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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>60896</law_id><section_number>58.1-659</section_number><catch_line>Collection of tax; penalty</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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="6.2">Virginia Communications Sales and Use Tax</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The tax levied by this chapter shall be collected and remitted by the <span class="dictionary">communications services provider</span>, but the <span class="dictionary">communications services provider</span> shall separately state the amount of the tax and add such tax to the <span class="dictionary">sales price</span> or charge. Thereafter, the tax shall be a debt from the <span class="dictionary">customer</span> to the <span class="dictionary">communications services provider</span> until paid and shall be recoverable at <span class="dictionary">law</span> in the same manner as other debts. <a id="paragraph-222717" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/58.1-659/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Notwithstanding any exemption from taxes that any <span class="dictionary">communications services provider</span> now or hereafter may enjoy under the Constitution or <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of the Commonwealth, or any other state, or of the United States, a <span class="dictionary">communications services provider</span> shall collect the tax from the <span class="dictionary">customer</span> of taxable communications services and shall remit the same to the <span class="dictionary">Tax Commissioner</span> as provided by this chapter. <a id="paragraph-222718" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/58.1-659/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">communications services provider</span> collecting the communications sales or use tax on transactions exempt or not taxable under this chapter shall remit to the <span class="dictionary">Tax Commissioner</span> such erroneously or illegally collected tax unless or until he can affirmatively show that the tax has been refunded to the <span class="dictionary">customer</span> or credited to his account. <a id="paragraph-222719" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/58.1-659/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">communications services provider</span> who intentionally neglects, fails, or refuses to collect the tax upon every taxable sale of communications services made by him, or his agents or employees on his behalf, shall be liable for and pay the tax himself. Moreover, any <span class="dictionary">communications services provider</span> who intentionally neglects, fails, or refuses to pay or collect the tax herein provided, either by himself or through his agents or employees, shall be guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>.
			All sums collected by a <span class="dictionary">communications services provider</span> as required by this chapter shall be deemed to be held in trust for the Commonwealth. <a id="paragraph-222720" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/58.1-659/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2006, c. 780.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
