OLYMPIA – The state House today unanimously passed legislation to reenact a retail sales and use tax exemption for self-service laundry facilities.  HB 1498 ensures that an exemption previously passed by the Legislature in 2005 would be continued even if litigation currently pending before the state Supreme Court overturns it. 

Representatives Bill Grant (D – Walla Walla) and Maureen Walsh (R – College Place), seatmates from the 16^th Legislative District, co-sponsored HB 1498 in order to protect both consumers and small business owners. 

“This exemption previously got tangled up in a separate bill instead of being enacted in a stand-alone one, which is what we’d hoped for,” Grant said.  “I’m glad we’re finally addressing this issue once and for all.” 

Prior to 2005, stand-alone self-service laundry facilities were required to collect retail sales tax from customers.  Facilities in apartment complexes, rooming houses and mobile home parks were already exempt from this obligation, however.   

The tax is reflected in the price consumers pay to use the coin-operated washers and dryers in these facilities.   

“It really is a matter of fairness,” Walsh said.  “This bill basically does two things:  it assists our small business owners by providing a tax exemption already in statute for other laundry facilities, and it is also socially responsible legislation that helps the people who have to take a backseat full of laundry over to the laundromat.  It keeps the cost down for them to wash their clothes.”

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For more information:

State Rep. Bill Grant (360) 786-7828 

State Rep. Maureen Walsh (360) 786-7836 

Print-quality images: http://www.leg.wa.gov/documents/House/Members/Photos/Grant.jpg 

http://www.leg.wa.gov/documents/House/Members/Photos/Walsh.jpg

Staff contacts:    Jennifer Zahn Spieler (360) 786-7201

                         John Handy (360) 786-5758

Radio and TV News Directors: To obtain broadcast-quality audio on this issue, or to arrange for TV or radio interviews, please contact Caucus Broadcast Coordinator Dan Frizzell at frizzell.dan@leg.wa.gov or 360.786.7208.