Thurston County taxes businesses on personal property

It isn’t just about pocket gophers with Thurston County, or building restrictions, or costly permits. My business partner and I just found out it’s about having personal items within the walls of your business that Thurston County is also able to get their greedy hands on us.

It’s the oldest law on the books, I was told. Taxing personal property used to conduct your business. In our case, we have a very small real estate office. However, we have taken great pride in beautifying it with items from our homes or items that have been given to us by friends or family members.

We use our desks and our technology to conduct our business. We don’t use the pictures on the walls, or the china cabinets that display our trinkets, or any of the other accessories that make our office warm and welcoming. Those are not items necessary to conduct our business.

However, when I called and spoke with the individual who sent us our notice to file, I was told that we have to place value on every personal item, whether we purchased it or not, and be taxed on it by Thurston County. Every year. For the same stuff. Depreciated yes, but never to zero.

And yet, all of these items, at one time or another, have already had taxes paid on them. When will it ever make sense? When will it ever be fair? When stupid is no longer and logic finds its way back. Dream on.

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Thurston County taxes businesses on personal property."