§ 3-5.21 CIGARETTE TAX, TOBACCO PRODUCTS TAX AND TAX ON LIQUID NICOTINE

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the cigarette tax imposed under subsection A of § 58.1-1001 of the Code of Virginia shall be 3.0 cents on each cigarette sold, stored or received on and after July 1, 2020.

B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the rates of the tobacco products tax imposed under § 58.1-1021.02 of the Code of Virginia in effect on June 30, 2020 shall be doubled beginning July 1, 2020 for taxable sales or purchases occurring on and after such date.

C. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the tobacco products tax imposed under § 58.1-1021.02 of the Code of Virginia shall be imposed on liquid nicotine at the rate of $0.066 per milliliter beginning July 1, 2020 for taxable sales or purchases occurring on and after such date.

D. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the tobacco products tax imposed under § 58.1-1021.02 of the Code of Virginia shall be imposed on any heated tobacco product at the rate of 2.25 cents per stick beginning January 1, 2021 for taxable sales or purchases occurring on and after such date.

DE. The Tax Commissioner shall establish guidelines and rules for (i) transitional procedures in regard to the increase in the cigarette tax, (ii) implementation of the increased tobacco products tax rates, and (iii) implementation of the tobacco products tax on liquid nicotine pursuant to the provisions of this act. The development of such guidelines and rules by the Tax Commissioner shall be exempt from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-4000 et seq.)

F. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning January 1, 2021, for the purposes of the Tobacco Products Tax, a Distributor, as defined in § 58.1-1021.01, shall be deemed to have sufficient activity within the Commonwealth to require registration under § 58.1-1021.04:1, if such distributor:

1. Receives more than $100,000 in gross revenue, or other minimum amount as may be required by federal law, from sales of tobacco products in the Commonwealth in the previous or current calendar year, provided that in determining the amount of a dealer's gross revenues, the sales made by all commonly controlled persons as defined in subsection D of § 58.1-612 shall be aggregated; or

2. Engages in 200 or more separate tobacco products sales transactions, or other minimum amount as may be required by federal law, in the Commonwealth in the previous or current calendar year, provided that in determining the total number of a dealer's retail sales transactions, the sales made by all commonly controlled persons as defined in subsection D of § 58.1-612 shall be aggregated.