LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — Tens of millions in tax dollars will be refunded to some Washington nonprofit hospitals as a result of changes in state property tax rules.
The Daily News (http://bit.ly/w2ZyLQ ) reports that Washington hospitals have long sought property tax exemptions for outpatient clinics and other facilities connected to hospitals.
In the past, property tax exemptions only applied to medical facilities that offered 24-hour inpatient care. The hospitals paid property taxes on most clinics and other buildings.
But the state Department of Revenue is now acknowledging that hospitals have evolved as have their services. Which has made it more difficult to define exactly what portions of a hospital complex should be designated for exemptions.
