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2004 SESSION


CHAPTER 384
An Act to amend and reenact § 4.1-233 of the Code of Virginia, relating to alcoholic beverage control; taxes on local licenses.
[H 1448]
Approved April 8, 2004

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 4.1-233 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 4.1-233. Taxes on local licenses.

A. In addition to the state license taxes, the annual local license taxes which may be collected shall not exceed the following sums:

1. Alcoholic beverages. - For each:

a. Distiller's license, $1,000; no local license shall be required for any person who manufactures not more than 5,000 gallons of alcohol or spirits, or both, during such license year;

b. Fruit distiller's license, $1,500;

c. Bed and breakfast establishment license, $40;

d. Museum license, $10;

e. Tasting license, $5 per license granted; and

f. Equine sporting event license, $10.

2. Beer. - For each:

a. Brewery license, $1,000;

b. Bottler's license, $500;

c. Wholesale beer license, in a city, $250, and in a county or town, $75; and

d. Retail on-premises beer license for a hotel, restaurant or club and for each retail off-premises beer license in a city, $100, and in a county or town, $25; and

e. Beer shipper's license, $10.

3. Wine. - For each:

a. Winery license, $1,000; and 50;

b. Wholesale wine license, $50;

c. Farm winery license, $50; and

d. Wine shipper's license, $10.

4. Wine and beer. - For each:

a. Retail on-premises wine and beer license for a hotel, restaurant or club; and for each retail off-premises wine and beer license, including each gift shop, gourmet shop and convenience grocery store license, in a city, $150, and in a county or town, $37.50;

b. Hospital license, $10;

c. Banquet license, $5 for each license granted; and

d. Gourmet brewing shop license, $150; and

e. Wine and beer shipper's license, $10.

5. Mixed beverages. - For each:

a. Mixed beverage restaurant license, including restaurants located on the premises of and operated by hotels or motels, or other persons:

(i) With a seating capacity at tables for up to 100 persons, $200;

(ii) With a seating capacity at tables for more than 100 but not more than 150 persons, $350; and

(iii) With a seating capacity at tables for more than 150 persons, $500.

b. Private, nonprofit club operating a restaurant located on the premises of such club, $350;

c. Mixed beverage caterer's license, $500;

d. Mixed beverage special events licenses, $10 for each day of each event;

e. Mixed beverage club events licenses, $10 for each day of each event;

f. Annual mixed beverage amphitheater license, $300; and

g. Annual mixed beverage motor sports race track license, $300.

B. Common carriers. - No local license tax shall be either charged or collected for the privilege of selling alcoholic beverages in (i) passenger trains, boats or airplanes and (ii) rooms designated by the Board of establishments of air carriers of passengers at airports in the Commonwealth for on-premises consumption only.

C. Merchants' and restaurants' license taxes. - The governing body of each county, city or town in the Commonwealth, in imposing local wholesale merchants' license taxes measured by purchases, local retail merchants' license taxes measured by sales, and local restaurant license taxes measured by sales, may include alcoholic beverages in the base for measuring such local license taxes the same as if the alcoholic beverages were nonalcoholic. No local alcoholic beverage license authorized by this chapter shall exempt any licensee from any local merchants' or local restaurant license tax, but such local merchants' and local restaurant license taxes may be in addition to the local alcoholic beverage license taxes authorized by this chapter.

The governing body of any county, city or town, in adopting an ordinance under this section, shall provide that in ascertaining the liability of (i) a beer wholesaler to local merchants' license taxation under the ordinance, and in computing the local wholesale merchants' license tax on such beer wholesaler, purchases of beer up to a stated amount shall be disregarded, which stated amount shall be the amount of beer purchases which would be necessary to produce a local wholesale merchants' license tax equal to the local wholesale beer license tax paid by such wholesaler and (ii) a wholesale wine licensee to local merchants' license taxation under the ordinance, and in computing the local wholesale merchants' license tax on such wholesale wine licensee, purchases of wine up to a stated amount shall be disregarded, which stated amount shall be the amount of wine purchases which would be necessary to produce a local wholesale merchants' license tax equal to the local wholesale wine licensee license tax paid by such wholesale wine licensee.

D. Delivery. - No county, city or town shall impose any local alcoholic beverages license tax on any wholesaler for the privilege of delivering alcoholic beverages in the county, city or town when such wholesaler maintains no place of business in such county, city or town.

E. Application of county tax within town. - Any county license tax imposed under this section shall not apply within the limits of any town located in such county, where such town now, or hereafter, imposes a town license tax on the same privilege.