Virginia Law

A. A wholesale dealer who is duly qualified as a wholesale dealer stamping agent under § 58.1-1011 may sell cigarettes without the Virginia revenue stamps affixed thereto, provided such cigarettes are sold and shipped or delivered in interstate commerce to a person outside this Commonwealth. Such wholesale dealer shall have on file a record of such sale, the original purchase order, a copy of the invoice therefor, and a receipt from a common carrier, contract carrier, or post office showing shipment for delivery in such other state, or, if delivered by such wholesale dealer to the purchaser at a point outside of this Commonwealth, a receipt showing such delivery in addition to the record, original purchase order and copy of the invoice relating to such sale.

B. Such duly qualified wholesale dealer may sell cigarettes without the Virginia revenue stamps affixed thereto, provided:

1. Such cigarettes are sold to a person who is engaged in business as a dealer in cigarettes in another state;

2. Such cigarettes are purchased exclusively for resale in the other state; and

3. Such cigarettes are at the time of sale properly stamped by the Virginia wholesale dealer with revenue stamps authorized and issued by the other state for use upon such cigarettes. A wholesale dealer shall have on file a record of each such sale, the original purchase order, a copy of the invoice therefor, a receipt from the purchaser showing that such purchase was made exclusively for resale in the other state, and a record showing the purchase and use of such revenue stamps of the other state, and shall set forth in his or its monthly report to the Department the quantity of cigarettes, measured in packs, so set aside for sale outside of the Commonwealth. If upon examination of invoices of any wholesale dealer, such dealer is unable to furnish evidence to the Department of sufficient stamp purchases from such other state to cover unstamped cigarettes set aside for sale in such other state, the prima facie presumption shall arise that such cigarettes were sold without the proper stamps affixed thereto in violation of § 58.1-1003.

C. Cigarettes may be sold by duly qualified wholesale dealers, without revenue stamps affixed thereto, when sold to the United States or to any instrumentality thereof for resale to or for the use or consumption by members of the armed services of the United States, or when sold to the Veterans Canteen Service of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for resale to veterans of the armed services of the United States who are hospitalized or domiciled in hospitals and homes of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, provided the books and records, including original purchase orders and copies of invoices showing such sales, are kept on file and shall set forth in his or its monthly report to the Department the quantity of cigarettes, measured in packs, so sold.

D. Cigarettes may be sold by duly qualified wholesale dealers, without revenue stamps affixed thereto, when sold and delivered to ships regularly engaged in foreign commerce or coastwise shipping between points in this Commonwealth and points outside of this Commonwealth for resale to or for use or consumption upon such ship or in foreign commerce.

E. The Department is authorized to adopt rules and regulations with respect to the enforcement of the provisions of this section to prevent any evasion of the tax herein imposed.

A failure to comply with any provision of this section with respect to any sale of unstamped cigarettes shall subject the wholesale dealer to the payment of the tax thereon imposed by this chapter. The Department may impose a penalty, to be assessed and collected by the Department as other taxes are collected, of up to $500 per pack of cigarettes on any stamping agent it finds not in compliance with any provision of this section with respect to the sale of unstamped cigarettes. The Department may also suspend the stamping permit of such stamping agent until the tax and penalties have been paid to the Department. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Code 1950, § 58-757.9; 1960, c. 392, § 9; 1962, c. 473; 1984, c. 675; 2004, c. 1029; 2005, c. 28.