) It is the legislature's specific public policy objective to support the forest products industry due in part to the industry's efforts to support the local economy by focusing on Washington state based resources thereby reducing global environmental impacts through the manufacturing and use of wood. It is the legislature's intent to provide the forest products industry permanent tax relief by lowering the public utility tax rate attributable to log transportation businesses. Because this reduced public utility rate is intended to be permanent, the reduced rate established in this Part VII is not subject to the ten-year expiration provision in RCW 82.32.805(1)(a)." [ 2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 § 701.]

Effective date—2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 §§ 702 and 703: "Part VII of this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect August 1, 2015." [ 2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 § 2302.]

Expiration date—2010 c 106 § 224: "Section 224 of this act expires June 30, 2013." [ 2010 c 106 § 410.]

Effective date—2010 c 106: See note following RCW 35.102.145.

Intent—Construction—2009 c 535: See notes following RCW 82.04.192.

Expiration date—2009 c 469 §§ 701 and 702: "Sections 701 and 702 of this act expire June 30, 2013." [ 2009 c 469 § 905.]

Effective date—2009 c 469: See note following RCW 82.08.962.

Part headings not law—Savings—Effective date—Severability—2007 c 6: See notes following RCW 82.32.020.

Findings—Intent—2007 c 6: See note following RCW 82.14.390.

Effective date—1996 c 150: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately [March 25, 1996]." [ 1996 c 150 § 3.]

Effective dates—1991 c 272: See RCW 81.108.901.

Finding, purpose—1989 c 302: See note following RCW 82.04.120.

Effective date—1986 c 226: "This act shall take effect July 1, 1986." [ 1986 c 226 § 3.]

Construction—Severability—Effective dates—1983 2nd ex.s. c 3: See notes following RCW 82.04.255.

Effective date—1982 2nd ex.s. c 9: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect August 1, 1982." [ 1982 2nd ex.s. c 9 § 4.]

Intent—1981 c 144: "The legislature recognizes that there have been significant changes in the nature of the telephone business in recent years. Once solely the domain of regulated monopolies, the telephone business has now been opened up to competition with respect to most of its services and equipment. As a result of this competition, the state and local excise tax structure in the state of Washington has become discriminatory when applied to regulated telephone company transactions that are similar in nature to those consummated by nonregulated competitors. Telephone companies are forced to operate at a significant state and local tax disadvantage when compared to these nonregulated competitors.
To remedy this situation, it is the intent of the legislature to place telephone companies and nonregulated competitors of telephone companies on an equal excise tax basis with regard to the providing of similar goods and services. Therefore competitive telephone services shall for excise tax purposes only, unless otherwise provided, be treated as retail sales under the applicable state and local business and occupation and sales and use taxes. This shall not affect any requirement that regulated telephone companies have under Title 80 RCW, unless otherwise provided.
Nothing in this act affects the authority and responsibility of the Washington utilities and transportation commission to set fair, just, reasonable, and sufficient rates for telephone service." [ 1981 c 144 § 1.]

Severability—1981 c 144: "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." [ 1981 c 144 § 12.]

Effective date—1981 c 144: "This act shall take effect on January 1, 1982." [ 1981 c 144 § 13.]

Effective date—1965 ex.s. c 173: See note following RCW 82.04.050.