Va. Code » Title 58.1. Taxation » Subtitle III. Local Taxes » Chapter 35. Tangible Personal Property, Machinery and Tools and Merchants' Capital » Article 1. Tangible Personal Property Tax
Virginia Code

Va. Code Ann. § 58.1-3503 (2026)

General classification of tangible personal property

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A. Tangible personal property is classified for valuation purposes according to the following separate categories which are not to be considered separate classes for rate purposes:

1. Farm animals, except as exempted under § 58.1-3505.

2. Farm machinery, except as exempted under § 58.1-3505.

3. Automobiles, except those described in subdivisions 7, 8, and 9 of this subsection and in subdivision A 8 of § 58.1-3504, which shall be valued by means of a recognized pricing guide or if the model and year of the individual automobile are not listed in the recognized pricing guide, the individual vehicle may be valued on the basis of percentage or percentages of original cost. In using a recognized pricing guide, the commissioner shall use either of the following two methods. The commissioner may use all applicable adjustments in such guide to determine the value of each individual automobile, or alternatively, if the commissioner does not utilize all applicable adjustments in valuing each automobile, he shall use the base value specified in such guide which may be either average retail, wholesale, or loan value, so long as uniformly applied within classifications of property. If the model and year of the individual automobile are not listed in the recognized pricing guide, the taxpayer may present to the commissioner proof of the original cost, and the basis of the tax for purposes of the motor vehicle sales and use tax as described in § 58.1-2405 shall constitute proof of original cost. If such percentage or percentages of original cost do not accurately reflect fair market value, or if the taxpayer does not supply proof of original cost, then the commissioner may select another method which establishes fair market value.

4. Trucks of less than two tons, which may be valued by means of a recognized pricing guide or, if the model and year of the individual truck are not listed in the recognized pricing guide, on the basis of a percentage or percentages of original cost.

5. Trucks and other vehicles, as defined in § 46.2-100, except those described in subdivisions 4, and 6 through 10 of this subsection, which shall be valued by means of either a recognized pricing guide using the lowest value specified in such guide or a percentage or percentages of original cost.

6. Manufactured homes, as defined in § 36-85.3, which may be valued on the basis of square footage of living space.

7. Antique motor vehicles, as defined in § 46.2-100, which may be used for general transportation purposes as provided in subsection D of § 46.2-730.

8. Taxicabs.

9. Motor vehicles with specially designed equipment for use by individuals with disabilities, which shall not be valued in relation to their initial cost, but by determining their actual market value if offered for sale on the open market.

10. Motorcycles, mopeds, all-terrain vehicles, and off-road motorcycles as defined in § 46.2-100, campers and other recreational vehicles, which shall be valued by means of a recognized pricing guide or a percentage or percentages of original cost.

11. Boats weighing under five tons and boat trailers, which shall be valued by means of a recognized pricing guide or a percentage or percentages of original cost.

12. Boats or watercraft weighing five tons or more, which shall be valued by means of a percentage or percentages of original cost.

13. Aircraft, which shall be valued by means of a recognized pricing guide or a percentage or percentages of original cost.

14. Household goods and personal effects, except as exempted under § 58.1-3504.

15. Tangible personal property used in a research and development business, which shall be valued by means of a percentage or percentages of original cost.

16. Programmable computer equipment and peripherals used in business which shall be valued by means of a percentage or percentages of original cost to the taxpayer, or by such other method as may reasonably be expected to determine the actual fair market value.

17. Computer equipment and peripherals used in a data center, as defined in subdivision A 43 of § 58.1-3506, which shall be valued by means of a percentage or percentages of original cost, or by such other method as may reasonably be expected to determine the actual fair market value.

18. All tangible personal property employed in a trade or business other than that described in subdivisions 1 through 17, which shall be valued by means of a percentage or percentages of original cost.

19. Outdoor advertising signs regulated under Article 1 (§ 33.2-1200 et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 33.2.

20. All other tangible personal property.

B. Methods of valuing property may differ among the separate categories, so long as each method used is uniform within each category, is consistent with requirements of this section and may reasonably be expected to determine actual fair market value as determined by the commissioner of revenue or other assessing official; however, assessment ratios shall only be used with the concurrence of the local governing body. A commissioner of revenue shall upon request take into account the condition of the property. The term "condition of the property" includes, but is not limited to, technological obsolescence of property where technological obsolescence is an appropriate factor for valuing such property. The commissioner of revenue shall make available to taxpayers on request a reasonable description of his valuation methods. Such commissioner, or other assessing officer, or his authorized agent, when using a recognized pricing guide as provided for in this section, may automatically extend the assessment if the pricing information is stored in a computer. For any locality in which the commissioner of revenue or other assessing official adjusts the valuation of property described in subdivision A 3 to account for the amount of mileage on such vehicles, such adjustment shall also be provided to motorcycles described in subdivision A 10.

Code 1950, §§ 58-829, 58-829.3, 58-829.5; 1960, c. 418; 1970, cc. 325, 655; 1974, c. 445; 1975, cc. 47, 541; 1976, c. 567; 1978, cc. 155, 178, 656, 843; 1979, c. 576; 1980, c. 412; 1981, c. 236; 1982, c. 633; 1984, cc. 675, 689; 1985, c. 105; 1987, c. 568; 1991, cc. 253, 255; 1994, c. 827; 1996, c. 529; 1997, cc. 192, 250, 433, 457; 2006, c. 896; 2013, cc. 287, 652, 783; 2018, cc. 28, 292; 2022, c. 655; 2023, cc. 148, 149.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases, 1992–2019 · leading case: W. Refining Yorktown v. Cnty. of York, 793 S.E.2d 777 (Va. 2016).
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W. Refining Yorktown v. Cnty. of York, 793 S.E.2d 777 (Va. 2016). · cites it 58× “The real estate litigation was settled by agreement of the parties. After hearing testimony from the expert assessors and other witnesses, the trial court found that Commissioner Thomas had conducted her initial assessment thoroughly and in accord with Code § 58.”
Bd. of Supervisors of Fairfax Cnty. v. Telecomm. Indus., Inc., 436 S.E.2d 442 (Va. 1993). · cites it 10× “Furthermore, the County asserted, at the bar of this Court, that even if there are taxpayers within a class who can demonstrate that the depreciation schedule does not reflect the fair market value of the assessed per-1 sonal property, the County cannot depart from its schedule…”
Vasaio v. Dep't of Motor Vehs., 590 S.E.2d 596 (Va. Ct. App. 2004). “2-1200, in which it defined the term “abandoned inoperable motor vehicle” to mean, inter alia, one “whose fair market value, as determined by the locality’s official responsible for assessing motor vehicles under § 58.1-3503, is less than the cost of its restoration to an…”
Honeywell Int'l, Inc. v. City of Hopewell, 79 Va. Cir. 742 (Hopewell Cir. Ct. 2008). · cites it 15× “The 1985 AG opinion states that, under Va. Code § 58.1-3503, the commissioner of the revenue must uniformly assess tangible personal property employed in a trade or business by the percentage of original cost method.”
Brant v. Parsio, 27 Va. Cir. 339 (Stafford Cir. Ct. 1992). · cites it 2× “Every taxpayer owning an automobile as of January 1 of each year is required to file a return by May 1 of each year with the Commissioner of Revenue for his county. Code § 58.1-3518. Code § 58.1-3511 states, with respect to the situs for personal property taxation, the situs for…”
Virginia Int'l Gateway v. City of Portsmouth, 298 Va. 43 (2019). “See Code § 58.1-3503(A)(18); Western Refining, 292 Va.”
Edward A. Vasaio v. Dept. Motor Vehs., Commonweal, No. 0707032 (Va. Ct. App. Jan. 13, 2004). “2-1200, in which it defined the term “abandoned inoperable motor vehicle” to mean, inter alia, one “whose fair market value, as determined by the locality’s official responsible for assessing motor vehicles under § 58.1-3503, is less than the cost of its restoration to an…”
Va. Code Ann. § 58.1-3503(A)(17): 1 case
W. Refining Yorktown v. Cnty. of York, 793 S.E.2d 777 (Va. 2016). “The real estate litigation was settled by agreement of the parties. After hearing testimony from the expert assessors and other witnesses, the trial court found that Commissioner Thomas had conducted her initial assessment thoroughly and in accord with Code § 58.”
Va. Code Ann. § 58.1-3503(A)(18): 1 case
Virginia Int'l Gateway v. City of Portsmouth, 298 Va. 43 (2019). “See Code § 58.1-3503(A)(18); Western Refining, 292 Va.”
Va. Code Ann. § 58.1-3503(A)(3): 1 case
Brant v. Parsio, 27 Va. Cir. 339 (Stafford Cir. Ct. 1992). “Every taxpayer owning an automobile as of January 1 of each year is required to file a return by May 1 of each year with the Commissioner of Revenue for his county. Code § 58.1-3518. Code § 58.1-3511 states, with respect to the situs for personal property taxation, the situs for…”
Va. Code Ann. § 58.1-3503(B): 1 case
W. Refining Yorktown v. Cnty. of York, 793 S.E.2d 777 (Va. 2016). “The real estate litigation was settled by agreement of the parties. After hearing testimony from the expert assessors and other witnesses, the trial court found that Commissioner Thomas had conducted her initial assessment thoroughly and in accord with Code § 58.”
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