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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>72120</law_id><section_number>58.1-460</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>18.2-186.6</reference><reference>58.1-1900</reference><reference>58.1-202.1</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="3">Income Tax</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="16">Income Tax Withholding</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>For the purposes of this article:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Employee</span>&#x201D; includes an <span class="dictionary">individual</span>, whether a <span class="dictionary">resident</span> or a nonresident of the Commonwealth, who performs or performed any service in the Commonwealth for <span class="dictionary">wages</span>, or a <span class="dictionary">resident</span> of the Commonwealth who performs or performed any service in the service outside the Commonwealth for <span class="dictionary">wages</span>. The word &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">employee</span>&#x201D; also includes an officer, <span class="dictionary">employee</span>, or elected official of the United States, the Commonwealth, or any other state or any territory, or any political subdivision thereof, or the District of Columbia, or any agency or instrumentality of any one or more of the foregoing or an officer of a <span class="dictionary">corporation</span>. The term shall not include the beneficial owner of an <span class="dictionary">individual</span> retirement account (IRA) or simplified <span class="dictionary">employee</span> pension plan (SEPP).
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Employer</span>&#x201D; means the Commonwealth, or any political subdivision thereof, the United States, or any agency or instrumentality of any one or more of the foregoing, or the person, whether a <span class="dictionary">resident</span> or a nonresident of the Commonwealth, for whom an <span class="dictionary">individual</span> performs or performed any service as an <span class="dictionary">employee</span> or from whom a person receives a prize in excess of $5,001 pursuant to the Virginia Lottery <span class="dictionary">Law</span> (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title" href="/58.1-4000/">58.1-4000</a> et seq.), except that:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> If the person, governmental unit, or agency thereof, for whom the <span class="dictionary">individual</span> performs or performed the service does not have control of the payment of the <span class="dictionary">wages</span> for such services, the term &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">employer</span>&#x201D; (except as used in the definition of &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">wages</span>&#x201D; herein) means the person having control of the payment of such <span class="dictionary">wages</span>, and <a id="paragraph-259855" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/58.1-460/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> In the case of a person paying <span class="dictionary">wages</span> on behalf of a nonresident person not engaged in trade or business within the Commonwealth or on behalf of any governmental unit or agency thereof not located within the Commonwealth, the term, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">employer</span>&#x201D; (except as used in the definition of &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">wages</span>&#x201D; herein) means such person. The term shall not include a financial institution, <span class="dictionary">corporation</span>, partnership or other person or entity with respect to benefits paid as custodian, trustee or depository for an <span class="dictionary">individual</span> retirement account (IRA) or simplified <span class="dictionary">employee</span> pension plan (SEPP).
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Miscellaneous payroll period</span>&#x201D; means a payroll period other than a daily, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual payroll period.
			&#x201C;Payroll period&#x201D; means a period for which a payment of <span class="dictionary">wages</span> is ordinarily made to the <span class="dictionary">employee</span> by his <span class="dictionary">employer</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Wages</span>&#x201D; means <span class="dictionary">wages</span> as defined under &#xA7; 3401 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as any other amounts from which federal income tax is withheld under the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA7; 3402 and 3405 of the Internal Revenue Code and also includes all prizes in excess of $5,001 paid by the Virginia Lottery; however, such term shall not include amounts paid pursuant to <span class="dictionary">individual</span> retirement plans and simplified <span class="dictionary">employee</span> pension plans as defined in &#xA7;&#xA7; 7701 (a)(37) and 408 (c) of the Internal Revenue Code and shall not include remuneration paid for acting in or service as a member of the crew of a (i) <span class="dictionary">motion</span> picture feature film, (ii) television series or commercial, or (iii) promotional film filmed totally or partially in the Commonwealth by an <span class="dictionary">individual</span> or <span class="dictionary">corporation</span> which conducts business in the Commonwealth for less than 90 days of the tax year and when such film, series or commercial is processed, edited and marketed outside the Commonwealth. Every such <span class="dictionary">individual</span> or <span class="dictionary">corporation</span> shall, immediately subsequent to the filming of such portion of the film, series or commercial filmed in the Commonwealth, file with the Commissioner on forms furnished the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>, a list of the names and social security account numbers of each actor or crew member who is a <span class="dictionary">resident</span> of the Commonwealth and is compensated by such <span class="dictionary">individual</span> or <span class="dictionary">corporation</span>. <a id="paragraph-259856" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/58.1-460/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 58-151.1; 1962, c. 612; 1980, c. 629; 1984, c. 675; 1987, c. 531; 1991, cc. 362, 456; 1992, c. 519; 1993, c. 54; 2014, c. 225.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
