5.04.030 Definitions.
Where used in this chapter or title, the following words and terms shall have the meanings as defined in this section, unless, from the context, a more limited or different meaning is clearly defined or apparent:
“Business” includes all activities, occupations, pursuits, or professions located or engaged within the City with the object of gain, benefit or advantage to the person engaging in the same, or to any other person or class, directly or indirectly;
“Business license” is that document approved by the City for issuance, providing proof of licensing the transaction of business within the City by the person whose name appears thereon for the stated license period. For the purpose of this chapter, an original or officially issued duplicate of the document constitutes a valid “business license” for every purpose;
“Business Licensing Service” or “BLS” means the office within the Washington State Department of Revenue providing business licensing services to the City;
“City” means the City of Redmond, Washington;
“Employee” means any person who performs work, labor, or services for a business and is on the business’ payroll. For the purpose of this chapter, the term “employee” also includes all full-time, part-time, seasonal, limited duration and other workers on the business’ payroll, and self-employed persons, sole proprietors, owners, managers, partners, any family members working at the business, and any officers, agents or personal representatives acting in a fiduciary capacity;
Engaging in Business.
1. The term “engaging in business” means commencing, conducting, or continuing in business, and also the exercise of corporate or franchise powers, as well as liquidating a business when the liquidators thereof hold themselves out to the public as conducting such business.
2. This section sets forth examples of activities that constitute engaging in business in the City, and establishes safe harbors for certain of those activities so that a person who meets the criteria may engage in de minimis business activities in the City without having to pay a business license fee. The activities listed in this section are illustrative only and are not intended to narrow the definition of “engaging in business” in subsection 1 of this definition. If an activity is not listed, whether it constitutes engaging in business in the City shall be determined by considering all the facts and circumstances and applicable law.
3. Without being all inclusive, any one of the following activities conducted within the City by a person, or its employee, agent, representative, independent contractor, broker or another acting on its behalf constitutes engaging in business and requires a person to register and obtain a business license:
a. Owning, renting, leasing, maintaining, or having the right to use, or using, tangible personal property, intangible personal property, or real property permanently or temporarily located in the City.
b. Owning, renting, leasing, using, or maintaining an office, place of business, or other establishment in the City.
c. Soliciting sales.
d. Making repairs or providing maintenance or service to real or tangible personal property, including warranty work and property maintenance.
e. Providing technical assistance or service, including quality control, product inspections, warranty work, or similar services on or in connection with tangible personal property sold by the person or on its behalf.
f. Installing, constructing, or supervising installation or construction of real or tangible personal property.
g. Soliciting, negotiating, or approving franchise, license, or other similar agreements.
h. Collecting current or delinquent accounts.
i. Picking up and transporting tangible personal property, solid waste, construction debris, or excavated materials.
j. Providing disinfecting and pest control services, employment and labor pool services, home nursing care, janitorial services, appraising, landscape architectural services, security system services, surveying, and real estate services including the listing of homes and managing real property.
k. Rendering professional services such as those provided by accountants, architects, attorneys, auctioneers, consultants, engineers, professional athletes, barbers, baseball clubs and other sports organizations, chemists, psychologists, court reporters, dentists, doctors, detectives, laboratory operators, teachers, veterinarians.
l. Meeting with customers or potential customers, even when no sales or orders are solicited at the meetings.
m. Training or recruiting agents, representatives, independent contractors, brokers or others, domiciled or operating on a job in the City, acting on its behalf, or for customers or potential customers.
n. Investigating, resolving, or otherwise assisting in resolving customer complaints.
o. In-store stocking or manipulating products or goods, sold to and owned by a customer, regardless of where sale and delivery of the goods took place.
p. Delivering goods in vehicles owned, rented, leased, used, or maintained by the person or another acting on its behalf.
4. The City expressly intends that engaging in business include any activity sufficient to establish nexus for purposes of applying the license fee under the law and the constitutions of the United States and the State of Washington. Nexus is presumed to continue as long as the taxpayer benefits from the activity that constituted the original nexus generating contact or subsequent contacts;
“Finance Director” or “Director” means the City of Redmond Finance Director or his/her designee;
“Person” includes the singular and the plural and also means and includes any person, firm, corporation, association, club, partnership, independent contractor, society or any group of individuals acting as a unit; and
“Year” means a calendar year. (Ord. 3033 § 3, 2021; Ord. 2940 § 2, 2018: Ord. 2546 § 2 (part), 2010: Ord. 2238 § 1 (part), 2004: Ord. 2003 § 1, 1998: Ord. 1924 § 1, 1996).