WAC 458-20-172   Clearing land, moving earth, cleaning, fumigating, razing or moving existing buildings, and janitorial services.  Persons engaged in performing well drilling, contracts for the grading or clearing of land or the moving of earth, and which do not involve the building, repairing or improving of any streets, roads, etc. which are owned by a municipal corporation or political subdivision of the state or by the United States (see WAC 458-20-171); and persons engaged in performing contracts which involve the cleaning, fumigating, razing or moving of existing buildings or structures and persons performing janitorial services are taxable as follows:

Business and Occupation Tax

     Taxable under the classification retailing upon gross income from contracts to perform such services for consumers, but excluding gross income from contracts providing solely for the performance of janitorial services the mere core drilling of or testing of soil samples, or the mere leveling of land for agricultural purposes.

     Taxable under the classification wholesaling -- all others upon gross income from subcontracts to perform such services for resale.

     Taxable under the classification service and other activities upon gross income from contracts to perform janitorial services the mere core drilling of or testing of soil samples, or the mere leveling of land for agricultural purposes.

     The term "janitorial services" includes activities performed regularly and normally by commercial janitor service businesses. Generally, these activities include the washing of interior and exterior window surfaces, floor cleaning and waxing, the cleaning of interior walls and woodwork, the cleaning in place of rugs, drapes and upholstery, dusting, disposal of trash, and cleaning and sanitizing bathroom fixtures. The term "janitorial services" does not include, among others, cleaning the exterior walls of buildings, the cleaning of septic tanks, special clean up jobs required by construction, fires, floods, etc., painting, papering, repairing, furnace or chimney cleaning, snow removal, sandblasting, or the cleaning of plant or industrial machinery or fixtures.

Retail Sales Tax

     Persons engaged in performing contracts for the grading or clearing of land, the moving of earth or the cleaning, fumigating, razing or moving of existing buildings or structures must collect the retail sales tax upon the full contract price when the work is performed for consumers. The retail sales tax is not applicable to charges for janitorial services or the mere leveling of land for agricultural purposes.

     The retail sales tax applies upon the sales to such contractors of equipment and supplies used or consumed in the performance of such contracts and which are not resold as a component part of the work.

Use Tax

     The use tax applies to the use by such contractors of equipment and supplies upon which the retail sales tax has not been paid.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 82.32.300. 83-07-033 (Order ET 83-16), § 458-20-172, filed 3/15/83; Order ET 71-1, § 458-20-172, filed 7/22/71; Order ET 70-3, § 458-20-172 (Rule 172), filed 5/29/70, effective 7/1/70.]