The following words and terms when used in this section shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Carrying out the work of the church and its related ministries" means engaging in activities that communicate or spread the religious teachings and practices of a church.
"Church" means a nonprofit religious organization, regardless of faith, that would be considered a church under the standards promulgated by the Internal Revenue Service for federal income tax purposes (i) that has been specifically recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as being exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) whose real property is exempt from local real property taxation under § 58.1-3606 of the Code of Virginia. The term "church" includes any departments, regular schools of religious education, and other activities of a church that are not separate legal or business entities, including kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools, preschools, nurseries, and day care centers. The term "church" does not include broadcasting television organizations, such as evangelical television and radio ministries, missionaries, political action committees (PACs), affiliated entities separately incorporated from a nonprofit religious organization, and camps and conference centers. However, a limited exemption is available to camps and conference centers as set forth in subsection F of this section.
"Church department" means any administrative division of a church used in carrying out the work and related ministries of the church. This term includes, but is not limited to, boards; committees; councils; men's, women's or youth ministries; and outreach ministries of the church.
"Public church building" means a building, the primary purpose of which is to house the regularly scheduled worship services of the church and those adjacent offices and buildings at a single location in which activities are conducted to carry out the work of the church and its related ministries.
"Regular school of religious education" means any program instituted by a church to provide regularly scheduled classes on the teaching of the church and includes, but is not limited to, Sunday school, catechism, Hebrew school, vacation Bible school, and Bible study classes.
"Religious worship service" means regularly scheduled church services and includes, but is not limited to, weddings, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, baptisms, christenings, funerals, and special services conducted during religious holidays, when conducted at the public church building.
Churches also have the option of using the general nonprofit entity sales tax exemption provided for under § 58.1-609.11 of the Code of Virginia. In order to obtain the general nonprofit entity exemption, the church must apply to the Department of Taxation and receive a Retail Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption. This section is applicable only to the self-issued exemption for churches pursuant to subdivision 16 of § 58.1-609.10 of the Code of Virginia using Form ST-13, Certificate of Exemption. It does not apply to the general nonprofit entity sales tax exemption provided for under § 58.1-609.11 of the Code of Virginia.
When purchasing an item qualifying for exemption, a church must furnish to the supplier a properly completed Form ST-13A, Certificate of Exemption. This self-issued certificate of exemption is limited to tangible personal property specified in § 58.1-609.10 of the Code of Virginia.
Example 1: A church organization that is composed of a number of church congregations allows one of its church affiliates to hold a youth camp at its conference facilities located in Virginia in order to educate the participants in the church's religious teachings. The church organization purchases food, disposable serving items, and teaching materials that will be given to the participants in the youth camp. In addition, cleaning supplies are purchased for maintaining the facilities. The purchase of food, disposable serving items, teaching materials, and cleaning supplies provided by the church organization would be exempt from the tax.
Example 2: A nonprofit organization composed of nonprofit churches operates a retreat facility. The churches that comprise this nonprofit organization may purchase food items for the consumption of participants at the retreat facility exempt from the tax. Any church associated with the nonprofit organization may also purchase food exempt for resale, but the subsequent sale of that food to participants is taxable. A church that is not associated with the nonprofit organization and that purchases food items for consumption while using the retreat facility must pay retail sales and use tax.
However, preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools that are separate legal and business entities from the church may qualify for a sales and use tax exemption pursuant to § 58.1-609.11 of the Code of Virginia.
Example 3: As part of its education ministry to inner city youth, a church operates a child day care center out of its public church buildings. The center's federal identification number is the same as the church, pays its expenses out of the church's checking account, and functions under the authority and control of the church. Tangible personal property purchased by the center would qualify for the church exemption since the center is not considered a separate legal or business entity from the church.
Example 4: Facts are the same as Example 3, except that the center has a separate federal identification number and pays is expenses out of a separate checking account. Tangible personal property purchased by the center would continue to be exempt.
Example 5: Facts are the same as Example 3, except that the center is a separate nonprofit corporation that is still affiliated with the church, has a separate federal identification number, and pays its expenses out of a separate checking account. Even though the center is located in the public church building, tangible personal property purchased by the center is taxable since the center is a separate legal entity from the church.
Example 6: Facts are the same as Example 3, except that the center is located five miles from the public church buildings. Tangible personal property purchased by the center would be taxable since the center is not located in the public church buildings.
Example 7: A church holds yard sales to raise money to support ministries and other church-related activities. The yard sales are held in the church facility or on church grounds, and consist of the sales of tangible personal property donated by church members. Although numerous items of tangible personal property are sold at each yard sale, each day's yard sale is considered to be one sale for purposes of the occasional sale rule. As long as the church does not hold more than three yard sales in a calendar year, the church is not required to register as a dealer and collect and remit sales tax.
Example 8: Facts are the same as in Example 7, except that the church rents a booth or space for one day from a flea market organizer who is registered as a dealer. The primary business of the flea market is to rent a booth or space to sell tangible personal property. As the church yard sale takes place as part of a regular ongoing business (the flea market) that takes place more than three times a year, the yard sale would not qualify as an occasional sale. The flea market organizer is held responsible for the collection of sales tax for any property sold using its facilities and must collect sales tax from the church based on the sales price of property sold or allow the church to collect the tax and remit it to the Department of Taxation.
23 Va. Admin. Code § 10-210-310
Statutory Authority
§ 58.1-203 of the Code of Virginia.