Tag: Business law
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Goodbye, Pet Rent: Everything You Need to Know About Seattle’s New Rental Junk Fee Ban
Finding an apartment in Seattle has long been an exercise in complex math. For years, prospective tenants have browsed rental listings and found a price that seemed to fit their budget, only to be hit with a slew of add-on fees at the lease signing. From monthly pet rent to package processing charges, these recurring…
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FinCEN Permanently Ends Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements for Millions of Small Business Owners
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is issuing a final rule that permanently removes the requirement for U.S. companies and U.S. persons to report beneficial ownership information to FinCEN under the Corporate Transparency Act. The final rule became effective on August 14, 2026. FinCEN today also announced that it will delete previously reported information…
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Long-Term Rentals Are Not Subject to Washington’s B&O Tax
If you rent out residential or commercial real estate in Washington on a long-term basis, that rental income is not subject to the state’s business and occupation (B&O) tax—or to retail sales tax. The exemption is well established, but it is narrower than many owners assume: it turns on how long the tenant stays and…
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Legal Update: Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act
Washington has amended its Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA) for the first time since the statute was enacted in 1998. The changes—passed as Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2274 and now in effect—add a knowledge requirement for misleading subject-line claims and cut one category of statutory damages from $500 to $100. They apply to lawsuits filed…
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M&A Trends – Survival Periods and No-Recourse Terms
In the high-stakes arena of M&A, the survival period—the window during which a buyer can bring claims for breaches of representations and warranties—is a primary lever for risk allocation. The 2025 ABA Deal Points Study reveals a market increasingly defined by a binary choice: traditional indemnification or the “public-style” no-survival model. The Decline of Express…
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Foreign Money Judgments in Washington Still Need a Washington Hook
In Alterna Aircraft V B Ltd. v. SpiceJet Ltd., the Washington Supreme Court held that a creditor seeking recognition of a foreign-country money judgment must identify Washington property if there is no general or specific jurisdiction over the debtor here. What Happened Washington has adopted the Uniform Foreign-Country Money Judgments Recognition Act, which allows certain…
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Washington Expands Background Check Protections for Workers with Criminal Records
Washington’s Fair Chance Act has limited when employers can ask about criminal history (i.e., conduct background checks) since 2018. But 2025 amendments to the law go further. Enacted as EHB 1747, the changes do not replace the original law so much as expand it: the earlier statute focused mainly on when employers could seek criminal-record…
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Regulatory Shift: DOL Proposes New Standards for Independent Contractor Classification
On February 26, 2026, the Department of Labor (DOL) introduced a Proposed Rule aimed at redefining the boundaries between employees and independent contractors. This update marks a pivot away from current standards, moving toward a framework that mirrors the 2021 “employer-friendly” guidelines. Notably, the DOL intends to apply this classification logic not just to the…
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Ninth Circuit Upholds Religious Hiring Preferences
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently bolstered the legal standing of religious employers in Union Gospel Mission of Yakima v. Brown. Interpreting the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), the court upheld a preliminary injunction that prevents the state from penalizing the Mission for its faith-based hiring preferences. This decision continues a broader judicial trend…
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Understanding Washington’s Tax Penalties and How the Voluntary Disclosure Program Can Help
Operating a business in Washington comes with many responsibilities, and staying on top of state tax obligations is one of the most critical. However, many business owners—especially those operating from out of state or just starting out—may unknowingly overlook certain tax requirements. Ignoring these obligations can lead to significant financial penalties. The good news? The…