§ 9775. Returns

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, every person required to collect or pay tax under this chapter shall, where the sales and use tax liability under this chapter for the immediately preceding calendar year has been, or would have been in cases when the business was not operating for the entire year, $500.00 or less, pay the tax imposed by this chapter in one annual payment on or before the 25th day of January of each year. Every person required to collect or pay tax under this chapter shall, where the sales and use tax liability under this chapter for the immediately preceding calendar year has been, or would have been in cases when the business was not operating for the entire year, more than $500.00 but less than $2,500.00, pay the tax imposed by this chapter in quarterly installments on or before the 25th day of the calendar month succeeding the quarter ending on the last day of March, June, September, and December of each year. In all other cases, except as provided in subsections (e) and (g) of this section, the tax imposed by this chapter shall be due and payable monthly on or before the 25th (23rd of February) day of the month following the month for which the tax is due. Payment by electronic funds transfer does not affect the requirement to file returns. The return of a vendor of tangible personal property shall show such information as the Commissioner may require.

(b) The Commissioner may permit or require returns to be made covering other periods and upon such dates as he or she may specify. In addition, the Commissioner may require payments of tax liability at such intervals and based upon such classifications as he or she may designate. In prescribing the other periods to be covered by the return or intervals or classifications for payment of tax liability, the Commissioner may take into account the dollar volume of tax involved and conformity with any applicable multistate agreement with respect to sales and use tax laws, as well as the need for insuring the prompt and orderly collection of the taxes imposed.

(c) The form of returns shall be prescribed by the Commissioner and shall contain such information as he or she may deem necessary for the proper administration of this chapter. The Commissioner may require returns and amended returns to be filed within 20 days after notice and to contain the information specified in the notice.

(d) Upon the failure of a taxpayer to file any return required under this chapter within 20 days of the date of a notice to the taxpayer under subsection (c) of this section, the Commissioner may petition a judge of the Superior Court in the county wherein the taxpayer resides or has a place of business or, if the taxpayer neither resides nor has a place of business in this State, the Commissioner may petition the Washington Superior Court, and upon the petition of the Commissioner and a hearing, the judge shall issue a citation requiring the taxpayer and, if the taxpayer is a corporation, any principal officer of such corporation to file a proper return in accordance with this chapter, upon pain of contempt. The order of notice upon the petition shall be returnable not later than 20 days after the filing of the petition. The petition shall be heard and determined on the return day or on such day thereafter as the court shall fix, having regard to the speediest possible determination of the case consistent with the rights of the parties. The judgment shall include costs in favor of the prevailing party. The Commissioner’s authority to petition under this subsection is in addition to the Commissioner’s authority under subsection 9777(a) of this title to compute the tax liability of a taxpayer who fails to file a required return or files an incorrect or insufficient return.

(e) A person who otherwise is required to file returns and pay tax monthly and who, upon annual application to the Commissioner on or before June 1 of each year, demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that at least 50 percent of its sales during the immediately preceding calendar year were sales of building materials to contractors for the improvement of real estate, and that those sales were made on credit terms by the person required to collect the tax with an average credit period of at least 40 days, may, upon approval by the Commissioner, file and pay taxes in quarterly installments from July 1 of that year to June 30 of the following year, as provided in subsection (a) of this section. If a person with such approval fails to timely file or pay any such quarterly return and installment, that person’s approval to file quarterly shall be deemed immediately revoked and that person shall thereafter file returns and pay tax monthly as provided in subsection (a) of this section.

(f) A person registered under the Multistate Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement that does not have a legal requirement to register in this State and is not a Model 1, 2, or 3 seller may file a return within one year of the month of initial registration and may file annual returns in the same month for succeeding years; provided, however, that such person must file a return on the 25th of the month following any month in which the taxpayer accumulated State and local taxes in the amount of $1,000.00 or more.

(g) A person required to report sales and use tax annually who cancels his, her, or its sales and use tax account shall file a final return not later than 60 days after such cancellation. (Added 1969, No. 144, § 1, eff. June 1, 1969; amended 1975, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. date, see note below; 1989, No. 124 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. date, see note below; 1989, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 25, eff. May 31, 1990; 1997, No. 50, §§ 33, 36, eff. June 26, 1997; 1997, No. 60, § 84, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; 1997, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 22, eff. April 29, 1998; 1999, No. 119 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 3, 18, eff. May 18, 2000; 2003, No. 68, § 64, eff. date, see note below; 2005, No. 207 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. date, see note below; 2009, No. 1 (Sp. Sess.), § H.45.)