Virginia Law

Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 36 (§ 58.1-3600 et seq.) of this title relating to the exemption of property from taxation, the governing body of any county, city or town is authorized to impose and collect a service charge upon the owners of all real estate situated within its jurisdiction which is exempted from property taxation under subdivision A 1, except property owned by the Commonwealth, and subdivisions A 3, A 4 and A 7 of § 58.1-3606, subdivisions A 2 through A 7 of § 58.1-3607 and all sections in Articles 3 (§ 58.1-3609 et seq.), 4 (§ 58.1-3650 et seq.), and 4.1 (§ 58.1-3651) of Chapter 36 of this title.

The service charge may be imposed only if the commissioner of revenue or other assessing officer for such locality, prior to imposing the service charge, publishes and lists all exempt real estate in the land books of such locality, in the same manner as is taxable real estate.

Code 1950, § 58-16.2; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 133; 1972, c. 770; 1973, c. 444; 1975, c. 646; 1976, c. 427; 1981, c. 602; 1982, c. 641; 1984, c. 675; 2004, c. 557.

A. The service charge authorized in § 58.1-3400 shall be based on the assessed value of the tax exempt real estate and the amount which the county, city or town expended, in the year preceding the year in which such charge is assessed, for the purpose of furnishing police and fire protection and for collection and disposal of refuse. The cost of public school education shall be included in such amount in determining the service charge imposed on faculty and staff housing of an educational institution. Any amount received from federal or state grants specifically designated for the above-mentioned purposes and assistance provided to localities pursuant to Article 8 (§ 9.1-165 et seq.) of Chapter 1 of Title 9.1 shall not be considered in determining the cost of providing such services for the real estate. The expenditures for services not provided for certain real estate shall not be considered in the calculation of the service charge for such real estate, nor shall such expenditures be considered when a service is currently funded by another service charge.

B. The service charge rate shall be determined by dividing the expenditures determined pursuant to subsection A of this section, by the assessed fair market value, expressed in hundreds of dollars, of all real estate located within the county, city or town imposing the service charge, including nontaxable property. The resulting rate shall then be applied to the assessed value of the tax exempt property.

Real estate owned by the United States government or any of its instrumentalities shall not be included in the assessed value of all property within the county, city or town.

For purposes of this section, artistic and historical significance shall not be taken into account in the valuation of exempt real estate.

C. In no event shall the service charge exceed twenty percent of the real estate tax rate of the county, city or town imposing the service charge or fifty percent in the case of faculty and staff housing of an educational institution.

Code 1950, § 58-16.2; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 133; 1972, c. 770; 1973, c. 444; 1982, c. 641; 1984, c. 675.

A. Buildings with land they actually occupy, together with additional adjacent land reasonably necessary for the convenient use of any such building, located within any county, city or town imposing the service charge pursuant to § 58.1-3400 shall be exempt from such service charge if the buildings are: (i) lawfully owned and held by churches or religious bodies and wholly and exclusively used for religious worship or for the residence of the minister of any church or religious body or for use as a religious convent, nunnery, monastery, cloister or abbey or (ii) used or operated exclusively for nonprofit private educational or charitable purposes, other than faculty or staff housing of any such educational institution.

The service charge shall also not be applicable to public roadways or property held for future construction of such roadways.

B. The governing body of the county, city or town levying a service charge may exempt any class of organization set out in § 58.1-3600 et seq. from the service charge imposed pursuant to § 58.1-3400 or § 58.1-3403.

Code 1950, § 58-16.2; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 133; 1972, c. 770; 1973, c. 444; 1982, c. 641; 1984, c. 675.

A. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 58.1-3400, a service charge may be levied on real property owned by the Commonwealth if the value of all such property located within a county, city or town exceeds three percent of the value of all real property located within such county, city or town. For purposes of this section "real property owned by the Commonwealth" shall not include hospitals, educational institutions or public roadways or property held for the future construction of public highways.

Notwithstanding § 58.1-3400 and the provisions of the foregoing paragraph, a service charge may be levied on faculty and staff housing of state educational institutions, and on property of the Virginia Port Authority, regardless of the portion of state-owned property located within the county, city or town.

The service charge may be imposed only if the commissioner of revenue or other assessing officer for such locality, prior to imposing the service charge, publishes and lists all exempt real estate in the land books of such locality, in the same manner as is taxable real estate.

B. The service charge shall be based on the assessed value of the state-owned tax exempt real estate and the amount which the county, city or town expended, in the year preceding the year in which such charge is assessed, for the purpose of furnishing police and fire protection and for collection and disposal of refuse. The cost of public school education shall be included in such amount in determining the service charge imposed on faculty and staff housing of an educational institution. Any amount received from federal or state grants specifically designated for the above-mentioned purposes and assistance provided to localities pursuant to Article 8 (§ 9.1-165 et seq.) of Chapter 1 of Title 9.1 shall not be considered in determining the cost of providing such services for the real estate. The expenditures for services not provided for certain real estate shall not be considered in the calculation of the service charge for such real estate, nor shall such expenditures be considered when a service is currently funded by another service charge.

Provided, however, that any amount paid to any locality pursuant to subsection D shall be fully credited against the service charge payable by the Virginia Port Authority under this subsection and subsection A.

C. The service charge rate for state-owned property shall be determined by dividing the expenditures determined pursuant to subsection B of this section by the assessed fair market value, expressed in hundred dollars, of all real estate located within the county, city or town imposing the service charge, including nontaxable property. The resulting rate shall then be applied to the assessed value of the tax exempt property owned by the Commonwealth.

Real estate owned by the United States government or any of its instrumentalities, shall not be included in the assessed value of all property within the county, city or town. For purposes of this section, artistic and historical significance shall not be taken into account in the valuation of exempt real estate.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections B and C and from such funds as may be appropriated, the service charge for property owned by the Virginia Port Authority and its instrumentalities shall be based on the assessed value of such tax-exempt real estate and the amount of cargo tonnage shipped through such property in the year preceding the year in which such charge is assessed.

The service charge rate for each county, city or town shall be determined by adding:

1. The assessed value of the Virginia Port Authority real property in each county, city, or town divided by the total assessed value of real property owned by the Virginia Port Authority in all counties, cities, or towns; and

2. The Virginia Port Authority cargo tonnage shipped through each county, city, or town divided by the total Virginia Port Authority cargo tonnage shipped through all counties, cities, and towns.

Such service charge rate for each county, city, or town shall then be applied to the product of the total Virginia Port Authority cargo tonnage multiplied by $0.25.

E. In no event shall the service charge rate exceed the real estate tax rate of the county, city or town imposing the service charge.

Code 1950, § 58-16.2; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 133; 1972, c. 770; 1973, c. 444; 1982, c. 641; 1984, c. 675; 2000, c. 737.

A. Any county, city or town which enacts an ordinance levying the service charge on state-owned property shall notify in writing the Governor and each state agency affected by such charge at least 12 months prior to the effective date of such local ordinance.

B. A county, city or town which enacts an ordinance levying a service charge on faculty and staff housing of a private institution of higher education shall notify the chief executive officer of such institution at least 12 months prior to the effective date of such ordinance.

Code 1950, § 58-16.2; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 133; 1972, c. 770; 1973, c. 444; 1982, c. 641; 1984, c. 675.

The governing body of any county, city or town is hereby authorized to impose and collect a service charge on the owners of all real estate within its jurisdiction which is exempted from local real estate taxation by international law or by any treaty, international agreement or statute under the United States Constitution.

Such service charge shall be calculated as provided in § 58.1-3400, and shall be based on the assessed value of the real estate and the amount which the county, city or town expends for those services for which the applicable law, treaty, agreement or statute permits a charge to be imposed. The service charge shall be based on the amount expended in the fiscal year preceding the year such charge is assessed. The governing body may impose a service charge of a lower amount than authorized or no service charge, as it may determine in the exercise of its legislative power.

Code 1950, § 58-16.2:1; 1979, c. 337; 1984, c. 675.

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all of the total payments received annually by the Commonwealth from the Tennessee Valley Authority in lieu of taxes shall be apportioned among the cities and counties in which the Tennessee Valley Authority owns property or where Tennessee Valley Authority power is distributed. The Department of Accounts is hereby authorized and directed to make annual payments to the localities in the following manner: three-fourths of such payments shall be apportioned by paying to each locality its percentage of total sales in Virginia by distributors of Tennessee Valley Authority power during the preceding fiscal year as determined pursuant to subsection B of this section; the remaining one-fourth of such payment shall be apportioned by paying to each locality its percentage of the net book value of the power property held in Virginia by the Tennessee Valley Authority as determined pursuant to subsection C of this section.

B. The determination of each locality's percentage of sales in Virginia by distributors of Tennessee Valley Authority power shall be based upon reports filed by the distributors, which reports shall be filed with the Department of Taxation by September 1 of each year. Such reports shall contain the number of kilowatt hours of power sold by the distributor in each Virginia locality during the preceding year.

C. The determination of each locality's percentage of the net book value of the power property held in Virginia by the Tennessee Valley Authority shall be based upon the most recent figures provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority to the Department of Taxation.

Code 1950, § 58-16.2:2; 1982, c. 413; 1984, cc. 531, 675; 1990, c. 70.

Any person aggrieved by the assessment or the valuation of real estate for purposes of this chapter may apply to the commissioner of the revenue or other assessing officer for correction thereof pursuant to § 58.1-3981. Any person aggrieved by the decision of such officer may appeal to the appropriate circuit court of the county or city, as provided in § 58.1-3984.

Code 1950, § 58-16.2; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 133; 1972, c. 770; 1973, c. 444; 1982, c. 641; 1984, c. 675.