A. Any employer required under the provisions of this article to deduct and withhold from wages and make returns and payments of amounts withheld to the Tax Commissioner, who fails to withhold such amounts or to make such returns, or who fails to remit amounts collected to the Tax Commissioner, or otherwise fails to remit to the Tax Commissioner as required by this article, shall be subject to a penalty equal to six percent of the amount that should have been properly withheld and paid over to the Tax Commissioner if the failure is for not more than one month, with an additional six percent for each additional month or fraction thereof during which such failure continues, not exceeding thirty percent in the aggregate. In no case however, shall the penalty be less than ten dollars and such minimum penalty shall apply whether or not any tax is due for the period for which the filing of such return was required.

Interest at a rate determined in accordance with § 58.1-15, shall accrue on the tax until paid, or until an assessment is made, after which interest shall accrue as provided in § 58.1-15. Such penalty and interest shall be assessed by the Tax Commissioner and shall be collected by him in the same manner as the collection of taxes may be enforced under this title.

B. Upon failure of any employer to pay over any amounts withheld or required to be withheld by the employer under this article, the Tax Commissioner may make assessments and enforce the collection of such amounts, including penalties, by any legal process provided for the enforcement of the collection of taxes under this title.

Code 1950, § 58-151.13; 1962, c. 612; 1968, c. 12; 1970, c. 540; 1972, c. 827; 1973, c. 279; 1974, c. 636; 1975, c. 49; 1977, cc. 396, 663; 1981, c. 283; 1984, c. 675; 1991, cc. 316, 331.