Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> <br />2026 changes to City B&O Tax Model Ordinance <br /> <br />A city workgroup of city finance directors and tax managers met over the summer to review changes <br />needed to the B&O model ordinance in response to SB 5814 changing the taxation of certain activities <br />from services to sales. <br /> <br />Now B&O tax cities must adopt mandatory changes to model ordinance with same effective date: <br />January 1, 2026. <br /> <br />SB 5814 changed the tax classification for the following services to retail sales: <br />• Advertising services; <br />• Live presentations; <br />• Information technology services; <br />• Custom website development services; <br />• Investigation, security, and armored car services; <br />• Temporary staffing services; and <br />• Sales of custom software and customization of prewritten software. <br /> <br />Changes to Model Ordinance <br /> <br />The workgroup decided to limit revisions to the model ordinance to changes necessary to implement the <br />state’s changes to sales at retail in SB 5814. <br /> <br />The model ordinance changes are as follows: <br />• Core model ordinance .030: Definition of “sale at retail” <br />o adds new subsection (3) to incorporate changes to professional services. <br />o (6) updates language related to custom software and customization of prewritten <br />software. <br />o (12) updates language related to digital goods and digital automated services. <br />• Core model ordinance .030: Definition of “sale at wholesale”: adds language to parallel <br />updates to software in retail sales (6). <br />• Technical change: .030 “sale at retail”: (1) moves misplaced language to correct typo created <br />when extended warranties were added to the model. <br /> <br />While SB 5814 also changed the definitions of digital automated services and digital goods, the model <br />ordinance did not need to be updated because the model ordinance incorporates the state’s definition <br />by reference to the RCW. <br /> <br />Background on the Model Ordinance <br /> <br />53 cities impose a local B&O tax on the gross receipts of businesses engaging in business in their city.