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VA HB1755

VA HB1755
Sales and use tax on services and digital personal property.


summary

Introduced
01/05/2025
In Committee
01/05/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
02/22/2025

Introduced Session

2025 Regular Session

Bill Summary

Sales and use tax on services and digital personal property. Levies the retail sales and use tax on the following services: admissions; charges for recreation, fitness, or sports facilities; nonmedical personal services or counseling; dry cleaning and laundry services; companion animal care; residential home repair or maintenance, landscaping, or cleaning services when paid for directly by a resident or homeowner; vehicle and engine repair; repairs or alterations to tangible personal property; storage of tangible personal property; delivery or shipping services; travel, event, and aesthetic planning services; and digital services. Digital services are defined in the bill as the following: software application services, computer-related services, website hosting and design, data storage, and digital subscription services. The services taxed under the bill include any transaction for digital services where the purchaser or consumer of the service is a business but do not include any service otherwise exempt under law.The bill also imposes the retail sales and use tax on digital personal property, defined in the bill as a digital product delivered electronically that the purchaser owns or has the ability to continually access without having to pay an additional subscription or usage fee to the seller after paying the initial purchase price.Revenues generated by the taxes levied on services and digital personal property shall be allocated in the same manner as other sales and use taxes; however, revenues from the state portion of the sales and use tax that would be allocated to the general fund shall instead be allocated to school divisions as follows: (i) 60 percent shall be distributed to localities on the basis of school-age population and (ii) 40 percent shall be distributed to localities on the basis of the high-need student population in the locality. The bill clarifies that a high-need student population includes students who are (a) automatically certified for free school meals because of participation in social services programs, (b) participants in a program of special education, or (c) English language learners.The bill provides certain exemptions to the sales and use tax on services, including health care services that must be performed by a person licensed or certified by the Department of Health Professions, veterinary services, professional services, Internet access services, and services provided by a person who does not receive more than $2,500 per year in gross receipts for performance of such services. The bill exempts services purchased by a nonprofit organization and services purchased by a homeowners' association or by a landlord for the benefit of his tenant. The bill also repeals the service exemptions currently provided for the sale of custom programs and modification of prewritten programs.Finally, the bill exempts food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products from all state, local, and regional sales taxes on and after July 1, 2025. Under current law, food purchased for human consumption and essential personal hygiene products are subject only to the one percent local option sales tax.

AI Summary

This bill expands the state sales and use tax to include various services and digital personal property in Virginia. Specifically, the bill introduces a comprehensive definition of "taxable services" covering a wide range of activities such as admissions, recreation facility charges, personal services, home repair, landscaping, vehicle repairs, delivery services, and digital services. The bill also defines "digital personal property" as digital products that can be continually accessed without additional fees after the initial purchase. A notable feature is the taxation of digital services, including software applications, website hosting, and digital subscription services, with special provisions for business transactions. The bill provides several exemptions, including health care services, professional services, and services performed by individuals earning less than $2,500 annually. Importantly, the bill mandates that revenues generated from these new taxes will be distributed to localities, with 60% allocated based on school-age population and 40% based on high-need student population. Additionally, the bill eliminates sales tax on food and essential personal hygiene products starting July 1, 2025, providing relief for consumers on these essential items.

Committee Categories

Budget and Finance

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Left in Finance (on 02/04/2025)

bill text


bill summary

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bill summary

Document Type Source Location
State Bill Page https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB1755
Fiscal Note/Analysis - Impact statement from TAX (HB1755) https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1028477.PDF
BillText https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB1755/text/HB1755
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