Taxation of motor carriers of freight for hire—Allocation of gross receipts.
The following principles shall allocate gross receipts of a motor carrier of freight for hire (called the "motor carrier" in this section) to prevent multiple taxation by two or more municipalities. They shall apply when two or more municipalities in this state impose a license fee or tax for the act or privilege of engaging in business activities; each municipality has a basis in local activity for imposing its tax; and the gross receipts measured by all taxing municipalities, added together, exceed the motor carrier's gross receipts.
(1) No municipality shall be entitled to an allocation of the gross receipts of a motor carrier on account of the use of its streets or highways when no pickup or delivery occurs therein.
(2) Gross receipts of a motor carrier derived within a municipality, where it solicits orders and engages in business activities that are a significant factor in holding the market but where it maintains no office or terminal, shall be allocated equally between the municipality providing the local market and the municipality where the motor carrier's office or terminal is located. Where no such local solicitation and business activity occurs, all the gross receipts shall be allocated to the municipality where the office or terminal is located irrespective of the place of pickup or delivery. The word "terminal" means a location at which any three of the following four occur: Dispatching takes place, from which trucks operate or are serviced, personnel report and receive assignments, and orders are regularly received from the public.
(3) Gross receipts of a motor carrier that are not attributable to transportation services, such as investment income, truck repair, and rental of equipment, shall be allocated to the office or terminal conducting such activities.
(4) Gross receipts of a motor carrier with an office or terminal in two or more municipalities in this state shall be allocated to the office or terminal at which the transportation services commenced.
[ 1982 c 169 s 1.]
NOTES:
Applicability—1982 c 169: "This act applies to motor carriers of freight for hire only. Nothing in this act applies to a person engaged in the business of making sales at retail or wholesale or of providing storage services for tangible personal property." [ 1982 c 169 s 4.]
Motor freight carriers: Chapter 81.80 RCW.
Municipal business and occupation tax authorized: RCW 35.95.040.