(1) If an error has occurred in the levy of property taxes that has caused all taxpayers within a taxing district, other than the state, to pay an incorrect amount of property tax, the assessor shall correct the error by making an appropriate adjustment to the levy for that taxing district in the succeeding year. The adjustment shall be made without including any interest. If the governing authority of the taxing district determines that the amount of the adjustment in the succeeding year is so large as to cause a hardship for the taxing district or the taxpayers within the district, the adjustment may be made on a proportional basis over a period of not more than three consecutive years.

(a) A correction of an error in the levying of property taxes shall not be made for any period more than three years preceding the year in which the error is discovered.

(b) When calculating the levy limitation under chapter 84.55 RCW for levies made following the discovery of an error, the assessor shall determine and use the correct levy amount for the year or years being corrected as though the error had not occurred. The amount of the adjustment determined under this subsection (1) shall not be considered when calculating the levy limitation.

(c) If the taxing district in which a levy error has occurred does not levy property taxes in the year the error is discovered, or for a period of more than three years subsequent to the year the error was discovered, an adjustment shall not be made.

(2) If an error has occurred in the distribution of property taxes so that property tax collected has been incorrectly distributed to a taxing district or taxing districts wholly or partially within a county, the treasurer of the county in which the error occurred shall correct the error by making an appropriate adjustment to the amount distributed to that taxing district or districts in the succeeding year. The adjustment shall be made without including any interest. If the treasurer, in consultation with the governing authority of the taxing district or districts affected, determines that the amount of the adjustment in the succeeding year is so large as to cause a hardship for the taxing district or districts, the adjustment may be made on a proportional basis over a period of not more than three consecutive years. A correction of an error in the distribution of property taxes shall not be made for any period more than three years preceding the year in which the error is discovered.

(3) If the county assessor finds, prior to any recomputations made under RCW 84.52.010(3), that the adjustment to correct a levy error that occurred at no fault of the taxing district would cause the tax rate of that levy to exceed its maximum tax rate allowed in statute, then the correction of that levy error must be made in equal proportions over a period of three years immediately succeeding the year in which the error is discovered. The resulting adjustments to a levy to correct the type of levy error specified under this subsection (3) may be made even though the resulting tax rates for the three years may each exceed the statutory maximum rate for the levy. This subsection (3) applies only to levy errors that are at no fault of the taxing district that occur for taxes levied for collection in 2024 and thereafter.

Application—2023 c 28 §§ 2 and 7-9: See note following RCW 84.40.370.

Effective date—Application—2001 c 185 § 14: “Section 14 of this act takes effect January 1, 2002, and applies to errors that occur on and after January 1, 2002.” [ 2001 c 185 § 17.]