Virginia Code 58.1-2501: Levy of license tax
A. For the privilege of doing business in the Commonwealth, there is hereby levied on every insurance company defined in § 38.2-100 which issues policies or contracts for any kind of insurance classified and defined in §§ 38.2-102 through 38.2-134 and on every corporation which issues subscription contracts for any kind of plan classified and defined in §§ 38.2-4201 and 38.2-4501, an annual license tax as follows:
Terms Used In Virginia Code 58.1-2501
- Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
- Company: means any association, aggregation of individuals, business, corporation, individual, joint-stock company, Lloyds type of organization, organization, partnership, receiver, reciprocal or inter-insurance exchange, trustee or society. See Virginia Code 58.1-2500
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Direct gross premium income: means the gross amount of all premiums, assessments, dues and fees collected, received or derived, or obligations taken therefor, from business in this Commonwealth during each year ending December 31, excluding premiums received for reinsurance assumed from licensed insurance companies, without any deduction for dividends paid or deduction on any other account except for premiums returned on cancelled policies, or on account of reduction in rates or reduction in the amount insured, and excluding premiums received or derived to provide insurance of the kinds classified in §§ 38. See Virginia Code 58.1-2500
- Estimated tax: means the amount which the insurance company estimates as the amount of the tax imposed by this chapter for the license year, measured by direct gross premium income received or derived in the taxable year. See Virginia Code 58.1-2500
- Insurance company: means any company engaged in the business of making contracts of insurance. See Virginia Code 58.1-2500
- Subscriber fee income: means the gross premium or deposit income collected, received or derived from and credited to the accounts of subscribers from business in the Commonwealth during the preceding year ending December 31, decreased by all returns for cancellation and all amounts returned to subscribers or credited to their accounts as savings. See Virginia Code 58.1-2500
- Tax: means the amount derived by multiplying the direct gross premium income in the taxable year by the tax rate. See Virginia Code 58.1-2500
- Taxable year: means the calendar year preceding the license year upon the basis of which direct gross premium income is computed. See Virginia Code 58.1-2500
1. For any kind of insurance classified and defined in §§ 38.2-109 through 38.2-134 or Chapters 44 (§ 38.2-4400 et seq.) and 61 (§ 38.2-6100 et seq.) of Title 38.2, except workers’ compensation insurance on which a premium tax is imposed under the provisions of § 65.2-1000, such company shall pay a tax of two and three-fourths percent of its subscriber fee income or direct gross premium income on such insurance for each taxable year through 1988. For taxable year 1989 and each taxable year thereafter, such company shall pay a tax of two and one-fourth percent of its subscriber fee income or direct gross premium income on such insurance;
2. For policies or contracts for life insurance as defined in § 38.2-102, such company shall pay a tax of two and one-fourth percent of its direct gross premium income on such insurance. However, with respect to premiums paid for additional benefits in the event of death, dismemberment or loss of sight by accident or accidental means, or to provide a special surrender value, special benefit or an annuity in the event of total and permanent disability, the rate of tax shall be two and three-fourths percent for each taxable year beginning January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1988, and two and one-fourth percent for taxable year beginning January 1, 1989, and each taxable year thereafter;
3. For policies or contracts providing industrial sick benefit insurance as defined in § 38.2-3544, such company shall pay a tax of one percent of its direct gross premium income on such insurance. No company, however, doing business on the legal reserve plan, shall be required to pay any licenses, fees or other taxes in excess of those required by this section on such part of its business as is industrial sick benefit insurance as defined in § 38.2-3544; but any such company doing business on the legal reserve plan shall pay on all industrial sick benefit policies or contracts on which the sick benefit portion has been cancelled as provided in § 38.2-3546, or which provide a greater death benefit than $250 or a greater weekly indemnity than $10, and on all other life, accident and sickness insurance, the same license or other taxes as are required by this section; and
4. For subscription contracts for any kind of plan classified and defined in § 38.2-4201 or § 38.2-4501, such corporation shall pay a tax of two and one-fourth percent of its direct gross subscriber fee income derived from subscription contracts issued to primary small groups as defined in § 38.2-3431 and three-fourths of one percent of its direct gross subscriber fee income derived from other subscription contracts for taxable year 1997. For each of taxable years 1998 through 2013, such corporation shall pay a tax of three-fourths of one percent of its direct gross subscriber fee income derived from subscription contracts issued to individuals and from open enrollment contracts as defined in § 38.2-4216.1, and two and one-fourth percent of its direct gross subscriber fee income derived from other subscription contracts. For each taxable year thereafter, such corporation shall pay a tax of two and one-fourth percent of its direct gross subscriber fee income derived from all subscription contracts. The declaration of estimated tax pursuant to this subsection shall commence on or before April 15, 1988.
B. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, any domestic insurance company doing business solely in the Commonwealth which is purely mutual, has no capital stock and is not designed to accumulate profits for the benefit of or pay dividends to its members, and any domestic insurance company doing business solely in the Commonwealth, with a capital stock not exceeding $25,000 and which pays losses with assessments against its policyholders or members, shall pay an annual license tax of one percent of its direct gross premium income.
Code 1950, §§ 58-490, 58-491, 58-492, 58-501; 1952, c. 190; 1968, c. 13; 1978, c. 658; 1984, c. 675; 1987, cc. 565, 655; 1997, cc. 807, 913; 2004, c. 668; 2013, cc. 136, 210.