Various Types of Taxes the City Receives:
Property Taxes:
Property Taxes are paid to Franklin County. What is paid to the County includes the portion for the City, and the Pasco School District. When the County receives your payment, the City portion is sent to us.
Pasco’s property tax levy rate changes every year. The tax is calculated on the assessed value of property and is collected by Franklin County.
The total property tax that a property owner pays also includes a portion for the State, Franklin County, and the Pasco School District.
There are several tax relief opportunities provided by state law, including property tax exemptions or deferrals for senior citizens and disabled persons. Logon onto the Franklin County Assessor’s Office website at www.co.franklin.wa.us/assessor/ or call 545-3506 for more information.
Sales Taxes:
The City receives a portion of the 8.3% sales tax that are charged on goods and services you buy.
The state sales tax rate is 6.5% and Pasco’s local rate is 1.8%. These total the 8.3%.
The 1.8% local rate is distributed as follows:
0.6% goes to the Ben Franklin Transit District
And the remainder is divided between the Pasco and Franklin Co. (Pasco receiving about 0.9% and Franklin Co. about 0.3%)
Utility Taxes:
The city imposes utility taxes (currently 8.5%) upon the following services;
telephone, electricity, cable television, natural gas, garbage, water, sewer, storm drain, and irrigation.
The City receives these taxes directly from the service provider. You may see these taxes itemized on your bills.
Admission Taxes:
Admission taxes are collected at the rate of 2.5% and imposed on everyone who pays an admission charge to any place. This can be in the form of a cover charge or a ticket price for entrance into a facility.
Gambling Taxes:
The City charges a gambling tax to those organizations authorized under the laws of the State of Washington. Taxes are levied at the rate of 5% or gross receipts for raffles (10% for non-profit orgs. less th amount awarded as prizes) and 5% for bingo, 10% for gross receipts from punchbords and pulltabs and 10% of the gross revenues for social card games.
Leashold Excise Taxes:
Organizations who don't pay property tax on real property must pay leasehold excise tax if they rent that property to organization who are not exempt from paying property taxes. That tax is 12.84% of the amount of the rent.
Lodging Excise Tax:
The City collects a Lodging Excise Tax of 4% on the sale of charge for lodging.
Motor Vehicle Fuel Taxes:
The State also collects fuel taxes on each gallon of fuel sold. A portion of these taxes are distributed to cities and counties to help pay for local road and street improvements.
All cities and counties receive a portion of the Fuel Tax collected by the state based on population.
Liquor Excise Taxes:
The price of liquor in the State of Washington is comprised of several components. There is, of course, the standard cost of goods sold, which includes the cost from the manufacturer and the delivery price of the alcohol. The Federal and State taxes are applied to the cost, as well as mark-up for the Liquor Control Board costs and surcharges imposed by the Liquor Control Board. The taxes are distributed according to RCW Chapter 82, and surcharges are distributed according to Liquor Control Board policy.
All cities and counties receive a portion of the Liquor Tax collected by the state based on population.
