Tax Type
Individual Income Tax
Description
Protective claim for refund; King v. Forst
Topic
Payment and Refund
Date Issued
10-08-1991
October 8, 1991
Re: Protective Claim: Individual Income Tax
Dear******************
This will reply to your letter of August 2, 1990 in which you filed a protective claim for refunds for taxable years 1987 and 1988. The protective claim for refunds was based upon the decision of the Virginia Supreme Court in the case of Llewellyn King v. W. H. Forst, State Tax Commissioner, 239 Va. 557 (1990).
BACKGROUND
On April 20, 1990, in a 4-3 decision in the case of Llewellyn King v. Forst, the Virginia Supreme Court overturned the Department of Taxation's long-standing policy that franchise taxes and other such taxes which are based on income but not denominated as "income" taxes do not qualify for the credit for income taxes paid to another state (Va. Code §58.1-332). Legislation enacted by the 1991 General Assembly (HB 1734, Chapter 362 and SB 765, Chapter 456), effectively overturned the Virginia Supreme Court's King decision.
Under these bills, individuals are precluded from claiming a credit for franchise and similar taxes paid to other states as a result of the Virginia Supreme Court decision in King v. Forst. These bills limit the individual income tax credit for taxes paid to another state to true net "income" taxes. These bills made the change retroactive to taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1987. However, taxpayers who filed a protective claim for refund under Va. Code §58.1-1824, based upon the King litigation before the date the bills were introduced (January 22, 1991), will be allowed refunds.
DETERMINATION
I find that your protective claim for refunds for taxable years 1987 and 1988 was properly filed under the provisions of Va. Code §58.1-1824 prior to the date the legislation overturning the King decision was introduced. Therefore, refunds will be allowed to the extent that the refunds claimed are based upon the decision of the Virginia Supreme Court in King v. Forst.
Sincerely,
W. H. Forst
Tax Commissioner
Rulings of the Tax Commissioner