WAC 458-20-175 — Persons Engaged in the Business of Operating As a Private Or Common Carrier by Air, Rail Or Water in Interstate Or Foreign Commerce

No agency filings affecting this section since 2003 The term "private carrier" means every carrier, other than a common carrier, engaged in the business of transporting persons or property for hire. The term "watercraft" includes every type of floating equipment which is designed for the purpose of carrying therein or therewith persons or cargo. It includes tow boats, but it does not include floating dry docks, dredges or pile drivers, or any other similar equipment. The term "carrier property" means airplanes, locomotives, railroad cars or watercraft, and component parts of the same. The term "component part" includes all tangible personal property which is attached to and a part of carrier property. It also includes spare parts which are designed for ultimate attachment to carrier property. The said term does not include furnishings of any kind which are not attached to the carrier property nor does it include consumable supplies. For example, it does not include, among other things, bedding, linen, table and kitchen ware, tables, chairs, ice for icing perishables or refrigerator cars or cooling systems, fuel or lubricants. "Such persons," and "such businesses" mean the persons and businesses described in the title of this rule. Business and Occupation Tax, Public Utility Tax Persons engaged in such businesses are not subject to business tax or utility tax with respect to operating income received for transporting persons or property in interstate or foreign commerce. (See WAC 458-20-193 .) When such persons also engage in intrastate business activities they become taxable at the rates and in the manner stated in WAC 458-20-179 , 458-20-181 and 458-20-193 . For example, such persons are taxable under the retailing business tax classification upon the gross proceeds of sales of tangible personal property, including sales of meals, when such sales are made within this state. Persons selling tangible personal property to, or performing services for, others engaged in such businesses, are taxable to the same extent as they are taxable with respect to sales of property or services made to other persons in this state. However, on July 1, 1985, a statutory business and occupation tax deduction became effective for sales of fuel for consumption outside the territorial waters of the United States by vessels used primarily in foreign commerce. In order to qualify for this deduction sellers must take a certificate signed by the buyer or the buyer's agent stating: The name of the vessel for which the fuel is purchased; that the vessel is primarily used in foreign commerce; and, the amount of fuel purchased which will be consumed outside of the territorial waters of the United States. Sellers must exercise good faith in accepting such certificates and are required to add their own signed statement to the certificate to the effect that to the best of their knowledge the information contained in the certificate is correct. The following is an acceptable certificate form: Foreign Fuel Exemption Certificate seller: . . . . vessel: . . . . we hereby certify that this purchase of (kind and amount of product) from (seller) will be consumed as fuel outside the territorial waters of the United States by the above-named vessel. We further certify that said vessel is used primarily in foreign commerce and that none of the fuel purchased will be consumed within the territorial boundaries of the State of Washington. dated . . . . . . . , 19 . . . . . . Purchaser . . . . Purchaser's Agent By: . . . . . . . . Title or Office When a completed certification such as this is taken in good faith by the seller, the sale is exempt of business and occupation tax, whether made at wholesale or retail, and even though the fuel is delivered to the buyer in this state. Retail Sales Tax Sales of meals (including those sold to employees, see WAC 458-20-119 ) and retail sales of other tangible personal property, made by such persons, are subject to the retail sales tax when such sales are made within this state. By reason of specific exemptions contained in RCW 82.08.0261 and 82.08.0262 the retail sales tax does not apply upon the following sales: (1) Sales of airplanes, locomotives, railroad cars, or watercraft for use in conducting interstate or foreign commerce by transporting therein or therewith property and persons for hire; (2) Sales of tangible personal property which becomes a component part of such carrier property in the course of constructing, repairing, cleaning, altering or improving the same; (3) Sales of or charges made for labor or services rendered with respect to the constructing, repairing, cleaning, altering or improving of such carrier property; (4) Sales of any tangible personal property other than the type referred to in 1 and 2 above, for use by the purchaser in connection with such businesses, provided that any actual use thereof in this state shall, at the time of actual use, be subject to the use tax. Except as to sales of or charges made for labor or services rendered with respect to the constructing, repairing, cleaning, altering or improving of carrier property, the foregoing exemptions are limited to sales of tangible personal property. Hence the retail sales tax applies upon the sales of or charges made for labor or services rendered in respect to (1) the installing, repairing, cleaning, altering, imprinting or improving of any other type of tangible personal property; and in respect to (2) the constructing, repairing, decorating or improving of new or existing buildings or other structures. Thus the retail sales tax applies upon the charge made for repairing within this state of such things as switches, frogs, office equipment, or any other property which is not carrier property. It also applies upon the charge made for laundering linen and bedding. The tax also applies upon the charge made for constructing buildings, such as depots, wharves and hangars, or for repairing, decorating or improving the same. However, the cost of installing, repairing, cleaning, altering, imprinting or improving of tangible personal property prior to its initial use by the carrier is considered as part of the initial cost of the property involved and therefore exempt from the sales tax. Thus, for example, the treating of railroad ties prior to their initial use is considered as part of the original cost of the ties and therefore exempt from the sales tax under RCW 82.08.0261 . Exemption certificates required. Persons selling tangible personal property or performing services which come within any of the foregoing exemptions are required to obtain from the purchaser, or his authorized agent, a certificate evidencing the exempt nature of the transaction. This certificate must identify the operator of the carrier by name and by its department of revenue registration number, if registered, and if not registered, by address. The certificate may be in blanket form—that is, may certify as to all future purchases, or individual certificates may be made for each purchase. Also the certificate may be incorporated in or stamped upon the purchase order. The certificate should be in substantially the following form: Exemption Certificate we hereby certify that all the tangible personal property to be purchased from you will be for use in connection with our business of operating as a (private or common) carrier by (air, rail or water) in (interstate or foreign) commerce; that all (airplanes, locomotives, railroad cars or watercraft) or component parts thereof, to be constructed, repaired, cleaned, altered or improved by you, will be used in conducting (interstate or foreign) commerce; and that all such sales are entitled to exemption from the Retail Sales Tax under the provisions of RCW 82.08.0261 and 82.08.0262 . Dated . . . . . . . . , 19 . . . . . . . (Purchaser) By . . . . (Title-Officer or Agent) Address . . . . . . . . Department of Revenue Registration No. . . . . Use Tax The use tax does not apply upon the use of airplanes, locomotives, railroad cars or watercraft, including component parts thereof, which are used primarily in conducting such businesses. "Actual use within this state," as used in RCW 82.08.0261 does not include use of durable goods aboard carrier property while engaged in interstate or foreign commerce. Thus the use tax does not apply upon the use of furnishings and equipment (whether attached to the carrier or not) intended for use aboard carrier property while operating partly within and partly without this state. Included herein are such items as bedding, table linen and wares, kitchen equipment, tables and chairs, hand tools, hawsers, life preservers, parachutes, and other durable goods which are necessary, convenient or desirable for the proper operation of such carrier property. The use tax does apply upon the actual use within this state of all other types of tangible personal property purchased at retail and upon which the sales tax has not been paid. Included herein are all consumable goods for use on and placed aboard carrier property while within this state, but only to the extent of that portion consumed herein. Thus the tax applies upon the use of the amount consumed in this state of ice, fuel and lubricants which are placed aboard in this state, and upon food supplies or catered meals placed aboard carrier property in this state and served to customers in this state by transportation companies when the meals so served are included in the charge for transportation. (The retail sales tax must be collected upon separate sales within this state of meals or other tangible personal property.) The tax does not apply upon the use within this state of any part of consumable goods for use on carrier property and placed aboard outside this state. Liability for the use tax arises at the time of actual use thereof in this state. Due to the difficulty in many cases of determining at the time of purchase whether or not the property purchased or a part thereof will be put to use in this state and due to the resulting accounting problems involved, persons engaged in the business of operating as private or common carriers by air, rail or water in interstate or foreign commerce will be permitted to pay the use tax directly to the department of revenue rather than to the seller, and such sellers are relieved of the liability for the collection of such tax. This permission is limited, however, to persons duly registered with the department. The registration number given on the certificate which will be furnished to the seller ordinarily will be sufficient evidence that the purchaser is properly registered. As to persons operating in interstate or foreign commerce as carriers by air, rail or water who are not registered with the department and who, therefore, are not regularly filing tax returns with the department, sellers of durable goods must either collect the use tax at the time of the sale or require from such purchasers a further certificate to the effect that no part of the subject matter of the sale is for actual use in this state. Similarly, where consumable goods, such as ice, bunker fuel, or lubricants are purchased by or for carriers not registered with the department, and delivered on board a carrier regularly engaged in interstate or foreign commerce for consumption while both within and without the territorial boundaries of the state of Washington, the seller is required to collect from the buyer the amount of use tax applicable to that portion of the products sold which will be consumed within this state. It will be presumed that the entire amount of the goods purchased will be consumed within this state unless the seller obtains from the buyer a certificate certifying as to the amount thereof which will be consumed while within the territorial boundaries hereof. The certificate shall be made by the master or chief engineer of the carrier, or by some other person known by the seller to be competent to make the same, and shall be substantially in the following form: Certificate . . . . Seller . . . . Purchaser . . . . Name of Carrier . . . . Name of Owner or Agent The undersigned does hereby certify as follows: (1) The purchaser has this day purchased from the seller in the State of Washington certain amounts of (type of goods purchased) and has taken delivery thereof aboard said carrier for its exclusive use while regularly engaged in transporting persons or property for profit in interstate or foreign commerce. (2) While the said carrier is within the territorial boundaries of the state of Washington, it will consume the following amounts of the commodities purchased: . . . . . . . . . . . barrels of fuel oil . . . . . . . . . . . gallons of lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . pounds of grease . . . . . . . . . . . other consumable goods Dated . . . . . . . , 19 . . . . . . . Name . . . . Office or Title [Statutory Authority: RCW 82.32.300 . WSR 86-07-005 (Order ET 86-3), § 458-20-175, filed 3/6/86; WSR 83-07-033 (Order ET 83-16), § 458-20-175, filed 3/15/83; Order ET 70-3, § 458-20-175 (Rule 175), filed 5/29/70, effective 7/1/70.]