Division 14 – Personal Property Tax Relief

[Adopted 12-19-2005]

§ 3.7-38 Purpose; definitions; relation to other ordinances.

A. The purpose of this article is to provide for the implementation of the changes to the Personal Property Tax Relief Act (PPTRA) effected by legislation adopted during the 2004 Special Session I and the 2005 Regular Session of the General Assembly of Virginia.

B. Terms used in this article that have defined meanings set forth in PPTRA shall have the same meaning as set forth in § 58.1-3523, Code of Virginia, as amended.

C. To the extent that the provisions of this article conflict with any prior ordinance or provision of the County Code, this article shall control.

§ 3.7-39 Method of computing and reflecting tax relief.

A. For tax years commencing in 2006, the County adopts the provisions of Item 503E of the 2005 Appropriations Act providing for computation of tax relief as a specific dollar amount to be offset against the total taxes that would otherwise be due but for PPTRA and the reporting of such specific dollar relief on the tax bill.

B. The Board shall by ordinance set the rate of tax relief as such a level that it is anticipated fully to exhaust PPTRA relief funds provided to the County by the commonwealth. Any amount of PPTRA relief not used within the County’s fiscal year shall be carried forward and used to increase the funds available for personal property tax relief in the following fiscal year.

C. Personal property tax bills shall set forth on their face the specific dollar amount of relief credited with respect to each qualifying vehicle, together with an explanation of the general manner in which relief is allocated.

§ 3.7-40 Allocation of relief among taxpayers.

A. Allocation of PPTRA relief shall be provided in accordance with the general provisions of this article, as implemented by the specific provision of the County’s annual budget relating to PPTRA relief.

B. Relief shall be allocated in such a manner as to eliminate personal property taxation on each qualifying vehicle with an assessed value of $500 or less.

C. Relief with respect to qualifying vehicles with assessed values of more than $500 shall be provided at a rate annually fixed in the County budget and applied to the first $20,000 in value ($10,000 assessed value) of each such qualifying vehicle that is estimated fully to use all available state PPTRA relief. The rate shall be established annually as a part of the adopted budget for the County.

§ 3.7-41 Transitional provision.

A. Pursuant to authority conferred in Item 503D of the 2005 Appropriations Act, the County Treasurer is authorized to issue a supplemental personal property tax bill in the amount of 100% of tax due without regard to any former entitlement to state PPTRA relief, plus applicable penalties and interest, to any taxpayer whose taxes with respect to a qualifying vehicle for tax year 2005 or any prior tax year remain unpaid on September 1, 2006, or such date as state funds for reimbursement of the state share of such bill have become available, whichever earlier occurs.

B. Penalty and interest with respect to bills issued pursuant to Subsection A of this section shall be computed on the entire amount of tax owed. Interest shall be computed at the rate provided in the Appomattox County Code from the original due date of the tax.