Some King County restaurants collecting expired tax
Mar 27, 2012, 1:33 PM | Updated: 3:22 pm
The tax went into effect in 1996 and should have ended on October 1, 2011 when the bonds on the stadium had been paid off. (AP Photo/File)
Some bars and restaurants in King County are still
collecting a tax that is no longer in effect.
The one-half-of-a-cent sales tax hike that was used to pay
off bonds that financed construction of Safeco Field is
still being collected, according to the Department of
Revenue.
The tax went into effect in 1996 and should have ended on
October 1, 2011 when the bonds on the stadium were paid
off.
The Department of Revenue’s Mike Gowrylow says it’s not
clear why the tax is still being collected and if it’s a
widespread problem.
He thinks some businesses may not have reprogrammed their
cash registers either because they are busy or don’t
realize that the tax is done.
“We want businesses to collect the right rate of tax – no
more, no less,” Gowrylow says. He advises customers to
know the tax rate and check their bar and restaurant
bills, which should be 8.6 to 9.5 percent instead of 9.1
to 10 percent.
If the state gets the tax money, it will go into the
general fund, for now.
