[Adopted 1-1-1997]
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 purpose of this article, 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 definition 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 non-stock corporation, the term "stock" as used in this definition shall refer to the non-stock 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/her last known address. Self-assessment 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.
ASSESSOR or ASSESSING OFFICIAL
The Commissioner of the Revenue of Mathews County, Virginia.
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:
A. 
Advertising or otherwise holding oneself out to the public as being engaged in a particular business; or
B. 
Filing tax returns, schedules and documents that are required only of persons engaged in a trade or business.
CONTRACTOR
The meaning prescribed in § 58.1-3714B of the Code of Virginia of 1950, 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 by 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 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 article.
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/her own account, but does not include a bank, or any person insofar as he/she buys or sells securities for his/her own account, either individually or in some fiduciary capacity, but not as part of a regular business.
D. 
SECURITYThe same meaning as in the Securities Act (§ 13.1-501 et seq.) of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, or in similar laws of the United States regulating the sale of securities.
E. 
Those engaged in rendering financial services include, but without limitation, the following:
(1) 
Buying installment receivables.
(2) 
Chattel mortgage financing.
(3) 
Consumer financing.
(4) 
Credit card services.
(5) 
Credit unions.
(6) 
Factors.
(7) 
Financing accounts receivable.
(8) 
Industrial loan companies.
(9) 
Installment financing.
(10) 
Inventory financing.
(11) 
Loan or mortgage brokers.
(12) 
Loan or mortgage companies.
(13) 
Safety deposit box companies.
(14) 
Security and commodity brokers and services.
(15) 
Stockbroker.
(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 of 1950, as amended.
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 services under this article or rendered in any other business or occupation not specifically classified in this article unless exempted from local license tax by Title 58.1 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended.
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 or offered for sale at each definite place of business of every wholesaler or wholesale merchant, and shall not be construed to exclude any goods, wares or merchandise otherwise coming within the meaning of such word, including such goods, wares and merchandise manufactured by a wholesaler or wholesale merchant and sold or offered for sale as merchandise.
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 article, 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 and industrial users which because of the quantity, price or other terms indicate that they are consistent with sales at wholesale.
A. 
License required.
(1) 
Every person engaging in this jurisdiction in any business, trade, profession, occupation or calling (collectively hereinafter a "business") as defined in this article, unless otherwise exempted by law, shall apply for a license for each such business if:
(a) 
Such person maintains a definite place of business in this jurisdiction;
(b) 
Such person does not maintain a definite office anywhere but does maintain an abode in this jurisdiction, which abode for the purposes of this article shall be deemed a definite place of business; or
(c) 
There is no definite place of business but such person operates amusement machines, is engaged as a peddler or itinerant merchant, carnival or circus as specified in § 58.1-3717, 58.1-3718 or 58.1-3728, respectively, of the Code of Virginia or is a contractor subject to § 58.1-3715 of the Code of Virginia, or is a public service corporation subject to § 58.1-3731 of the Code of Virginia.
(2) 
A separate license shall be required for each definite place of business.
(3) 
A person engaged in two or more businesses or professions carried on at the same place of business may elect to obtain one license for all such businesses and professions if all of the following criteria are satisfied:
(a) 
Each business or profession is licensable at the location and has satisfied any requirements imposed by state law or other provisions of the ordinances of this jurisdiction;
(b) 
All of the businesses or professions are subject to the same tax rate or, if subject to different tax rates, the licensee agrees to be taxed on all businesses and professions at the highest rate; and
(c) 
The taxpayer agrees to supply such information as the Assessor may require concerning the nature of the several businesses and their gross receipts.
B. 
Each person subject to a license tax shall apply for a license prior to beginning business, if he/she was not licensable in this jurisdiction on or before January 1 of the license year, or no later than March 1 of the current license year if he/she had been issued a license for the preceding license year. The application shall be on forms prescribed by the assessing official.
C. 
The tax shall be paid with the application in the case of any license not based on gross receipts. If the tax is measured by gross receipts of the business, the tax shall be paid on or before April 1 of each year.
[Amended 12-18-2001]
D. 
The assessing official may grant an extension of time, not to exceed 90 days, in which to file an application for a license, for good cause. The extension may be conditioned upon the timely payment of a reasonable estimate of the appropriate tax, subject to adjustment to the correct tax at the end of the extension together with interest from the due date until the date paid and, if the estimate submitted with the extension is found to be unreasonable under the circumstances, a penalty of 10% of the portion paid after the due date.
E. 
A penalty of 10% of the tax may be imposed upon the failure to file an application or the failure to pay the tax by the appropriate due date. Only the late filing penalty shall be imposed by the assessing official if both the application and payment are late; however, both penalties may be assessed if the assessing official determines that the taxpayer has a history of noncompliance. In the case of an assessment of additional tax made by the assessing official, if the application and, if applicable, the return were made in good faith and the understatement of the tax was not due to any fraud or reckless or intentional disregard of the law by the taxpayer, there shall be no late payment penalty assessed with the additional tax. If any assessment of tax by the assessing official is not paid within 30 days, the Treasurer may impose a ten-percent late payment penalty. The penalties shall not be imposed or, if imposed, shall be abated by the official who assessed them if the failure to file or pay was not the fault of the taxpayer. In order to demonstrate lack of fault the taxpayer must show that he/she acted responsibly and the failure was due to events beyond his/her control.
(1) 
"Acted responsibly" means that the taxpayer exercised the level of reasonable care that a prudent person would exercise under the circumstances in determining the filing obligations for the business and the taxpayer understood significant steps to avoid or mitigate the failure, such as requesting appropriate extensions (where applicable), attempting to prevent a foreseeable impediment, acting to remove an impediment once it occurred, and promptly rectifying a failure once the impediment was removed or the failure discovered.
(2) 
"Events beyond the taxpayer's control" include, but are not limited to, the unavailability of records due to fire or other casualty; the unavoidable absence (e.g., due to death or serious illness) of the person with the sole responsibility for tax compliance; or the taxpayer's reasonable reliance in good faith upon erroneous written information from the assessing official, who was aware of the relevant facts relating to the taxpayer's business when he/she provided the erroneous information.
F. 
Interest shall be charged on the late payment of the tax from the due date until the date paid without regard to fault or other reason for the late payment. Whenever an assessment of additional or omitted tax by the assessing official is found to be erroneous, all interest and penalty charged and collected on the amount of the assessment found to be erroneous shall be refunded together with interest on the refund from the date of payment or the due date, whichever is later. Interest shall be paid on the refund of any tax paid under this article from the date of payment or due date, whichever is later, whether attributable to an amended return or other reason. Interest on any refund shall be paid at the maximum rate allowable under § 58.1-3916 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended. No interest shall accrue on an adjustment of estimated tax liability to actual liability at the conclusion of a base year. No interest shall be paid on a refund or charged on a late payment, in the event of such adjustment, provided the refund or the late payment is made not more than 30 days from the date of the payment that created the refund, or the due date of the tax, or the date of the taxpayer's application for a refund, whichever is later.
A. 
General rule. Whenever the tax imposed by this article is measured by gross receipts, the gross receipts included in the taxable measure shall be only those gross receipts attributed to the exercise of a licensable privilege at a definite place of business within this jurisdiction. In the case of activities conducted outside of a definite place of business, such as during a visit to a customer location, the gross receipts shall be attributed to the definite place of business from which such activities are initiated, directed or controlled. The situs of gross receipts for different classifications of business shall be attributed to one or more definite places of business or offices as follows:
(1) 
The gross receipts of a contractor shall be attributed to the definite place of business at which his/her services are performed or, if his/her services are not performed at any definite place of business, then the definite place of business from which his/her services are directed or controlled, unless the contractor is subject to the provisions of § 58.1-3715 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended.
(2) 
The gross receipts of a retailer or wholesaler shall be attributed to the definite place of business at which sales solicitation activities occur or, if sales solicitation activities do not occur at any definite place of business, then the definite place of business from which sales solicitation activities are directed or controlled.
(3) 
The gross receipts of a business renting tangible personal property shall be attributed to the definite place of business from which the tangible personal property is rented or, if the property is not rented from any definite place of business, then the definite place of business at which the rental of such property is managed.
(4) 
The gross receipts from the performance of personal services shall be attributed to the definite place of business at which the services are performed or, if not performed at any definite place of business, then the definite place of business from which the services are directed or controlled.
B. 
Apportionment. If the licensee has more than one definite place of business and it is impractical or impossible to determine to which definite place or business gross receipts should be attributed under the general rule, the gross receipts of the business shall be apportioned between the definite places of businesses as provided in § 58.1-3709 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended. Gross receipts shall not be apportioned to a definite place of business unless some activities under the applicable general rule occurred at, or were controlled from, such definite place of business. Gross receipts from a definite place of business in another jurisdiction shall not be attributed to this jurisdiction in the event the other jurisdiction does not impose a tax on the gross receipts attributable to the definite place of business in such other jurisdiction.
C. 
Agreements. The Assessor may enter into agreements with any other political subdivision of Virginia concerning the manner in which gross receipts shall be apportioned among definite places of business. However, the sum of the gross receipts apportioned by the agreement shall not exceed the total gross receipts attributable to all of the definite places of business affected by the agreement. Upon being notified by a taxpayer that its method of attributing gross receipts is fundamentally inconsistent with the method of one or more political subdivisions in which the taxpayer is licensed to engage in business and that the difference has resulted, or is likely to result, in taxes on more than 100% of its gross receipts from all locations in the affected jurisdictions, the Assessor shall make a good faith effort to reach an apportionment agreement with the other political subdivisions involved.
A. 
Where, before the expiration of the time prescribed for the assessment of any license tax imposed pursuant to this article, both the assessing official and the taxpayer have consented in writing to its assessment after such time, the tax may be assessed at any time prior to the expiration of the period agreed upon. The period so agreed upon may be extended by subsequent agreements in writing made before the expiration of the period previously agreed upon.
B. 
Notwithstanding § 58.1-3903 of the Code of Virginia, the assessing official shall assess the local license tax omitted because of fraud or failure to apply for a license for the current license year and the six preceding years.
C. 
The period for collecting any local license tax shall not expire prior to the period specified in § 58.1-3940 of the Code of Virginia, two years after the date of assessment if the period for assessment has been extended pursuant to this section, two years after the final determination of an appeal for which collection has been stayed pursuant to the following § 145-59B of this article, or two years after the final decision in a court application pursuant to § 58.1-3984 of the Code of Virginia or similar law for which collection has been stayed, whichever is later.
A. 
Any person assessed with a licensing tax under this article as the result of an audit may apply within 90 days from the date of the assessment to the assessing official for a correction of the assessment. The application must be filed in good faith and sufficiently identify the taxpayer, audit period, remedy sought, each alleged error in the assessment, the grounds upon which the taxpayer relies, and any other facts relevant to the taxpayer's contention. The Assessor may hold a conference with the taxpayer if requested by the taxpayer or require submission of additional information and documents, further audit, or other evidence deemed necessary for a proper and equitable determination of the applications. The assessment shall be deemed prima facie correct. The Assessor shall undertake a full review of the taxpayer's claims and issue a determination to the taxpayer setting forth its position. Every assessment pursuant to an audit shall be accompanied by a written explanation of the taxpayer's right to seek correction and the specific procedure to be followed in the jurisdiction (e.g., the name and address to which an application should be directed).
B. 
Provided an application is made within 90 days of an assessment, collection activity shall be suspended until a final determination is issued by the Assessor, unless the Assessor determines that collection would be jeopardized by delay or that the taxpayer has not responded to a request for relevant information after a reasonable time. Interest shall accrue in accordance with the provisions of § 145-56F of this article, but no further penalty shall be imposed while collection action is suspended. The term "jeopardized by delay" includes a finding that the application is frivolous or that a taxpayer desires to depart quickly from the locality, to remove his/her property therefrom, to conceal himself/herself or his/her property therein, or to do any other act tending to prejudice, or to render wholly or partially ineffectual, proceedings to collect the tax for the period in question.
C. 
Any person assessed with a license tax under this article as a result of an audit may apply within 90 days of the determination by the assessing official on an application pursuant to Subsection A above to the Tax Commissioner for a correction of such assessment. The Tax Commissioner shall issue a determination to the taxpayer within 90 days of receipt of the taxpayer's application, unless the taxpayer and the assessing official are notified that a longer period will be required. The application shall be treated as an application pursuant to § 58.1-1821 of the Code of Virginia, and the Tax Commissioner may issue an order correcting such assessment pursuant to § 58.1-1822 of the Code of Virginia. Following such an order, either the taxpayer or the assessing official may apply to the appropriate Circuit Court pursuant to § 58.1-3984 of the Code of Virginia. However, the burden shall be on the party making the application to show that the ruling of the Tax Commissioner is erroneous. Neither the Tax Commissioner nor the Department of Taxation shall be made a party to an application to correct an assessment merely because the Tax Commissioner has ruled on it.
D. 
On receipt of a notice of intent to file an appeal to the Tax Commissioner under Subsection C above, the assessing official shall further suspend collection activity until a final determination is issued by the Tax Commissioner, unless the Assessor determines that collection would be jeopardized by delay or that the taxpayer has not responded to a request for relevant information after a reasonable time. Interest shall accrue in accordance with the provisions of § 145-56F, but no further penalty shall be imposed while collection action is suspended. The term "jeopardized by delay" shall have the same meaning as set forth in Subsection B above.
E. 
Any taxpayer may request a written ruling regarding the application of the tax to a specific situation from the Assessor. Any person requesting such a ruling must provide all the relevant facts for the situation and may present a rationale for the basis of an interpretation of the law most favorable to the taxpayer. Any misrepresentation or change in the applicable law or the factual situation as presented in the ruling request shall invalidate any such ruling issued. A written ruling may be revoked or amended prospectively if there is a change in the law, a court decision, or the Assessor notifies the taxpayer of a change in the policy or interpretation upon which the ruling was based. However, any person who acts on a written ruling which later becomes invalid shall be deemed to have acted in good faith during the period in which such ruling was in effect.
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.
A. 
Every person engaging in this jurisdiction in any business required to pay a license tax under the provisions of this article, where the license tax is not measured by gross receipts, who shall begin any business, occupation or profession after January 1 of the license year, shall be allowed proration on a monthly basis, 1/12 of the annual license tax to be assessed for each month or portion thereof for the remainder of the license year after commencement of said business.
B. 
No such license tax shall be subject to such proration where the license tax for the whole year is $12 or less.
C. 
The provisions immediately hereinabove set forth are in addition to and nor in lieu of the requirements of § 58.1-3710 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended.
For the purposes of ascertaining the tax to be paid by any person engaged in a business in this jurisdiction required to pay a license tax beginning a new business, employment or profession and whose license tax shall be based on gross receipts, the licensee or Assessor shall estimate the basis for measuring the license tax between the date of issuance and the 31st day of December following.
The license tax of every business which was licensed for a definite place of business for only a part of the next preceding year shall be computed on the basis of an estimate of the amount of gross receipts which the licensee will make throughout the then current license year.
Every under estimate under either of the two preceding sections shall be subject to correction by the Commissioner of the Revenue, whose duty it shall be to assess such licensee with such additional taxes as may be found to be due after the close of the license year on the basis of gross receipts. In case of an over estimate the Commissioner of the Revenue will order a refund in the amount of the overpaid tax.
A. 
General rule. Gross receipts for license tax purposes shall not include any amount not derived from the exercise of the licensed privilege to engage in a business or profession in the ordinary course of the business or profession.
B. 
The following items shall be excluded from gross receipts:
(1) 
Amounts received and paid to the United States, the commonwealth or any County, city or town for the Virginia retail sales or use tax or for any local sales tax or any local excise tax on cigarettes or for any federal or state excise taxes on motor fuels.
(2) 
Any amount representing the liquidation of a debt or conversion of another asset to the extent that the amount is attributable to a transaction previously taxed (e.g., the factoring of accounts receivable created by sales which have been included in taxable receipts even though the creation of such debt and factoring are a regular part of its business).
(3) 
Any amount representing returns and allowances granted by the business to its customer.
(4) 
Receipts which are the proceeds of a loan transaction in which the licensee is the obligor.
(5) 
Receipts representing the return of principal of a loan transaction in which the licensee is the creditor or the return of principal or basis upon the sale of a capital asset.
(6) 
Rebates and discounts taken or received on account of purchases by the licensee. A rebate or other incentive offered to induce the recipient to purchase certain goods or services from a person other than the offeror, and which the recipient assigns to the licensee in consideration of the sale of goods and services, shall not be considered a rebate or discount to the licensee but shall be included in the licensee's gross receipts together with any handling or other fees related to the incentive.
(7) 
Withdrawals from inventory for which no consideration is received and the occasional sale or exchange of assets other than inventory, whether or not a gain or loss is recognized for federal income tax purposes.
(8) 
Investment income not directly related to the privilege exercised by a licensable business not classified as rendering financial services. This exclusion shall apply to interest on bank accounts of the business and to interest, dividends and other income derived from the investment of its own funds in securities and other types of investments unrelated to the licensed privilege. This exclusion shall not apply to interest, late fees and similar income attributable to an installment sale or other transaction that occurred in the regular course of business.
C. 
The following shall be deducted from gross receipts or gross purchases that would otherwise be taxable:
(1) 
Any amount paid for computer hardware and software that are sold to a United States federal or state government entity, provided that such property was purchased within two years of the sale to said entity by the original purchaser who shall have been contractually obligated at the time of purchase to resell such property to a state or federal government entity. This deduction shall not occur until the time of resale and shall apply to only the original cost of the property and not to its resale price, and the deduction shall not apply to any of the tangible personal property which was the subject of the original resale contract if it is not resold to a state or federal government entity in accordance with the original contract obligation.
(2) 
Any receipts attributable to business conducted in another state or foreign country in which the taxpayer is liable for an income or other tax based upon income.
Except as may be specifically otherwise provided by ordinance or other law, the annual license tax imposed hereunder shall be as follows:
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, except as may be otherwise provided in §§ 58.1-3712, 58.1-3712.1 and 58.1-3713 of the Code of Virginia, every such person or business with annual gross receipts of more than $1 shall be assessed and required to pay annually a license tax on all the gross receipts of such persons includable as provided in this article at a rate set forth below for the class of enterprise listed:
(1) 
For contractors and persons constructing for their own account for sale, $0.05 per $100 of gross receipts.
(2) 
For retailers, $0.15 per $100 of gross receipts.
(3) 
For financial, real estate and professional services, $0.15 per $100 of gross receipts.
(4) 
For repair, personal and business services and all other businesses and occupations not specifically listed or exempted in this article or otherwise by law, $0.05 per $100 of gross receipts.
(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, $500 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, $500 per year.
(8) 
For certified massage therapists, $30. A certified massage therapist shall mean a person meeting the qualifications set out in § 54.1-3029 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, and as provided for in the Zoning Ordinance of Mathews County, Virginia in §2.2, Therapeutic Massage Facilities, and § 15.23, Special Regulations for Therapeutic Massage Facilities.
[Amended 3-24-2009]
(9) 
For itinerant merchants or peddlers, $200 per year (see limitation in § 58.1-3717 of the Code of Virginia).
(10) 
For photographers, $30 per year.
(11) 
For permanent coliseums, arenas or auditoriums having a maximum capacity in excess of 10,000 persons, open to the public, $500 per year.
(12) 
For savings and loan associations and credit unions, $500 per year.
(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, $0.15 per $100 of total annual retail sales or $0.15 per $100 of total annual wholesale sales, whichever is applicable.
(14) 
For automobile graveyards:
(a) 
Where the number of vehicles is more than five and does not exceed 20, a license tax of $30 per annum.
(b) 
Where the number of vehicles exceeds 20, a license tax of $50 per annum.
C. 
Pursuant to § 58.1-3731 of the Code of Virginia, there shall be a license tax, in addition to any tax levied under Chapter 26 of Title 58.1, on telephone and telegraph companies, water companies, and heat, light and power companies at a rate of 1/2 of 1% of the gross receipts of such company accruing from sales to the ultimate consumer in Mathews County, save and except for telephone calls which shall not be included in gross receipts for purposes of license taxation. Said companies shall not be required to pay the license fees described in Subsection A above.
Pursuant to §§ 15.2-1429 and 18.2-11 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended, a violation of any provision of this article shall be prosecuted as though it were a Class 1 misdemeanor with the penalties as set forth under § 18.2-11 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended.
Should any party applying for a business license under this article have failed to meet any financial obligation to the County of Mathews, including but not limited to personal property tax, real estate taxes and/or County Sanitary District fees, said application shall be denied until said obligation shall have been discharged in full, including any interest and penalties thereon.
All of the provisions of this article shall be enforced in addition to and not in lieu of §§ 18.2-223 and 18.2-224 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended.
A. 
It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of the Revenue to require all parties prosecuting any business for which a license is provided herein to procure such license and pay the tax therefor, and should there be any license tax not paid it shall be the Commissioner's duty to report any and all delinquencies to the County Treasurer.
B. 
The Commissioner of the Revenue shall report monthly to the County Treasurer the aggregate amount of license fees assessed during the month and prosecute for collection any delinquencies both for collection purposes and under the violation/penalty provision set forth above.
This article shall be known, designated, and cited as the "License Tax Ordinance of the County of Mathews, Virginia."