As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

Terms Used In Virginia Code 6.2-2500

  • Annual percentage rate: The cost of credit at a yearly rate. It is calculated in a standard way, taking the average compound interest rate over the term of the loan so borrowers can compare loans. Lenders are required by law to disclose a card account's APR. Source: FDIC
  • Applicant: means a customer who applies for a refund anticipation loan through a facilitator. See Virginia Code 6.2-2500
  • Customer: means an individual for whom tax preparation services are performed. See Virginia Code 6.2-2500
  • Entity: means any corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or other legal or commercial entity. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
  • Facilitator: means a person who receives or accepts for delivery an application for a refund anticipation loan, delivers a check in payment of refund anticipation loan proceeds, or in any other manner acts to allow the making of a refund anticipation loan. See Virginia Code 6.2-2500
  • Financial institution: means any bank, trust company, savings institution, industrial loan association, consumer finance company, or credit union. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
  • Includes: means includes, but not limited to. See Virginia Code 1-218
  • Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or other legal or commercial entity. See Virginia Code 6.2-100
  • Refund anticipation loan: means a loan, whether provided through a facilitator or by another entity such as a financial institution, in anticipation of, and whose payment is secured by, a customer's federal or state income tax refund or by both. See Virginia Code 6.2-2500
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
  • Truth in Lending Act: The Truth in Lending Act is a federal law that requires lenders to provide standardized information so that borrowers can compare loan terms. In general, lenders must provide information on Source: OCC
  • United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255

“Applicant” means a customer who applies for a refund anticipation loan through a facilitator.

“Borrower” means an applicant who receives a refund anticipation loan through a facilitator.

“Customer” means an individual for whom tax preparation services are performed.

“Facilitator” means a person who receives or accepts for delivery an application for a refund anticipation loan, delivers a check in payment of refund anticipation loan proceeds, or in any other manner acts to allow the making of a refund anticipation loan. “Facilitator” does not include a bank, thrift, savings association, industrial bank, or credit union, operating under the laws of the United States or the Commonwealth, an affiliate that is a servicer for such an entity, or any person who acts solely as an intermediary and does not deal with an applicant in the making of the refund anticipation loan.

“Refund anticipation loan” means a loan, whether provided through a facilitator or by another entity such as a financial institution, in anticipation of, and whose payment is secured by, a customer’s federal or state income tax refund or by both.

“Refund anticipation loan fee” means any fee, charge, or other consideration imposed by a lender or a facilitator for a refund anticipation loan. The term does not include any fee, charge, or other consideration usually imposed by a facilitator in the ordinary course of business for nonloan services, such as fees for preparing tax returns and fees for the electronic filing of tax returns.

“Refund anticipation loan fee schedule” means a list or table of refund anticipation loan fees that (i) includes three or more representative refund anticipation loan amounts; (ii) lists separately each fee or charge imposed, as well as a total of all fees imposed, related to the making of a refund anticipation loan; and (iii) includes, for each representative loan amount, the estimated annual percentage rate calculated under the guidelines established by the federal Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.).

“Tax return” means a return, declaration, statement, refund claim, or other document required to be made or filed in connection with state or federal income taxes.

2006, c. 399, § 6.1-474; 2010, c. 794.