(1) The state enhanced 911 excise taxes imposed by this chapter must be paid by the subscriber to the local exchange company providing the switched access line or the radio communications service company providing the radio access line, and each local exchange company and each radio communications service company shall collect from the subscriber the full amount of the taxes payable. The state enhanced 911 excise taxes required by this chapter to be collected by the local exchange company or the radio communications service company are deemed to be held in trust by the local exchange company or the radio communications service company until paid to the department. Any local exchange company or radio communications service company that appropriates or converts the tax collected to its own use or to any use other than the payment of the tax to the extent that the money collected is not available for payment on the due date as prescribed in this chapter is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

     (2) If any local exchange company or radio communications service company fails to collect the state enhanced 911 excise tax or, after collecting the tax, fails to pay it to the department in the manner prescribed by this chapter, whether such failure is the result of its own act or the result of acts or conditions beyond its control, the local exchange company or the radio communications service company is personally liable to the state for the amount of the tax, unless the local exchange company or the radio communications service company has taken from the buyer in good faith a properly executed resale certificate under RCW 82.14B.200.

     (3) The amount of tax, until paid by the subscriber to the local exchange company, the radio communications service company, or to the department, constitutes a debt from the subscriber to the local exchange company or the radio communications service company. Any local exchange company or radio communications service company that fails or refuses to collect the tax as required with intent to violate the provisions of this chapter or to gain some advantage or benefit, either direct or indirect, and any subscriber who refuses to pay any tax due under this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor. The state enhanced 911 excise taxes required by this chapter to be collected by the local exchange company or the radio communications service company must be stated separately on the billing statement that is sent to the subscriber.

     (4) If a subscriber has failed to pay to the local exchange company or the radio communications service company the state enhanced 911 excise taxes imposed by this chapter and the local exchange company or the radio communications service company has not paid the amount of the tax to the department, the department may, in its discretion, proceed directly against the subscriber for collection of the tax, in which case a penalty of ten percent may be added to the amount of the tax for failure of the subscriber to pay the tax to the local exchange company or the radio communications service company, regardless of when the tax is collected by the department. Tax under this chapter is due as provided under RCW 82.14B.061.

[2002 c 341 § 10; 2000 c 106 § 2; 1998 c 304 § 9.]

NOTES:

     Severability -- Effective date -- 2002 c 341: See notes following RCW 38.52.501.

     Effective date -- 2000 c 106: See note following RCW 82.32.330.

     Findings -- Effective dates -- 1998 c 304: See notes following RCW 82.14B.020.