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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>69266</law_id><section_number>58.1-1013</section_number><catch_line>Penalty for failing to affix stamps; subsequent violations of article</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>58.1-1008</reference><reference>58.1-1017</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="58.1">Taxation</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">Taxes Administered by the Department of Taxation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="10">Cigarette Tax</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">Excise Tax</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any person who has been issued a permit to affix revenue <span class="dictionary">stamps</span> by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> and fails to properly affix the required <span class="dictionary">stamps</span> to any <span class="dictionary">cigarettes</span> pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be required to pay as part of the tax imposed hereunder, a civil <span class="dictionary">penalty</span>, to be assessed and collected by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> as other taxes are collected, of (i) $2.50 per <span class="dictionary">pack</span>, up to $500, for the first violation by a legal entity within a 36-month period; (ii) $5.00 per <span class="dictionary">pack</span>, up to $1,000, for the second violation by the legal entity within a 36-month period; and (iii) $10 per <span class="dictionary">pack</span>, up to $50,000, for the third and any subsequent violation by the legal entity within a 36-month period. Where willful <span class="dictionary">intent</span> exists to defraud the Commonwealth of the tax levied under this chapter, such person shall be required to pay a civil <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> of $25 per <span class="dictionary">pack</span>, up to $250,000. It shall be prima facie <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to defraud when the number of such unstamped <span class="dictionary">cigarettes</span> exceeds either 30 <span class="dictionary">packs</span> or five percent of the <span class="dictionary">cigarettes</span> in the place of business of such person, whichever is greater. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding threshold limits, if the number of unstamped <span class="dictionary">packs</span> exceeds 500 <span class="dictionary">packs</span>, it shall be prima facie <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to defraud.
		Any <span class="dictionary">cigarettes</span> in the place of business of any person required by the provisions of this chapter to stamp the same shall be prima facie <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> that they are intended for sale.
		No civil <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> shall be imposed under this section for any unstamped <span class="dictionary">cigarettes</span> if a civil <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Sale, purchase, possession, etc., of cigarettes for purpose of evading tax; penalties" href="/58.1-1017/">58.1-1017</a> has been paid for such unstamped <span class="dictionary">cigarettes</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 58-757.12; 1960, c. 392, &#xA7; 12; 1984, c. 675; 2004, c. 1029; 2006, c. 409; 2010, cc. 35, 471.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
