Chap. 339.—An ACT to amend the Tax Code of Virginia by adding thereto a
new section to be numbered section 217-a, so as to provide for the assessment
and taxation of the rolling stock of certificated motor vehicle carriers and for
the distribution of the taxes thereon to the political subdivisions of the State.

[H B 383]

Approved March 26, 1932

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the
Tax Code of Virginia be amended by adding thereto a new section, to
be numbered two hundred and seventeen-a, which new section shall
read as follows:

Section 217-a. Every motor vehicle carrier holding a certificate
issued by the State corporation commission shall report annually on ot
before the first day of March to the State corporation commission :

(a) All of its rolling stock, owned as of the beginning of the firs
day of January next preceding, which shall include all buses, trucks
tractor trucks, trailers, and semi-trailers, and all other equipment
which it is reasonably proper to class as rolling stock, and which ha:
been, is now, or shall be used in the transportation of persons or prop
erty on the public highways of the State.
(b) The total vehicle miles traveled by the rolling stock of such
carriers in each county, city and incorporated town in this State during
the twelve months ending December thirty-first next preceding.

(c) The total vehicle miles traveled by the rolling stock of such
carriers both within and without this State on such operations as are
related to Virginia, whether the same be in the course of business con-
ducted wholly intrastate or whether in the course of business con-
ducted partly within and partly outside this State, during the twelve
months ending December thirty-first next preceding.

The State corporation commission shall, after thirty days’ notice,
previously given by it to the president or other proper officer of each
motor vehicle carrier, assess the average value of the rolling stock of
each such motor vehicle carrier habitually used in this State.

A certified’ copy of the assessment thus made shall be immediately
forwarded by the clerk of the State corporation commission to the
comptroller and to the president or other proper officer of such carrier
so assessed, whose duty it shall be to pay into the treasury of the State
on or before the first day of October, after receiving such certified
copy of the assessment, the taxes hereby levied upon its property at
the rate of two dollars and fifty cents on each hundred dollars of the
assessed value thereof annually.

The taxes assessed upon the rolling stock of motor vehicle carriers
as described in the preceding paragraphs shall be distributed to the
counties, cities and incorporated towns of the State in the following
manner:

The State corporation commission shall determine the proportion
of the total vehicle miles operated by each carrier in Virginia for each
county, city and incorporated town. The fraction thus derived for
each county, city and incorporated town shall be the measure of the
total rolling stock tax assessed against such carrier to which the re-
spective county, city and incorporated town shall be entitled.

Having ascertained the amount of the tax payable to each county,
city and incorporated town, the clerk of the State corporation commis-
sion shall certify to the comptroller the respective sums so to be paid,
and the comptroller shall thereupon make payment to the treasurer or
other proper fiscal officer of the localities the amounts respectively due
them as certified by the State corporation commission. When received
by the respective local political subdivisions, these payments shall
constitute and be regarded as receipts for the general purposes of local
government.

It shall be the duty of the State corporation commission to prepare
and furnish to the several motor vehicle carriers required to make re-
ports under this section, forms for such reports, which said carriers
shall use in making the reports required by them and any such carrier
which shall fail to make the report hereinbefore required, within the
time herein prescribed, shall be liable to a fine of not less than twenty-
five dollars nor more than fifty dollars for each day such carrier may
be in default for making such report, said fine to be imposed and judg-
ment entered therefor by the State corporation commission after thirty
days’ notice to any such defaulting carrier to appear before said com-
mission and show cause, if any, against the imposition of such fine,
subject to appeal to the supreme court of appeals. Beginning January
first, nineteen hundred and thirty-three no local property levies shall
be imposed on the property taxed by this section.

The provisions of this act shall apply to the assessment herein pro-
vided for the year nineteen hundred and thirty-three and annually
thereafter, unless otherwise provided by law.

Any motor vehicle carrier failing to pay the rolling stock tax above
described into the treasury within the time herein prescribed, shall
incur a penalty thereon of five per centum, which shall be added to the
amount of such taxes.