Virginia Law

A. Registration requirements. Except as otherwise authorized by the Tax Commissioner, every person engaged in the business of placing vending machines and selling tangible personal property through such machines shall apply for a Certificate of Registration for each county and city in which machines are placed. A separate registration is required for each place of business from which nonvending machine sales are made. Dealers holding or applying for multiple vending or nonvending registrations may request permission at the time of application to file consolidated vending or nonvending returns.

B. Computation of tax. All items of tangible personal property sold through vending machines by those vending machines dealers engaged in placing vending machines and selling tangible personal property through such machines are taxable at the rate of 6.3% (5.3% state and 1.0% local) and 7.0% (5.3% state, 0.7% regional, and 1.0% local) in the Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia Regions. For definitions of the "Hampton Roads Region" and the "Northern Virginia Region" see 23VAC10-210-2070.

Any dealers, all of whose machines are under contract to nonprofit organizations, should refer to 23VAC10-210-6042. Dealers acquiring items from other suppliers and selling them in the same condition which they were acquired shall compute the 6.3% (7.0% in the Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia Regions) tax on the cost price of the purchased tangible personal property. Dealers who manufacture the tangible personal property to be sold through vending machines shall compute the tax on the cost of the manufactured tangible personal property (cost of goods manufactured). The cost of manufactured personal property includes raw material cost plus labor and overhead attributable to the manufacture of the item being sold.

Example:

Dealer A purchases (or manufactures) items, with a total cost price of $1,000, during the month for sale through vending machines. Dealer A would compute the tax as follows:

Total cost price ($1,000) X State tax rate (.053) = State tax ($53)

Total cost price ($1,000) X Local tax rate (.01) = Local tax ($10)

TOTAL TAX = $63

The method of accounting used for federal income tax purposes shall be the accounting method used in determining the cost price of purchased tangible personal property and the cost of manufactured tangible personal property. For example, if the first-in, first-out method of accounting is used for federal income tax purposes, this accounting method shall be used each month for computing the cost price of purchased tangible personal property or the cost of manufactured tangible personal property.

As an alternative method of computing the tax, any dealer unable to maintain satisfactory records to determine the cost price of purchased tangible personal property and the cost of manufactured tangible personal property may request in writing to the Tax Commissioner authority to remit an amount based on a percentage of gross receipts which takes into account the inclusion of the 5.3% (6.0% in the Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia Regions) sales tax.

Example:

Dealer B, who has been authorized by the Tax Commissioner to compute the tax based on gross receipts, had gross receipts from vending machine sales during the month of $3,000. Dealer B would compute the tax as follows:

Gross receipts ($3,000) X State tax rate (.043) = State tax ($129)

Gross receipts ($3,000) X Local tax rate (.01) = Local tax ($30)

TOTAL TAX = $159

Upon receiving such authorization from the Tax Commissioner, a return shall be filed to report the 5.3% (6.0% in the Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia Regions) sales tax beginning with the period set out in the authorization letter. All subsequent returns shall be filed using this method unless the dealer applies in writing to the Tax Commissioner and is given authorization in writing to change his filing status. Authorization to compute the tax using this alternative method will not eliminate the requirement to maintain records which show the location of each vending machine, purchases and inventories of merchandise bought for sale through vending machines, and total gross receipts for each vending machine.

C. Filing of returns. Except as otherwise authorized by the Tax Commissioner, dealers engaging in the business of placing vending machines and selling tangible personal property through such machines must file a return to report the tax on the items sold through vending machines.

Returns are due by the 20th day of the month following the period in which tangible personal property is sold through vending machines, with the tax to be computed in the manner set out in subsection B of this section. A return is required to be filed for each locality where vending machines are located unless a dealer has requested and been granted authority to file a consolidated return.

D. Purchases. Tangible personal property purchased for resale through vending machines may be purchased under Certificate of Exemption, Form ST-10. All tangible property purchased for use or consumption by the dealer and not for resale, including vending machines and repair parts for such machines, and withdrawals of tangible personal property from a tax exempt manufacturing or resale inventory for use or consumption by the dealer are subject to the tax at the rate of 5.3% (6.0% in the Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia Regions) of the cost price of the property. If the supplier does not charge the tax on purchases for use or consumption, the vending machine dealer shall pay the tax directly to the Department of Taxation on the Retail Sales and Use Tax Return (if he is registered for nonvending sales) or on the Consumer's Use Tax Return. Dealers who manufacture or process tangible personal property for sale may be entitled to the industrial exemption for tangible personal property used directly in manufacturing or processing as set forth in subdivision 2 of § 58.1-609.3 of the Code of Virginia and 23VAC10-210-920.

E. Records. Records shall be kept for a period of three years and shall show the location of each machine; purchases and inventories of merchandise bought for sales through vending machines; and the cost price of purchased tangible personal property or the cost of manufactured tangible personal property for each machine.