(1) Subject to the requirements of this section, the tax levied by RCW 82.08.020 does not apply to:

(a) Charges for labor and services rendered in respect to the constructing of new buildings, made to: (i) An eligible maintenance repair operator engaged in the maintenance of airplanes; or (ii) a port district, political subdivision, or municipal corporation, if the new building is to be leased to an eligible maintenance repair operator engaged in the maintenance of airplanes;

(b) Sales of tangible personal property that will be incorporated as an ingredient or component of such buildings during the course of the constructing; or

(c) Charges made for labor and services rendered in respect to installing, during the course of constructing such buildings, building fixtures not otherwise eligible for the exemption under RCW 82.08.02565.

(2)(a) The exemption in this section is in the form of a remittance. A buyer claiming an exemption from the tax in the form of a remittance under this section must pay all applicable state and local sales taxes imposed under RCW 82.08.020 and chapter 82.14 RCW on all purchases qualifying for the exemption.

(b) The department must determine eligibility under this section based on information provided by the buyer and through audit and other administrative records. The buyer may on a quarterly basis submit an application, in a form and manner as required by the department by rule, specifying the amount of exempted tax claimed and the qualifying purchases or acquisitions for which the exemption is claimed. The buyer must retain, in adequate detail to enable the department to determine whether the equipment or construction meets the criteria under this section: Invoices; proof of tax paid; documents describing the location and size of new structures; and construction invoices and documents.

(c) The department must on a quarterly basis remit exempted amounts to qualifying persons who submitted applications during the previous quarter.

(d) A person may request a remittance for state sales and use taxes after the aircraft maintenance and repair station has been operationally complete for four years, but not sooner than December 1, 2021. However, the department may not remit the state portion of sales and use taxes if the person did not report at least 100 average employment positions with an average annualized wage of $80,000 to the employment security department for a period of four consecutive calendar quarters, beginning with the first calendar quarter after the date the facility is issued an occupancy permit by the local permit issuing authority. A person must provide the department with the unemployment insurance number provided to the employment security department for the establishment.

(e) A person may request a remittance for local sales and use taxes on or after July 1, 2016.

(3) In order to qualify under this section before starting construction, the port district, political subdivision, or municipal corporation must have entered into an agreement with an eligible maintenance repair operator to build such a facility. A person claiming the exemption under this section is subject to all the requirements of chapter 82.32 RCW. In addition, the person must file a complete annual report with the department under RCW 82.32.534.

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

(a) “Eligible maintenance repair operator” means a person classified by the federal aviation administration as a federal aviation regulation part 145 certificated repair station and located in a commercial services airport owned by a county with a population less than 1,000,000 or a commercial services airport jointly owned by a city and county.

(b) “Operationally complete” means constructed to the point of being functionally capable of hosting the repair and maintenance of airplanes.

(5) This section expires January 1, 2031.

Tax preference performance statement exemption—2023 c 414: “RCW 82.32.808 does not apply to this act.” [ 2023 c 414 § 3.]

Tax preference performance statement—2016 c 191 §§ 2 and 3: “(1) This section is the tax preference performance statement for the tax preferences contained in sections 2 and 3 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.

(2) The legislature categorizes the tax preference in sections 2 and 3 of this act as one intended to create jobs, as indicated in RCW 82.32.808(2)(c).

(3) At the end of the third year after an aircraft maintenance and repair station is operationally complete, the joint legislative audit and review committee must evaluate, at a minimum:

(a) Whether a taxpayer claiming this tax preference is on target to reach the employment levels and average annualized wages under section 2 of this act by the end of the aircraft maintenance and repair station’s fourth year of operation; and

(b) Whether the average annualized wages for employees are on a par with industry standards for the sector.

(4) In order to obtain the data necessary to perform the review, the joint legislative audit and review committee may refer to the annual report and annual survey for tax preferences that federal aviation administration part 145 repair stations are required to file with the department [of revenue] and to employment data available from the employment security department.” [ 2016 c 191 § 1.]

Effective date—2016 c 191: “This act takes effect July 1, 2016.” [ 2016 c 191 § 6.]