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2002 Session

Budget Amendments - HB30 (Member Request)

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Chief Patron: Governor Warner
Personal Property Tax Relief Act Audit Program

Item 285 #7h

Item 285 #7h

First Year - FY2003 Second Year - FY2004
Finance
Taxation, Department of FY2003 $400,000 FY2004 $400,000 GF

Language
Page 214, line 1, strike "$44,878,284" and insert "$45,278,284".
Page 214, line 1, strike "$44,878,284" and insert "$45,278,284".
Page 215, after line 51, insert:
“H.1.  The Department of Taxation, through its ongoing Compliance Audit Program, shall identify those individuals who have received personal property tax relief for vehicles that do not meet the “Used for nonbusiness purposes” criteria as defined in § 58.1-3523, Code of Virginia.  The Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Accounts, and all local Treasurers, Commissioners of the Revenue and Directors of Finance, or officials acting in that capacity, shall cooperate with the Department and shall provide all information and assistance necessary, upon request, to fulfill this responsibility.
2. The Department shall develop a Uniform Personal Property Tax Relief Qualification Certificate for the use of local assessment officials who shall incorporate such certification in every return of tangible personal property tax due to be filed on or after January 1, 2003.  Such certificate shall be designed to allow a taxpayer to attest to the qualification for reduced assessment of each motor vehicle owned by such taxpayer, both for the current personal property assessment year, and for the immediately prior year.  Failure by a taxpayer to return an executed certificate with the return of tangible personal property shall disqualify the subject motor vehicle(s) for tax relief for both years for which certification is required.  The personal property tax records of localities shall periodically be audited by the Department for the purpose of ascertaining the level of compliance with this provisions.
3. Local Treasurers, Commissioners of the Revenue and Directors of Finance also shall include with personal property tax bills a prominent and clear notice of: a) the requirements necessary to meet the "Used for nonbusiness purposes" as defined in § 58.1-3523, Code of Virginia, and b) the statutory conditions under which the personal property tax relief program will not be advanced to the next level.  The Department of Motor Vehicles shall include such notices with all motor vehicle registrations or renewals.
4. Local Treasurers, Commissioners of the Revenue and Directors of Finance shall not bill the state for personal property tax on any vehicle(s) that lacks the duly executed certificate filed with the return of tangible personal property tax.  Local Treasurers, Commissioners of the Revenue and Directors of Finance shall notify the State Comptroller of the dollar amount that the state paid in the immediately prior year for any vehicle that is not certified for tax relief, said amount representing an overpayment by the state, and the State Comptroller shall withhold that amount from subsequent payments to the local Treasurer for property tax relief.  Localities may re-bill responsible taxpayers for the amounts of overpayment that have been withheld by the state.
5. In addition, the Department shall develop and assist local assessment officials with the implementation of data matching programs designed to aid in the identification of individuals who improperly receive the benefit of reduced assessments of motor vehicles.  Data sources which should be considered for these programs shall include, but need not be limited to, local business licensing records, Department of Motor Vehicle records, employer travel expense records, and the most recent tax year business expense data submitted by Virginia taxpayers with their Virginia tax returns.
6. Personal property tax payments to any county, city, or town whose Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue, Director of Finance, or officials acting in that capacity, fail to reasonably cooperate in the implementation of the audit program established by this paragraph shall have personal property tax relief payments withheld until such time as the Tax Commissioner certifies that cooperation has been obtained.
7. The Department shall report to the Secretary of Finance and to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by November 1 of each year on total overpayments made by the state during the prior calendar year.
8. The Department of Taxation shall have annually credited toward its portion of the general fund operating budget across-the-board reduction directed by Item 506 of this act, 10 percent of the amount in excess of $4,250,000 recovered from payments made to local Treasurers, Commissioners of the Revenue, and Directors of Finance for unqualified vehicles that do not meet the "Used for nonbusiness purposes" criteria as defined in § 58.1-3523, Code of Virginia."


Explanation
(This amendment directs the Tax Department, as part of its ongoing Audit Compliance Program, to identify those individuals who have received personal property tax relief for unqualified vehicles. Future payments to local Treasurers, Commissioners of the Revenue, and Directors of Finance will be adjusted to recover payments made for these unqualified vehicles. The Tax Department will be credited toward its portion of the across-the-board reduction for 10 percent of the amount recovered in excess of $4.25 million.)