Evening star., 1949-02-03
Arlington Votes
Taxes on Autos
And Businesses
April ! DeodIine
Set for Purchase
Of Car Tags

Arlington residents must buy coun-
ty automobile license tags and busi-
ness and professional men pay
privilege taxes this year under
ordinances adopted last night by
the Arlington County Board. 1t is
the first county in Virginia to exer-
else such powers.
The board acted under authority
granted by the General Assembly
to enact the new levies which here
tofore have been reserved to cities
only.
Both revenue-raising measures
parallel State ordinances except for
rates. The motor vehicle license
rate Is exactly half Of the State fee
with passenger cars paying Is cents
per 100 pounds Of the vehicles
weight. Minimum for cars is 50.
Automobile tags must be obtained
by April 1-date the 1949 State
licenses must be bought. They will
be valid until March 81, 1850.
Some Taxes Retroactive.
Taxes on business and professions
are effective as Of March this year
and must be paid by March 81 I'd
avoid penalty. They will be, retro
active to January /, the due date in
future years.
Criticism was leveled at the busi-
ness and professional tax ordinance,
as originally drawn. at two public
2 hearings. The ordinance is based
sscn a study by University Of Vir-
xinia experts.
In many cstegories, the tax is
: considerably reduced from the first
proposal. In some cases. the meth
Cd Of taxation was changed in ac-
cordance with recommendations Of
d interested groups.
For example, the tax on retail
merchants is IL cents per S100 of
gross receipts rather than Is cents;
the levy against professional men
is on a fiat fee rather than a gross
receipts basis, and the charge for
nonresident merchants operating
from trucks, such as dairies and
bakeries, is much less than the fee
suggested in the earlier drafts.
Receipts Are Yardstick.
For professional men, however,
gross receipts are used as a yard
stick to measure the fee. Those
having gross receipts of less than
$1,000 will pay a $40 tax. This will
graduate upward until the doctor,
dentist or lawyer crossing $25, 900 or
more will pay 500. The first pro-
posal called for a gross receipts tax
of So cents-highest in the ordi-
nance.
Contractors, builders and develop
ers, too, will pay a levy which is &C.
tually fiat fee but which is based
on gross receipts. This will range
from $40 for those crossing 81, 900 to
5000 and 5000 for those taking in
more than $5O00OO. A 26-eent gross
receipts tax, first was scheduled for
contractors. -
Instead of $3.50 for the first truck
and 500 for each additional, nom
resident dairies and bakeries will
pay 500 for each one if they sell to
retailers and $50 if their customers
are individuals.
Tax Schedule Listed.
The tax on nonresident dry
cleaners, however, will be $3.50 for
the first ofhce, store or truck and
500 for each additional one, as
originally proposed.
The ordinance includes land
lords tax of Is cents per 500 of
gross receipts on owners of more
than two rented houses and owners
Of apartments or commercial prop
ertly. This was opposed by the Ar
lington Alexandria Fairfax Real
Estate Board.
For persons, firms or businesses
convicted of evading the tax, maxi
. mum penalty of $500 fine and 80
days in jail, or both, is provided.