RCW 82.08.9999 Exemptions—Vehicles using clean alternative fuels and electric vehicles. (Expires August 1, 2028.)

(1) Beginning August 1, 2019, with sales made or lease agreements signed on or after the qualification period start date:

(a) The tax levied by RCW 82.08.020 does not apply as provided in (b) of this subsection to sales or leases of new or used passenger cars, light duty trucks, and medium duty passenger vehicles that:

(i) Are exclusively powered by a clean alternative fuel; or

(ii) Use at least one method of propulsion that is capable of being reenergized by an external source of electricity and are capable of traveling at least thirty miles using only battery power; and

(iii)(A) Have a vehicle selling price plus trade-in property of like kind for purchased vehicles that:

(I) For a vehicle that is a new vehicle at the time of the purchase date or the date the lease agreement was signed, does not exceed forty-five thousand dollars; or

(II) For a vehicle that is a used vehicle at the time of the purchase date or the date the lease agreement was signed, does not exceed thirty thousand dollars; or

(B) Have a fair market value at the inception of the lease for leased vehicles that:

(I) For a vehicle that is a new vehicle at the time of the purchase date or the date the lease agreement was signed, does not exceed forty-five thousand dollars; or

(II) For a vehicle that is a used vehicle at the time of the purchase date or the date the lease agreement was signed, does not exceed thirty thousand dollars;

(b)(i) The exemption in this section is applicable for up to the amounts specified in (b)(ii) or (iii) of this subsection of:

(A) The total amount of the vehicle's selling price, for sales made; or

(B) The total lease payments made plus any additional selling price of the leased vehicle if the original lessee purchases the leased vehicle before the qualification period end date, for lease agreements signed.

(ii) Based on the purchase date or the date the lease agreement was signed of the vehicle if the vehicle is a new vehicle at the time of the purchase date or the date the lease agreement was signed:

(A) From the qualification period start date until July 31, 2021, the maximum amount eligible under (b)(i) of this subsection is twenty-five thousand dollars;

(B) From August 1, 2021, until July 31, 2023, the maximum amount eligible under (b)(i) of this subsection is twenty thousand dollars;

(C) From August 1, 2023, until July 31, 2025, the maximum amount eligible under (b)(i) of this subsection is fifteen thousand dollars.

(iii) If the vehicle is a used vehicle at the time of the purchase date or the date the lease agreement was signed, the maximum amount eligible under (b)(i) of this subsection is sixteen thousand dollars.

(2) The seller must keep records necessary for the department to verify eligibility under this section. A person claiming the exemption must also submit itemized information to the department for all vehicles for which an exemption is claimed that must include the following: Vehicle make; vehicle model; model year; whether the vehicle has been sold or leased; date of sale or start date of lease; length of lease; sales price for purchased vehicles and fair market value at the inception of the lease for leased vehicles; and the total amount qualifying for the incentive claimed for each vehicle, in addition to the future monthly amount to be claimed for each leased vehicle. This information must be provided in a form and manner prescribed by the department.

(3)(a) The department of licensing must maintain and publish a list of all vehicle models qualifying for the tax exemptions under this section or RCW 82.12.9999 until the expiration date of this section, and is authorized to issue final rulings on vehicle model qualification for these criteria. A seller is not responsible for repayment of the tax exemption under this section and RCW 82.12.9999 for a vehicle if the department of licensing's published list of qualifying vehicle models on the purchase date or the date the lease agreement was signed includes the vehicle model and the department of licensing subsequently removes the vehicle model from the published list, and, if applicable, the vehicle meets the qualifying criterion under subsection (1)(a)(iii)(B) of this section and RCW 82.12.9999(1)(a)(iii)(B).

(b) The department of revenue retains responsibility for determining whether a vehicle meets the applicable qualifying criterion under subsection (1)(a)(iii)(B) of this section and RCW 82.12.9999(1)(a)(iii)(B).

(4) On the last day of January, April, July, and October of each year, the state treasurer, based upon information provided by the department, must transfer from the electric vehicle account to the general fund a sum equal to the dollar amount that would otherwise have been deposited into the general fund during the prior calendar quarter but for the exemption provided in this section. Information provided by the department to the state treasurer must be based on the best available data, except that the department may provide estimates of taxes exempted under this section until such time as retailers are able to report such exempted amounts on their tax returns.

(5) By the last day of October 2019, and every six months thereafter until this section expires, based on the best available data, the department must report the following information to the transportation committees of the legislature: The cumulative number of vehicles that qualified for the exemption under this section and RCW 82.12.9999 by month of purchase or lease start and vehicle make and model; the dollar amount of all state retail sales and use taxes exempted on or after the qualification period start date, under this section and RCW 82.12.9999; and estimates of the future costs of leased vehicles that qualified for the exemption under this section and RCW 82.12.9999.

(6) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) "Clean alternative fuel" means natural gas, propane, hydrogen, or electricity, when used as a fuel in a motor vehicle that meets the California motor vehicle emission standards in Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations, effective January 1, 2019, and the rules of the Washington state department of ecology.

(b) "Fair market value" has the same meaning as "value of the article used" in RCW 82.12.010.

(c) "New vehicle" has the same meaning as "new motor vehicle" in RCW 46.04.358.

(d) "Qualification period end date" means August 1, 2025.

(e) "Qualification period start date" means July 28, 2019.

(f) "Used vehicle" has the same meaning as in RCW 46.04.660.

(7)(a) Sales of vehicles delivered to the buyer or leased vehicles for which the lease agreement was signed after the qualification period end date do not qualify for the exemption under this section.

(b) All leased vehicles that qualified for the exemption under this section before the qualification period end date must continue to receive the exemption as described under subsection (1)(b) of this section on any lease payments due through the remainder of the lease before August 1, 2028.

(8) This section expires August 1, 2028.

(9) This section is supported by the revenues generated in RCW 46.17.324, and therefore takes effect only if RCW 46.17.324 is enacted by June 30, 2019.

[ 2019 c 287 § 9.]

NOTES:

Tax preference performance statement—2019 c 287 §§ 8-14: See note following RCW 82.04.4496.

Findings—Intent—2019 c 287: See note following RCW 28B.30.903.