Legislature OKs Tax Break for Airplane Maintenance Company

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Senate in Washington has passed a bill that would give a sales tax exemption to an aerospace firm hoping to build a new airplane maintenance center in King County.

Senate Bill 2839 passed on a 28-20 vote Thursday, and now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee.

Gateway USA LLC hopes to build an airplane service facility at Boeing Field without paying sales tax. But to claim the tax break, which comes as a refund, the company would have to create at least 100 jobs averaging a salary of $80,000 a year, four years after the repair center opens.

Bill sponsor Democratic Rep. Larry Springer of Kirkland has said without the exemption, the company would likely build in Oregon.