Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 30, 1993 TAG: 9304300314
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Again.
Monday is the deadline for filing 1992 Virginia income taxes. If you haven't sent your form in already, you're not alone. As of Wednesday, the state Department of Taxation had received returns from slightly more than half of Virginia's 2.8 million taxpayers.
If you've been putting off filing, chances are you owe money. Almost 1.4 million Virginians due refunds already have filed their returns, while only 127,000 resident who owe money have sent checks.
Usually, about one in three Virginians owe income taxes. That means there may be about 750,000 people waiting until the last minute to send their checks.
If you owe money and don't send a check by Monday, you will be subject to a 6 percent penalty that will be compounded every month your payment is late. The maximum penalty is 30 percent.
Also due Monday is the Virginia consumer tax - a state sales tax on goods bought through out-of-state mail order houses. You should have received a reporting form in the package the state mailed to you with your Virginia income tax forms.
The little-known consumer tax has been in effect since 1966, but rarely enforced. The proliferation of catalog shopping and television shopping has persuaded the state to step up collection efforts this year. The state estimates that it should receive $60 million annually from the levy.
As of Wednesday, however, only about 9,000 Virginians have reported mail-order purchases, remitting a total tax payment of $269,000.
State officials acknowledge that it may be difficult to catch consumer tax evaders, but warn that they are empowered to subpoena the sales records of mail-order houses.
If you have questions about the income or consumer tax, call the Taxation Department's Roanoke regional office at 857-7501, or contact your local commissioner of the revenue's office.
by CNB