A. Every dealer required to collect or pay the sales or use tax shall, on or before the twentieth day of the month following the month in which the tax shall become effective, transmit to the Tax Commissioner a return showing the gross sales, gross proceeds, or cost price, as the case may be, arising from all transactions taxable under this chapter during the preceding calendar month, and thereafter a like return shall be prepared and transmitted to the Tax Commissioner by every dealer on or before the twentieth day of each month, for the preceding calendar month. In the case of dealers regularly keeping books and accounts on the basis of an annual period which varies 52 to 53 weeks, the Tax Commissioner may make rules and regulations for reporting consistent with such accounting period.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a dealer may be required by the Tax Commissioner to file sales or use tax returns on an accounting period less frequent than monthly when, in the opinion of the Tax Commissioner, the administration of the taxes imposed by this chapter would be enhanced. If a dealer is required to file other than monthly, each such return shall be due on or before the twentieth day of the month following the close of the period. Each such return shall contain all information required for monthly returns.

A sales or use tax return shall be filed by each registered dealer even though the dealer is not liable to remit to the Tax Commissioner any tax for the period covered by the return.

The Tax Commissioner shall not require that more than one sales and use tax return per month be filed with the Department by any remote seller or any software provider on behalf of such remote seller.

B. [Expired.]

C. Any return required to be filed with the Tax Commissioner under this section shall be deemed to have been filed with the Tax Commissioner on the date that such return is delivered by the dealer to the commissioner of the revenue or the treasurer for the locality in which the dealer is located and receipt is acknowledged by the commissioner of the revenue or treasurer. The commissioner of the revenue or the treasurer shall stamp such date on the return, and shall mail the return to the Tax Commissioner no later than the following business day. The commissioner of the revenue or the treasurer may collect from the dealer the cost of postage for such mailing.

D. Every dealer that elects to file a consolidated sales tax return for any taxable period and that is required to remit payment by electronic funds transfer pursuant to subsection B of § 58.1-202.1 beginning on and after July 1, 2010, shall file its monthly return using an electronic medium prescribed by the Tax Commissioner. A waiver of this requirement may be granted if the Tax Commissioner determines that it creates an unreasonable burden on the dealer.

Code 1950, § 58-441.20; 1966, c. 151; 1972, c. 355; 1984, c. 675; 2003, c. 1042; 2004, c. 567; 2004, Sp. Sess. I, c. 4; 2005, c. 951; 2006, Sp. Sess. I, c. 2; 2010, cc. 36, 151; 2013, c. 766; 2019, cc. 815, 816, 854.