The Personal Property Tax Relief Act of 1997 provides tax relief for vehicles locally registered within the Commonwealth of Virginia that qualify.
Vehicle Qualifications
The Personal Property Tax Relief Act of 1998 provides tax relief for qualifying passenger car, motorcycle, or pickup or panel trucks. The vehicle must be owned or leased by an individual and NOT used for business purposes. A vehicle is considered to be used for business purposes if:
- More than 50% of the mileage for the year is used as a business expense for Federal Income Tax purpose OR reimbursed by an employer;
- More than 50% of the depreciation associated with the vehicle is deducted as a business expense for Federal Income Tax;
- The cost of the vehicle is expensed pursuant to Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Service Code; or
- The vehicle is leased by an individual and the leasing company pays the tax without reimbursement from the individual.
Vehicles qualified for tax relief are noted on your tax bill and show a reduction for the portion of the tax the Commonwealth will pay. For qualified vehicles, your tax bill is reduced by the applicable tax relief percentage for the tax year on the first $20,000 of value.
Annual Relief Certification
You are required to certify annually to the City of Radford that your vehicle remains qualified to receive car tax relief. Therefore, it is important that you review the information sent to you by your locality to be sure that your vehicles are properly qualified. This information may be included on items such as personal property tax returns, decal applications or tax bills. If your vehicle is improperly qualified or you are uncertain whether your vehicle would be eligible for car tax relief because it is used part of the time for business purposes, contact the City of Radford Commissioner’s Office at 540-731-3613. When you display your City of Radford decal and pay your taxes on qualified vehicles, you are certifying to the City of Radford that your vehicle has been qualified correctly.