Except as may be otherwise provided by the laws
of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and notwithstanding any other current
ordinances or resolutions enacted by this governing body, whether
or not compiled in the Code of this jurisdiction, to the extent of
any conflict, the following provisions shall be applicable to the
levy, assessment, and collection of licenses required and taxes imposed
on businesses, trades, professions and callings and upon the persons,
firms and corporations engaged therein within this locality.
For the purposes of this chapter, unless otherwise
required by the context, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
AFFILIATED GROUP
A.
One or more chains of includable corporations
connected through stock ownership with a common parent corporation
which is an includable corporation if:
(1)
Stock possessing at least 80% of the voting
power of all classes of stock and at least 80% of each class of the
nonvoting stock of each of the includable corporations, except the
common parent corporation, is owned directly by one or more of the
other includable corporations; and
(2)
The common parent corporation directly owns
stock possessing at least 80% of the voting power of all classes of
stock and at least 80% of each class of the nonvoting stock of at
least one of the other includable corporations. As used in this subsection,
the term "stock" does not include nonvoting stock which is limited
and preferred as to dividends. The term "includable corporation" means
any corporation within the affiliated group irrespective of the state
or country of its incorporation; and the term "receipts" includes
gross receipts and gross income.
B.
Two or more corporations if five or fewer persons
who are individuals, estates or trusts own stock possessing:
(1)
At least 80% of the total combined voting power
of all classes of stock entitled to vote or at least 80% of the total
value of shares of all classes of the stock of each corporation; and
(2)
More than 50% of the total combined voting power
of all classes of stock entitled to vote or more than 50% of the total
value of shares of all classes of stock of each corporation, taking
into account the stock ownership of each such person only to the extent
such stock ownership is identical with respect to each such corporation.
C.
When one or more of the includable corporations,
including the common parent corporation, is a nonstock corporation,
the term "stock" as used in this subsection shall refer to the nonstock
corporation membership or membership voting rights, as is appropriate
to the context.
ASSESSMENT
A determination as to the proper rate of tax, the measure
to which the tax rate is applied, and ultimately the amount of tax,
including additional or omitted tax, that is due. An assessment shall
include a written assessment made pursuant to notice by the assessing
official or a self-assessment made by a taxpayer upon the filing of
a return or otherwise not pursuant to notice. Assessments shall be
deemed made by an assessing official when a written notice of assessment
is delivered to the taxpayer by the assessing official or an employee
of the assessing official, or mailed to the taxpayer at his last known
address. Self-assessments shall be deemed made when a return is filed
or, if no return is required, when the tax is paid. A return filed
or tax paid before the last day prescribed by ordinance for the filing
or payment thereof shall be deemed to be filed or paid on the last
day specified for the filing of a return or the payment of tax, as
the case may be.
BASE YEAR
The calendar year preceding the license year, except for
contractors subject to the provisions of § 58.1-3715 of
the Code of Virginia.
BUSINESS
A course of dealing which requires the time, attention and
labor of the person so engaged for the purpose of earning a livelihood
or profit. It implies a continuous and regular course of dealing,
rather than an irregular or isolated transaction. A person may be
engaged in more than one business. The following acts shall create
a rebuttable presumption that a person is engaged in a business: advertising
or otherwise holding oneself out to the public as being engaged in
a particular business; or filing tax returns, schedules and documents
that are required only of persons engaged in a trade or business.
CONTRACTOR
Shall have the meaning prescribed in § 58.1-3714B
of the Code of Virginia, as amended, whether such work is done or
offered to be done by day labor, general contract or subcontract.
DEFINITE PLACE OF BUSINESS
An office or a location at which occurs a regular and continuous
course of dealing for 30 consecutive days or more. A definite place
of business for a person engaged in business may include a location
leased or otherwise obtained from another person on a temporary or
seasonal basis; and real property leased to another. A person's residence
shall be deemed to be a definite place of business if there is no
definite place of business maintained elsewhere and the person is
not licensable as a peddler or itinerant merchant.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
The buying, selling, handling, managing, investing, and providing
of advice regarding money, credit, securities and other investments
and shall include the service for compensation by a credit agency,
an investment company, a broker or dealer in securities and commodities
or a security or commodity exchange, unless such service is otherwise
provided for in this chapter.
A.
BROKERAn agent of a buyer or a seller who buys or sells stocks, bonds, commodities or services, usually on a commission basis.
B.
COMMODITYStaples such as wool, cotton, etc., which are traded on a commodity exchange and on which there is trading in futures.
C.
DEALERAny person engaged in the business of buying and selling securities for his own account, but does not include a bank, or any person insofar as he buys or sells securities for his own account, either individually or in some fiduciary capacity, but not as part of a regular business.
D.
SECURITYFor purposes of this chapter, shall have the same meaning as in the Securities Act (§ 13.1-501 et seq.) of the Code of Virginia, or in similar laws of the United States regulating the sale of securities.
E.
Those engaged in rendering financial services
include, without limitation, the following:
(1)
Buying installment receivables.
(2)
Chattel mortgage financing.
(7)
Financing accounts receivable.
(8)
Industrial loan companies.
(11)
Loan or mortgage brokers.
(12)
Loan or mortgage companies.
(13)
Safety deposit box companies.
(14)
Security and commodity brokers and services.
(16)
Working capital financing.
GROSS RECEIPTS
The whole, entire, total receipts attributable to the licensed privilege, without deduction, except as may be limited by the provisions of Chapter
37 of Title 58.1 of the Code of Virginia.
LICENSE YEAR
The calendar year for which a license is issued for the privilege
of engaging in business.
PERSONAL SERVICES
Rendering for compensation any repair, personal, business
or other services not specifically classified as "financial, real
estate or professional service" under this chapter, or rendered in
any other business or occupation not specifically classified in this
chapter unless exempted from local license tax by Title 58.1 of the
Code of Virginia.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Services performed by architects, attorneys-at-law, certified
public accountants, dentists, engineers, land surveyors, surgeons,
veterinarians, and practitioners of the healing arts (the arts and
sciences dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure
or alleviation of human physical or mental ailments, conditions, diseases,
pain or infirmities) and such occupations, and no others, as the Virginia
Department of Taxation may list in the BPOL guidelines promulgated
pursuant to § 58.1-3701 of the Code of Virginia. The Department
shall identify and list each occupation or vocation in which a professed
knowledge of some department of science or learning, gained by a prolonged
course of specialized instruction and study, is used by its practical
application to the affairs of others, either advising, guiding, or
teaching them, and in serving their interests or welfare in the practice
of an art or science founded on it. The word "profession" implies
attainments in professional knowledge as distinguished from mere skill,
and the application of knowledge to uses for others rather than for
personal profit.
PURCHASES
All goods, wares and merchandise received for sale at each
definite place of business of a wholesale merchant. The term shall
also include the cost of manufacture of all goods, wares and merchandise
manufactured by any wholesaler or wholesale merchant and sold or offered
for sale. Such merchant may elect to report the gross receipts from
the sale of manufactured goods, wares and merchandise if it cannot
determine or chooses not to disclose the cost of manufacture.
REAL ESTATE SERVICES
Rendering a service for compensation as lessor, buyer, seller,
agent or broker and providing a real estate service, unless the service
is otherwise specifically provided for in this chapter, and such services
include, but are not limited to, the following:
A.
Appraisers of real estate.
B.
Escrow agents, real estate.
C.
Fiduciaries, real estate.
D.
Lessors of real property.
E.
Real estate agents, brokers and managers.
F.
Real estate selling agents.
G.
Rental agents for real estate.
RETAILER or RETAIL MERCHANT
Any person or merchant who sells goods, wares and merchandise
for use or consumption by the purchaser or for any purpose other than
resale by the purchaser, but does not include sales at wholesale to
institutional, commercial and industrial users.
SERVICES
Things purchased by a customer which do not have physical
characteristics, or which are not goods, wares, or merchandise.
WHOLESALER or WHOLESALE MERCHANT
Any person or merchant who sells wares and merchandise for
resale by the purchaser, including sales when the goods, wares and
merchandise will be incorporated into goods and services for sale,
and also includes sales to institutional, commercial, government and
industrial users which because of the quantity, price, or other terms
indicate that they are consistent with sales at wholesale.
Every person who is assessable with a license
tax shall keep sufficient records to enable the Assessor to verify
the correctness of the tax paid for the license years assessable and
to enable the Assessor to ascertain what is the correct amount of
tax that was assessable for each of those years. All such records,
books of accounts and other information shall be open to inspection
and examination by the Assessor in order to allow the Assessor to
establish whether a particular receipt is directly attributable to
the taxable privilege exercised within this jurisdiction. The Assessor
shall provide the taxpayer with the option to conduct the audit in
the taxpayer's local business office, if the records are maintained
there. In the event the records are maintained outside this jurisdiction,
copies of the appropriate books and records shall be sent to the Assessor's
office upon demand.
Every person or business subject to licensure
under the ordinance shall be assessed and required to pay annually:
A. A fee for the issuance of such license in the amount
of $30; and
B. In addition to the license fee specified in Subsection
A above, and except as may be otherwise provided in §§ 58.1-3712 and 58.1-3713 of the Code of Virginia, every such person or business shall be assessed and required to pay annually a license tax on all the gross receipts of such persons includable as provided in this chapter at a rate set forth below for the class of enterprise listed:
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
(1) For contractors and persons constructing for their
own account for sale, $0.15 per $100 of gross receipts ($0.16 per
$100 maximum);
(2) For retailers, $0.175 per $100 of gross receipts ($0.20
per $100 maximum);
(3) For financial, real estate and professional services,
$0.175 per $100 of gross receipts ($0.58 per $100 maximum);
(4) For repair, personal and business services and all
other businesses and occupations not specifically listed or exempted
in this chapter or otherwise by law, $0.175 per $100 of gross receipts
($0.36 per $100 maximum);
(5) For wholesalers, $0.05 per $100 of purchases (see
§ 58.1-3716 of the Code of Virginia for limitations);
(6) For carnivals, circuses and speedways, $100 for each
performance held in this jurisdiction (see § 58.1-3728 of
the Code of Virginia for limitations);
(7) For fortune tellers, clairvoyants and practitioners
of palmistry, $100 per year;
(8) For massage parlors, $300 per year;
(9) For itinerant merchants or peddlers, $200 per year
(see limitation in § 58.1-3717 of the Code of Virginia);
(10) For photographers, $0.175 per $100 gross receipts
per year; for temporary photographers, $10 per year (see limitation
in § 58.1-3727);
(11) For permanent coliseums, arenas or auditoriums having
a maximum capacity in excess of 10,000 persons, open to the public,
$200 per year (see limitation in § 58.1-3729 of the Code
of Virginia);
(12) For savings and loan associations and credit unions,
$50 per year; and
(13) For direct sellers as defined in § 58.1-3719.1
of the Code of Virginia with total annual sales in excess of $4,000,
$0.05 per $100 of total annual retail sales or $0.175 per $100 of
total annual wholesale sales, whichever is applicable.
C. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, during any license year where any such person or business has paid the license fee as described in Subsection
A, and the license tax as assessed for such person or business by reference to this chapter for said license year does not exceed the amount of the license fee, then no additional license tax shall be due and owing. Provided, further, where the license tax for such person or business for said license year exceeds the amount of the license fee, such person or business shall be given a credit in the amount of the license fee paid towards the license tax so assessed for said license year.
[Amended 2-18-1997]