RECOMMENDATION OF CONSUMER ADVISORY BOARD
Individual Income Tax Deduction for Contributions to Energy Assistance Programs
§ 58.1-322. Virginia taxable income of residents.
A. The Virginia taxable income of a resident individual means his federal adjusted gross income for the taxable year, which excludes combat pay for certain members of the Armed Forces of the United States as provided in § 112 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and with the modifications specified in this section.
B. . . . [Unchanged]
C. . . . [Unchanged]
D. In computing Virginia taxable income there shall be deducted from federal adjusted gross income:
1. a. The amount allowable for itemized deductions for federal income tax purposes where the taxpayer has elected for the taxable year to itemize deductions on his federal return, but reduced by the amount of income taxes imposed by the Commonwealth or any other taxing jurisdiction and deducted on such federal return and increased by an amount which, when added to the amount deducted under § 170 of the Internal Revenue Code for mileage, results in a mileage deduction at the state level for such purposes at a rate of eighteen cents per mile; or
b. Two thousand dollars for taxable years beginning January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1987; $2,700 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1988, through December 31, 1988; and $5,000 for married persons (one-half of such amounts in the case of a married individual filing a separate return); and $3,000 for single individuals for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1989; provided that the taxpayer has not itemized deductions for the taxable year on his federal income tax return. For purposes of this section, any person who may be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's return for the taxable year may compute the deduction only with respect to earned income.
2. a. A deduction in the amount of $700 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1987, and $800 for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1988, for each personal exemption allowable to the taxpayer for federal income tax purposes. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1987, each blind or aged taxpayer as defined under § 63 (f) of the Internal Revenue Code shall be entitled to an additional personal exemption.
b. An additional deduction of $200 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1987, for each blind or aged taxpayer as defined under § 63 (f) of the Internal Revenue Code. The additional deduction for blind or aged taxpayers allowed under this subdivision and the additional personal exemption allowed to blind or aged taxpayers under subdivision 2 a of this subsection shall be allowable regardless of whether the taxpayer itemizes deductions for the taxable year for federal income tax purposes.
3. A deduction equal to the amount of employment-related expenses upon which the federal credit is based under § 21 of the Internal Revenue Code for expenses for household and dependent care services necessary for gainful employment.
4. An additional $1,000 deduction for each child residing for the entire taxable year in a home under permanent foster care placement as defined in Chapter 10 (§ 63.1-195 et seq.) of Title 63.1, provided the taxpayer can also claim the child as a personal exemption under § 151 of the Internal Revenue Code.
5. Effective for all taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1990, a deduction in the amount of $12,000 for taxpayers age sixty-five or older, or $6,000 for taxpayers age sixty-two through sixty-four, less any amount received pursuant to the (i) Social Security Act or (ii) Railroad Retirement Act and treated for federal income tax purposes as equivalent to social security. Beginning in taxable year 1992 through taxable year 1993, the $12,000 and $6,000 deduction amounts shall be indexed annually in each such taxable year by an amount equivalent to the most recent percentage increase in the social security wage base.
Effective for the taxable year beginning January 1, 1994, a deduction in the amount of $12,944 for taxpayers age sixty-five or older, or $6,472 for taxpayers age sixty-two through sixty-four. Effective for the taxable year beginning January 1, 1995, a deduction in the amount of $10,000 for taxpayers age sixty-five or older, or $5,000 for taxpayers age sixty-two through sixty-four. Effective for all taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1996, a deduction in the amount of $12,000 for taxpayers age sixty-five or older, or $6,000 for taxpayers age sixty-two through sixty-four.
Beginning in taxable year 1995, the deductions under this subdivision shall not be reduced by any amount received pursuant to the (i) Social Security Act or (ii) Railroad Retirement Act and treated for federal income tax purposes as equivalent to social security.
6. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1997, the amount an individual pays as a fee for an initial screening to become a possible bone marrow donor, if (i) the individual is not reimbursed for such fee or (ii) the individual has not claimed a deduction for the payment of such fee on his federal income tax return.
7. a. (Effective for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1996.) A deduction shall be allowed to the purchaser or contributor for the amount paid or contributed during the taxable year for a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account entered into with the Virginia College Savings Plan, pursuant to Chapter 4.9 (§ 23-38.75 et seq.) of Title 23. Except as provided in subdivision 7 c, the amount deducted on any individual income tax return in any taxable year shall be limited to $2,000 per prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account. No deduction shall be allowed pursuant to this section if such payments or contributions are deducted on the purchaser's or contributor's federal income tax return. If the purchase price or annual contribution to a savings trust account exceeds $2,000, the remainder may be carried forward and subtracted in future taxable years until the purchase price or savings trust contribution has been fully deducted; however, except as provided in subdivision 7 c, in no event shall the amount deducted in any taxable year exceed $2,000 per contract or savings trust account. Notwithstanding the statute of limitations on assessments contained in § 58.1-312, any deduction taken hereunder shall be subject to recapture in the taxable year or years in which distributions or refunds are made for any reason other than (i) to pay qualified higher education expenses, as defined in § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) the beneficiary's death, disability, or receipt of a scholarship. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term "purchaser" or "contributor" means the person shown as such on the records of the Virginia College Savings Plan as of December 31 of the taxable year. In the case of a transfer of ownership of a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account, the transferee shall succeed to the transferor's tax attributes associated with a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account, including, but not limited to, carryover and recapture of deductions.
b. (Effective for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1996.) The amount paid for a prepaid tuition contract during taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1996, but before January 1, 1998, shall be deducted in taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1998, and shall be subject to the limitations set out in subdivision 7 a.
c. (Effective for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1998.) A purchaser of a prepaid tuition contract or contributor to a savings trust account who has attained age seventy shall not be subject to the limitation that the amount of the deduction not exceed $2,000 per prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account in any taxable year. Such taxpayer shall be allowed a deduction for the full amount paid for the contract or contributed to a savings trust account, less any amounts previously deducted. If a prepaid tuition contract was purchased by such taxpayer during taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1996, but before January 1, 1998, such taxpayer may take the deduction for the full amount paid during such years, less any amounts previously deducted with respect to such payments, in taxable year 1999 or by filing an amended return for taxable year 1998.
8. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2000, the total amount an individual actually contributed in funds to the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund, established in Chapter 11.1 (§ 22.1-175.1 et seq.) of Title 22.1, provided the individual has not claimed a deduction for such amount on his federal income tax return.
9. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1999, an amount equal to twenty percent of the tuition costs incurred by an individual employed as a primary or secondary school teacher licensed pursuant to Chapter 15 (§ 22.1-289.1 et seq.) of Title 22.1 to attend continuing teacher education courses that are required as a condition of employment; however, the deduction provided by this subsection shall be available only if (i) the individual is not reimbursed for such tuition costs and (ii) the individual has not claimed a deduction for the payment of such tuition costs on his federal income tax return.
10. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2000, the amount an individual pays annually in premiums for long term health care insurance, provided the individual has not claimed a deduction for federal income tax purposes.
11. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2002, the total amount an individual actually contributed in funds to (i) a utility company emergency energy program if the utility company is an agent for a charitable organization that assists individuals with emergency energy needs and contributions to such charitable organization can be identified as a "charitable contribution" under § 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) the Home Energy Assistance Fund established in Chapter 22 (§ 63.1-336 et seq.) of Title 63.1. A deduction shall not be allowed under this subdivision if the individual has claimed a deduction for such amount on his federal income tax return.
E. There shall be added to or subtracted from federal adjusted gross income, as the case may be, the individual's share, as beneficiary of an estate or trust, of the Virginia fiduciary adjustment determined under § 58.1-361.
F. There shall be added or subtracted, as the case may be, the amounts provided in § 58.1-315 as transitional modifications.