BLS Partner Update - September

BLS presents at WFOA conference this week

BLS will join the Washington Finance Officers Association (WFOA) annual conference on Wednesday, Sept. 19. BLS is part of the presentation “Preparing to Streamline your City’s Business License” at 11:10 a.m. in the Vancouver Conference Center. The content will help cities manage the conditions of Chapter 35.90 RCW, the new law aimed at making licensing easier for Washington businesses.

AWC is best resource for model ordinance implementation

The model ordinance language that municipalities must adopt was composed and vetted by experts at the Association of Washington Cities (AWC). The association led a stakeholder group to standardize the definition of engaging in business and create an income threshold at which cities could require an out-of-city business to register for a local business license. BLS cities have a deadline of Oct. 17 for adoption. Others have a Dec. 31 deadline.
Got questions? Visit the AWC website, review its resource paper or contact the experts at 360.753.4137.

2019 fee changes require advance notice

As your city considers its 2019 budget, remember that changes to business licensing fees and requirements *cannot* immediately take effect. Under RCW 35.90, BLS may make programming changes “no sooner than 75 days” after getting notification. Email dorblspartner@dor.wa.gov to obtain the Partner Change Request form needed to update BLS of change to your license process. We will help you get started and plan the effective dates for any changes your city makes.

New disclaimer on reports Launchpad

Most taxpayer information is confidential and bound by conditions of state and federal law. As a reminder, we have posted this disclaimer on the reports Launchpad: “Partner Reports - Contain confidential information. Unauthorized disclosure is subject to penalty under law. RCW 19.02.115; RCW 82.32.330.”