Virginia Law

Intangible personal property, including capital of a trade or business of any person, firm or corporation, except for merchants' capital as defined in § 58.1-3510 which shall be subject to local taxation, is hereby segregated for state taxation only.

Code 1950, § 58-405; 1981, c. 145; 1982, c. 633; 1983, cc. 552, 555; 1984, cc. 680, 729.

A. The subjects of taxation classified by this section are hereby defined as intangible personal property:

1. Capital which is inventory, except wine while in the hands of a farm winery producer as defined in § 4.1-100, merchandise located in a foreign trade zone as defined in subdivision 7 of this subsection and any agricultural product held in this Commonwealth by any manufacturer for manufacturing or processing which is of such nature as customarily requires storage and processing for periods of more than one year in order to age or condition such product for manufacture. Such agricultural product shall be includible in inventory for one tax year only and after being taxed for one year shall thereafter be excluded for all succeeding tax years;

2. Capital which is personal property, tangible in fact, used in manufacturing (including, but not limited to, furniture, fixtures, office equipment and computer equipment used in corporate headquarters), mining, water well drilling, radio or television broadcasting, dairy, dry cleaning or laundry businesses. Machinery and tools, motor vehicles and delivery equipment of such businesses shall not be defined as intangible personal property for purposes of this chapter and shall be taxed locally as tangible personal property according to the applicable provisions of law relative to such property;

2a. Personal property, tangible in fact, used in cable television businesses. Machines and tools, motor vehicles, delivery equipment, trunk and feeder cables, studio equipment, antennae and office furniture and equipment of such businesses shall not be defined as intangible personal property for purposes of this chapter and shall be taxed locally as tangible personal property according to the applicable provisions of law relative to such property;

3. Money;

4. Bonds, notes, and other evidences of debt; demands and claims;

5. Shares of stock;

6. Accounts receivable;

7. All imported and exported foreign merchandise or domestic merchandise scheduled for export while in inventory located in a foreign trade zone within the Commonwealth;

8. Computer application software, except computer application software which is inventory as defined in subdivision 1 of this subsection, is defined as computer instructions, in any form, which are designed to be read by a computer and to enable it to perform specific operations with data or information stored by the computer;

9. Capital which is personal property, tangible in fact, used in commercial fishing businesses, and used in the water to catch or harvest seafood, including but not limited to crab pots, nets, tongs, and dredge equipment. Fishing vessels and property permanently attached to such vessels shall not be defined as intangible personal property for purposes of this chapter and shall be taxed locally as tangible personal property according to the applicable provisions of law relative to such property; and

10. Capital which is personal property, tangible in fact, that (i) is employed in a trade or business, (ii) has an original cost of less than $25, and (iii) is not classified as machinery and tools pursuant to Article 2 (§ 58.1-3507 et seq.) of Chapter 35, merchants' capital pursuant to Article 3 (§ 58.1-3509 et seq.) of Chapter 35, or short-term rental property pursuant to Article 3.1 (§ 58.1-3510.4 et seq.) of Chapter 35.

B. [Repealed.]

C. The subjects of intangible personal property set forth in subdivisions 1 through 10 of subsection A shall be exempt from taxation as provided in Article X, Section 6 (a)(5) of the Constitution of Virginia.

Code 1950, § 58-405; 1981, c. 145; 1982, c. 633; 1983, cc. 552, 555; 1984, cc. 150, 171, 675, 680, 692, 729; 1993, c. 866; 1996, c. 622; 1999, c. 396; 2000, c. 472; 2019, c. 255.

A. Any person, firm or corporation who or which enters into contracts with farmers for the production of poultry or livestock under which contracts such person, firm or corporation furnishes the poultry or livestock and feed and other supplies therefor and assumes all financial risks, including all losses in the growing and marketing of such poultry or livestock, shall be subject to the intangible personal property tax under § 58.1-1100 and not as a merchant. Such poultry and livestock shall not be included in such intangible personal property but shall be assessable locally as tangible personal property.

B. Any person, firm or corporation who or which processes poultry to a product ready for human consumption, except for cooking, in a process in which machinery or mechanical devices, or both, play a material or significant part, and who or which sells such products to customers, subject to wholesale merchants' license taxation shall be taxable under § 58.1-1100.

Code 1950, §§ 58-412.1, 58-412.2; 1952, c. 679; 1956, c. 618; 1982, c. 633; 1984, c. 675.

Section 58.1-1100, except subdivision A 10 of § 58.1-1101, shall not be construed to apply to (i) any profession that the Commonwealth regulates by law, (ii) industrial development corporations organized pursuant to the terms of §§ 13.1-981 through 13.1-998, or (iii) the business of farming, which includes propagating, growing, selling, and planting, as an incident to the sale, of evergreens, shade trees, shrubs, and all other nursery products, ornamental and otherwise, grown by the seller. Property used or employed in such exempt activities shall be taxable in the actual form in which it exists and not as intangible personal property.

Code 1950, § 58-413; 1956, c. 241; 1962, c. 131; 1982, c. 633; 1984, c. 675; 2019, c. 255.

That part of the dairy business which consists of the purchase, pasteurization and sale of milk and cream and the production and sale of buttermilk, as well as that part of the dairy business which consists of the manufacture of butter, condensed milk, evaporated milk, ice cream mix, ice cream, milk powder and cheese, is hereby declared to be subject to the intangible personal property tax under § 58.1-1100 and shall therefore not be taxable as a merchant under state or local law.

Code 1950, § 58-416; 1982, c. 633; 1984, c. 675.

Suppliers of pulpwood, veneer logs, mine props and railroad crossties who furnish the same to manufacturers, mine operators and railway companies shall be subject to the intangible personal property tax under § 58.1-1100 and shall not be subject to license taxation as merchants, commission merchants or brokers. The word "suppliers" as used in this section means any person, firm or corporation who or which procures such pulpwood, veneer logs, mine props or railroad crossties for such users on a commission basis whether the commission is measured by a percentage of value or of volume.

Code 1950, § 58-417; 1982, c. 633; 1984, c. 675.

A. Every nonresident person, every foreign corporation and every partnership consisting in whole or in part of nonresident persons doing business in this Commonwealth is hereby declared to have a business domicile within this Commonwealth and so much of the intangible personal property of any such person, firm or corporation as may have acquired or may hereafter acquire a business situs within this Commonwealth shall be reported by and taxed to such person, firm or corporation in the same manner and to the same extent as if such person, firm or corporation were a resident or composed entirely of resident individuals or a domestic corporation.

B. When any person, firm or corporation domiciled and doing business in this Commonwealth maintains a branch of such business outside of this Commonwealth, no part of the intangible personal property of such person, firm or corporation having acquired a business situs at any such branch outside of this Commonwealth shall be considered as situated in this Commonwealth for the purpose of taxation or be assessed with taxes in this Commonwealth.

Code 1950, §§ 58-414, 58-415; 1982, c. 633; 1984, c. 675.

Intangible personal property shall be returned for taxation as of January 1 of every year. The status of all persons, firms, corporations and other taxpayers liable to taxation on intangible personal property shall be fixed and the value of all intangible personal property returned for taxation shall be taken as of such date in each year.

Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a taxpayer may at his option make return of the average amount of intangible personal property employed in business on such date and August 1 next preceding.

Code 1950, § 58-423; 1982, c. 633; 1984, c. 675.

All returns of intangible personal property shall be made by the taxpayer on or before May 1 in each year, and the full amount of the tax payable as shown on the face of the return shall be so paid.

Code 1950, §§ 58-424, 58-428, 58-441; 1960, c. 508; 1977, c. 396; 1984, c. 675.

The Tax Commissioner may grant a reasonable extension of time for filing intangible returns whenever in his judgment good cause exists. Except in the case of a taxpayer who is abroad, no such extension shall be granted for more than six months. Whenever the time for filing a return is extended, interest at a rate determined in accordance with § 58.1-15, from the time the return was originally required to be filed to the time of payment, shall be charged and collected. If any taxpayer who has been granted an extension of time for filing his return fails to file his return within the extended time and to pay the full amount of the tax as shown on the face of the return at the time of filing, and the accrued interest, his case shall be treated the same as if no extension had been granted.

Code 1950, § 58-425; 1960, c. 508; 1977, c. 396; 1984, c. 675.

A. Every person subject to taxation pursuant to this chapter shall file his return with the commissioner of the revenue for the county or city in which he maintains his domicile, if he is domiciled in this Commonwealth. If he is not domiciled in this Commonwealth, he shall file the return with the commissioner of the revenue for the county or city in which his business, or the major part thereof, is conducted. An unincorporated company subject to such taxation shall file a return with the commissioner of the revenue for the county or city in which its business, or the major part thereof, is conducted. A corporation owning taxable intangible personal property shall file a return with the commissioner of the revenue for the county or city in which the registered office of the corporation is located. It shall be the duty of each commissioner of the revenue to obtain a return of intangible personal property from every such taxpayer within his jurisdiction who is liable to file a return with him.

B. Each commissioner of the revenue shall audit returns of taxpayers as soon as practicable after they are made to him and shall assess the amount of taxes, or the amount of additional taxes, as the case may be, which appears to be due. The auditing of such returns shall not be done in any manner or at a time that will result in a delay on the part of the commissioner of the revenue in complying with §§ 58.1-1116 and 58.1-1117.

Code 1950, §§ 58-427, 58-429, 58-430, 58-431; 1956, c. 439; 1960, c. 508; 1984, c. 675.

Fiduciaries shall be subject to all the provisions of this chapter which apply to other taxpayers, except as otherwise specifically provided herein. Any fiduciary for a taxpayer shall file a return of intangible personal property in the county or city wherein the taxpayer would have been required to file.

Code 1950, §§ 58-432, 58-433, 58-437; 1984, c. 675.

As soon as the returns of intangible personal property have been received by the commissioner of the revenue and entered upon the assessment sheets or forms, the commissioner of the revenue shall forward such returns to the Department of Taxation. The Department may, however, authorize the commissioner of the revenue to retain such returns for such length of time as may be necessary to enable him to properly review the returns.

Code 1950, § 58-434; 1960, c. 508; 1984, c. 675.

The commissioner of the revenue shall assess a penalty equal to ten percent of the amount of taxes assessable thereon upon any return filed with the commissioner of the revenue after the time prescribed for the filing of returns. In no case shall such penalty be less than ten dollars, and such penalty when so assessed shall become a part of the tax and shall be collected in the same manner as is provided by law for the collection of other taxes.

At any time after the time required by law for filing such returns the commissioner of the revenue shall secure a return from every delinquent taxpayer within his jurisdiction or, if any such taxpayer refuses to make a return or fails to make such return for fifteen days after the commissioner of the revenue calls upon him to do so, the commissioner of the revenue shall from the best information he can obtain make an estimate of the intangible personal property of such taxpayer.

The commissioner of the revenue shall have authority to assess taxes, penalties and interest upon such estimate and such taxes, penalties and interest shall be collected in like manner as is provided by law for the collection of other state taxes.

Code 1950, § 58-438; 1984, c. 675.

If the amount of tax computed by the Department is greater than the amount theretofore assessed, the excess shall be assessed by the Tax Commissioner and notice of the same shall be mailed to the taxpayer. The taxpayer shall remit such additional tax to the Department within thirty days from the date of such notice. In such case, if the return was made in good faith and the understatement of the amount in the return was not due to any fault of the taxpayer, there shall be no penalty on the additional tax because of such understatement, but interest shall be added to the amount of the deficiency at a rate determined in accordance with § 58.1-15, from the time the return was required by law to be filed until paid. If the understatement is false or fraudulent with intent to evade the tax a penalty of 100 percent shall be added together with interest on the tax at a rate determined in accordance with § 58.1-15, from the time the return was required by law to be filed until paid. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the taxpayer from applying for a correction of any assessment as provided in Chapter 18, Article 2 (§ 58.1-1820 et seq.) of this title.

The taxes imposed by this chapter shall be assessed within three years from the date on which such taxes became due and payable, except that in the case of a false or fraudulent return with intent to evade payment of such taxes, or a failure to file a return, the taxes may be assessed at any time within six years from such date.

Code 1950, § 58-435; 1960, c. 508; 1976, c. 422; 1977, c. 396; 1980, c. 633; 1984, c. 675.

If the amount of tax as computed is less than the amount theretofore paid, the excess shall be refunded out of the state treasury on the order of the Tax Commissioner upon the Comptroller.

Code 1950, § 58-436; 1984, c. 675.

If any tax or part thereof is not paid in full when due, there shall be added to the amount unpaid a penalty of five percent of the amount thereof. The entire tax or any unpaid balance thereof, together with penalty, shall immediately become collectible. Interest upon such unpaid balance and the penalty provided by this section shall be added at a rate determined in accordance with § 58.1-15, from one month after the tax was originally due until paid. In the case of an additional tax assessed by the commissioner of the revenue, if the return was made in good faith and the understatement of the amount in the return was not due to any fault of the taxpayer, there shall be no penalty on the additional tax because of such understatement, but interest shall be added to the amount of the deficiency at a rate determined in accordance with § 58.1-15, from the time the said return was required by law to be filed until paid.

Code 1950, § 58-441; 1960, c. 508; 1977, c. 396; 1984, c. 675.

Each county and city treasurer shall proceed promptly to collect all intangible personal property taxes for the tax year that have been assessed by the commissioner of the revenue and remain unpaid after the time fixed by law for payment and shall continue his efforts so to collect until the close of the then current calendar year. The collection of such taxes shall be enforced by legal process to the extent collection cannot be accomplished otherwise, and all remedies available to the county or city treasurer for the collection of other taxes shall apply to the collection of intangible personal property taxes.

Within thirty-one days after the close of each calendar year, the treasurer shall transmit to the Department in the form it may prescribe, such information as the Department may require with respect to all assessments that the commissioner of the revenue made during such calendar year and that the treasurer was unable to collect. The Department, upon receiving and examining the same, shall certify to the Comptroller the necessary information to enable the Comptroller to give such treasurer proper credit on the Comptroller's books for all unpaid items, and such treasurer shall not receive any of such taxes after he has transmitted such information to the Department, but the same shall be paid directly into the state treasury. Section 58.1-1800 shall not apply with respect to the intangible property taxes covered by this paragraph.

The Department shall have power to issue a memorandum of lien under § 58.1-1805 for the collection of such taxes in the same manner and with the same effect as in the case of a memorandum of lien issued for the collection of taxes assessed by such Department; and all provisions of law applicable to such memorandum of lien shall be applicable to each memorandum of lien issued for the collection of taxes under this section. The Department shall also have power to collect the taxes as aforesaid by other legal process.

Code 1950, § 58-441; 1960, c. 508; 1977, c. 396; 1984, c. 675; 1985, c. 221.

The Department shall prescribe and furnish assessment sheets or forms for the use of every commissioner of the revenue in making assessments of intangible personal property. These assessment sheets or forms shall be made out in as many copies as may be prescribed by the Department. The original and, if the Department so prescribes, one copy of each such sheet or form shall be delivered to the treasurer of the county or city; one copy shall be sent the Department, and one copy shall be retained by the commissioner of the revenue. The commissioner of the revenue shall make out an assessment sheet or form daily as and when returns are received, or in the case of additional assessments, as and when made, and shall continue so to make out such sheets or forms daily until all returns so received by him have been assessed. The commissioner of the revenue shall each day deliver the original and, if the Department so prescribes, one copy of each such sheet or form so made out that day to the treasurer of the county or city. Within ten days after the close of each month the commissioner of the revenue shall transmit to the Department its copy of the assessment sheets or forms showing assessments made throughout such month. Intangible personal property shall not be entered on the personal property book.

Code 1950, § 58-440; 1960, c. 508; 1984, c. 675.