May 2017 Partner Update

Partners –

Warmer weather is coming our way. So, too, is the one-year anniversary of the ATLAS rollout.  We have made improvements since June, including online staff training, faster application processes, and improved reporting for partners. Thank you for your continued support.

BLS set to add city partners over next five years

Lawmakers approved EHB 2005 to bring more cities into BLS partnership. The unanimously approved bill directs all cities issuing general business licenses to combine local licensing with BLS or other existing solutions.

Business groups and cities supported the effort following a 2016 Revenue-led task force. The Association of Washington Cities summarized the bill’s effects on its website.

City of Interest report supports your compliance work

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integration with the ATLAS Partner Portal is reaping new partner benefits. Businesses with your city as the location address but without a valid city endorsement are now easier to identify.

The City of Interest report now has improved phone and email address data for the first time. The report also lists nonprofits and exempt businesses, in addition to general businesses. The report includes historical data, so some locations out of city limits will be returned.

Even with the improvements, it is best to review the report and validate addresses before using it for mailings.

City partners can find the City of Interest report in the Partner Portal Launchpad list.

City of Interest is near the bottom of your ATLAS Partner Portal Launchpad

Reminder: Local Government meetings in June

Local government meetings are your chance to hear from Revenue managers about legislation and enhancements to local tax and licensing administration. Register now for meetings in Tumwater and Moses Lake http://dor.wa.gov/localgovernment

• Tumwater -Wednesday, June 7, 2017
• Moses Lake -Thursday, June 15, 2017

Topics include:

• - Taxability of IT Contracts
• - Reporting Unclaimed Property
• - Legislative update
• - Partnering with Business Licensing Service (BLS)

Licenses revert to ‘pending’ when liquor sales location changes

Due to a recent implementation for online change of location applications that have existing liquor licenses, you may receive work items to approve with your endorsement in a “pending” status. These will have a new location ID and a reason code status of “physical address change.”

 Thanks!

  

~BLS Partnership Services