Serving the public by acting ethically and efficiently in our administration of Virginia’s tax laws.

To be the nation’s leading tax administration agency through a customer-first focus and culture based on accountability, collaboration, and trust.

• Act with Integrity


• Strive for Excellence


• Demonstrate Respect

The Virginia Department of Taxation (“Virginia Tax”) administers state and local taxes, including individual and corporate income taxes, sales and use taxes, and miscellaneous excise taxes. Virginia Tax works directly with individual and business taxpayers, tax preparers, local governments, members of the General Assembly, the Attorney General's Office, and the Governor's Office to ensure the Commonwealth's revenue is collected and administered with fairness and due diligence. Organizationally, we are aligned under the Tax Commissioner who reports to the Secretary of Finance.

Virginia Tax will continue our commitment to providing taxpayers with self-service opportunities that meet their needs. Key to this commitment is our ability to migrate to an application platform based on next generation technology. Our current technology application platform is the largest impediment to meeting the rapidly-changing service expectations of taxpayers. While we are able to adapt and integrate some improved product offerings to taxpayers, the high cost to develop and implement them on our current platform limits our ability to meet demand. We also have to address the continued pace of retirement and turnover of agency staff.

Technology has 4 primary areas of focus that will address current challenges: 

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  Safeguard Business Processes and Sensitive Information; Ensure Security and Compliance of Services: Integrate a risk-aware culture with the daily work of our people in conjunction with action reinforcement and management commitment. Protect business processes and technology solutions through consistent security policies, comprehensive monitoring, and robust verification procedures. Apply innovative technology enforcements, effective defense capabilities, continuous risk monitoring and reporting methods, and simple and secure architecture guidance throughout business and technology solutions.

  
  


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  Modernize Agency Systems: Modernize systems using evaluation and prioritization tools that assess the highest effect and value, and consider cost, risk and impact. Implement an Enterprise Architecture tool positioned to deliver business value.

  
  


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  Optimize Technology to Enable Digital Business and Services: Automate repetitive, resource-constrained, high-value tasks. Establish performance metrics to drive continuous improvement to optimize speed, cost, and risk for agency systems. Prioritize key IT processes/solutions and build an optimization plan.

  
  


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  Optimize IT Operations: Build a high-performance IT culture. Improve operational excellence. Identify Key Performance Indicators and establish quarterly Objectives and Key Results for core IT operations. Build a Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CICD) pipeline to increase automated testing and delivery efficiency to achieve speed to value. Implement end-to-end IT operations monitoring.

  
  

Workforce Composition

Since 2019, due to retirements, other attrition, and hiring challenges, the agency has faced a 7% decline in our filled General Fund positions. Our agency’s workforce is tenured with an average age of 51 years, with 23% of the workforce currently eligible to retire. About 58% of the agency’s workforce is older than 50 years of age; and of that age group, 40% are currently eligible to retire. Approximately 4% of the agency’s workforce is younger than 30 years of age. The majority of positions at Virginia Tax are classified as professional roles (based on EEO categories). Many of these roles require a depth of expertise in tax policies, laws, and practices. 

Historically, our strong telework program has been a key workforce strategy to attract and retain employees as well as to provide other benefits – including continuity of operations in the event of an emergency. In fact, we shifted a large percentage of the agency workforce to home-based status back in 2010. At the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in March of 2020, the transition to 5-day-a-week telework was relatively seamless and the agency experienced little to no disruption in productivity and service levels. Even with the recent transition back to the office, approximately 85% of our employees still have the capability of working from home in some capacity.  

Our organization currently faces two significant workforce challenges: the “great resignation” of 2022 and our expected volume of employee retirements. The “great resignation,” a nationwide phenomenon fueled by a desire for better pay and work/life balance, is emerging among employees of all ages. We are keeping an eye on our 1- and 5-year employee turnover rates which have averaged 15% and 11%, respectively, for the past 5 years. (Only during the pandemic did Virginia Tax experience single-digit employee turnover in both categories.) Current turnover rates align with levels consistent with those prior to the pandemic. As of 2022, 12% of Virginia Tax employees were within their first year of employment while 50% of employees were between 1 and 5 years of service.  

Our retirements averaged 3.5% over the past several years, but only 2.9% of employees retired in fiscal year 2022. However, given the number of eligible employees, we anticipate a significant increase in our retirements, resulting in knowledge gaps, productivity loss, the need to acquire new talent, and the need to train and integrate new talent into our operations and culture. This increasing volume of retirement eligibility occurs at various levels of the agency but is especially acute at the leadership level (mid-level and upper-level management roles) where nearly half will likely retire within the next 5 to 10 years. To mitigate the potential impact, career pathing and succession planning have become a high priority within the agency. 

Virginia Tax also has about 6% of our workforce using short-term disability benefits at a given time. It is important for employees to address medical issues, and the use of short-term disability benefits is one essential avenue for doing so. With an aging workforce, the short-term disability rate may increase in the future. Our challenge is to effectively manage the workforce to continue to maximize operational performance and meet productivity standards.

With a significant volume of retirements and other turnover, the agency leadership has identified Talent Acquisition as a key strategic priority for short-term focus. Virginia Tax recognizes that a focus on talent acquisition is the first step and that we will also need to pay attention to other parts of the employee lifecycle to ensure that employees can be successfully onboarded, integrated into the agency, developed, and retained. As a long-term focus, we must address pre- and post-pandemic reasons for high turnover, including work/life balance and employee pay, if we are to effectively recruit and retain employees. 

The agency does not own any buildings and has 4 leases for state-owned or state-managed space. Two of the leases are in Richmond, 1 is in Danville, and 1 is in Northern Virginia.

Virginia Tax is a large and complex agency with multifaceted systems and programs, numerous regulations, and recurrent vulnerabilities needing our constant attention. The key risks we strive to mitigate each day include retention and recruitment, complex/aging technology, and taxpayer data security and identity theft.

Retention and Recruitment – There are 3 primary factors impacting retention: our aging workforce, employees’ desire for work/life balance, and a need for a competitive salary structure.

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   The Aging Workforce - like other government agencies and private industry, Virginia Tax has been and will continue to be affected by the impact of baby boomers transitioning to retirement. While there are certain offices within our agency currently vulnerable due to retirement eligibility, the greatest vulnerability is in the next 5 years when approximately 41% of all Virginia Tax employees are eligible to retire. Based on recent trends, employees eligible to retire have delayed their retirement. As stated earlier, 23% of our employees are eligible but only 2.9% retired in FY2022. This challenge requires us to invest additional time and resources in recruitment and retention, new talent pipeline development, knowledge transfer, leadership development, career paths, and succession planning. However, success in recruitment and long-term retention also require us to address organizational work/life balance and salaries that are competitive with the market.

   
   


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   Complex and Aging Technology – When Virginia Tax last modernized our revenue management system technology (1999-2005), we implemented numerous individual components that are not part of the core system. For example, there are applications for collections, auditing, processing returns and payments, and scanning returns in addition to numerous other systems that support agency processes. The age and number of our systems, combined with their interdependence with each other, has created an extremely complex technology environment that requires numerous hard-to-find skillsets and prevents us from operating with the efficiency we would prefer. For example, the programmer working on the auditing system must have different programming language expertise than the one working on the collections system. Supporting a large number of different products requires more staff power for internal control of systems and reduces our ability to expand self-service tools to meet taxpayers’ rapidly changing service expectations.

   
   


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   Securing Taxpayer Data and Identity Theft – Taxpayer data security, refund fraud, and identity theft are growing problems for all government agencies and private businesses. Securing data remains a top priority that requires the agency to focus on external and internal threats. Externally, addressing our aging technology would significantly reduce the risk. Internally, we continually adjust and adapt business rules and systems to stop fraudulent refund requests. 

   
   

Virginia Tax is predominantly funded from the state’s general fund. We use non-general fund sources to fund outside collection agencies, court debt collection, and the administration of the communication sales and use tax, motor vehicle rental tax, and the insurance premium tax. We also use non-general funds for railroad and pipeline assessments, land preservation credit processing, managing the Treasury Offset Program (TOPS), and facilitating local assessor training classes.

Virginia Tax collected $34.4B in Fiscal Year 2022. Of this amount, 3 taxes make up 93% of the revenue collected. Those taxes are as follows: individual tax payments totaled $21.2B, sales tax payments totaled $8.7B and payments from corporations totaled $2.1B.

The following statistics demonstrate the magnitude of the work Virginia Tax undertakes on behalf of the Commonwealth and its citizens every year.

The agency does not anticipate any declines in our customer base over the next biennium. We anticipate 1.5% – 2%  growth in our customer base overall.

Major products and services include:

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  Collecting tax revenue 

  
  


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  Processing tax returns

  
  


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  Issuing tax refunds 

  
  


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  Distributing tax revenue to local governments

  
  


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  Collecting court debts

  
  


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  Performing audits

  
  


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  Providing customer service 

  
  


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  Preparing Virginia’s economic forecast

  
  


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  Reviewing legislative impacts and policies

  
  


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  Providing audit and enforcement of tobacco tax

  
  

Virginia Tax collects most of the general fund revenues for the Commonwealth. Maximizing cost effectiveness and optimizing the value of time both ensure that we are acting as a good steward of the Commonwealth’s funds. The cost to collect $1 in taxes remains low. In FY2021, the cost to collect $1 was $0.00351 and decreased to $0.00337 in FY2022. The amount of billed receivables collected remained steady - $545 million in FY2021 and $539 million in FY2022. Virginia Tax leverages technology to collect revenue including an “on-the-spot” iPad application to accept payments during field visits.

Over the last 10 years, the percentage of returns and payments filed electronically has climbed from 61% to 87%, an increase of 32%. We anticipate that taxpayer preferences will continue to shift toward electronic options for filing and paying. The largest opportunity to increase electronic payments in the future is with individual income taxpayers.

Agency retirements and turnover present the biggest challenge in maintaining the level of service our customers expect. For example, the Customer Service Contact Center continues to handle over half a million incoming phone calls annually - maintaining an 88% service level in FY2021 and FY2022 with fewer staff.

General fund dollars are invested in Virginia Tax for the purpose of collecting revenue. The goal is to achieve the greatest possible return on the amount invested to carry out the agency’s mission.

• Enhance digital products

• Increase cost savings through procurement

• Enhance digital products

• Integrated Revenue Management System (IRMS) Replacement

• Review and update revenue forecast

Virginia Tax's priorities are established by the General Assembly and the Executive Branch. This goal further aligns the agency outcomes with those targeted by the executive branch.

• Implement legislative mandates

Time is a finite resource; therefore, it is incumbent upon Virginia Tax to use it effectively and efficiently.

• Improve Contact Center business processes

• Reduce individual error worklist items

• Redesign sales tax return

• Reduce business error worklist

• Enhance digital products

• Analyze metrics to enhance digital content

Virginia Tax is the sum total of its employees. Investing in the workforce and creating an environment where employees feel a sense of belonging will help to attract and retain staff, improve productivity, and support workforce sustainability.

• Implement career pathing process and framework

• Improve first year candidate experience

• Conduct job classification and compensation study

• Implement succession planning program

• Implement leadership development program

This area provides research, revenue estimation and analysis of legislation and state and local tax topics from which a report is required by law, executive or legislative request.

This area develops and implements tax policy for the benefit of Virginia Tax's customers, employees, and stakeholders.

This area implements tax legislation by promulgating regulations and guidelines, and by issuing rulings, tax bulletins, and other public documents addressing issues of first impression.

This area also monitors developments in Congress and other states that may affect Virginia tax revenue.

The analysis included in its work product provides explanations, revenue data, and other information to ensure that the reader understands the tax and budget issues involved in the subject of each document and is provided with the data and alternatives necessary to make an informed decision.

Providing the Governor, Secretary of Finance, legislators, and others involved in the legislative process with the information necessary to make an informed decision increases the likelihood that the tax laws of the Commonwealth will be consistent with other tax laws, consistent with recognized principles of sound tax policy, financially sound and capable of efficient and equitable administration.

The interpretations of enacted legislation enhance taxpayer compliance and the efficient and equitable administration of the Commonwealth’s tax laws.

• Delivering reports for the Governor and General Assembly


• Providing additional documents, including Tax Bulletins, Regulations, Rulings, Guidance Documents, Annual Report, and legislatively mandated reports to the General Assembly


• Developing revenue estimates and Fiscal Impact Statements on pending legislation

The Appeals and Rulings unit performs the dispute resolution function for Virginia Tax by resolving administrative appeals and offers in compromise that primarily arise through field audits or desk examinations of taxpayer records. This service area also provides staff support to the Tax Commissioner in the development of new policy and the Attorney General’s Office in tax litigation brought against the agency.

The Appeals and Rulings unit’s mission is to resolve appeals, ruling requests, offers in compromise and other taxpayer issues with integrity and impartiality through the efficient and consistent application of established tax laws, regulations, and policies.

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  Delivering rulings on factual scenarios based on established policy

  
  


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  Providing technical assistance to taxpayers, Virginia Tax employees, and other agencies

  
  


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  Settling disputed liabilities

  
  


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  Providing advisory opinions on factual scenarios for Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) and local business taxes

  
  


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  Responding to requests for change in corporation filing status

  
  


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  Providing taxpayer administrative appeals authorized by 58.1-1821

  
  

Revenue Forecasting is responsible for preparing the 6-year forecast of the Virginia economy and general fund revenue estimates; the 6-year forecast of the Commonwealth’s transportation revenues; and the 6-year forecast of the Department of Motor Vehicles' operating revenues.

The Revenue Forecasting mission is to recommend the amount of resources available to fund expenses of the Commonwealth.

Products: Economic Outlook notebook for the Joint Advisory Board of Economists; Economic and Revenue Outlook notebook for the Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates.



Services: Preparing speeches and presentations for the Governor’s office; preparing monthly revenue report for the Governor’s office.

Tax Processing Operations processes state tax returns and payments for both paper and electronic submissions. Paper return and payment processing includes several manual activities to prepare and process the items into Virginia Tax's revenue management system. Electronic return and payment processing includes the administration of several online file and pay systems. This area is also responsible for the manual processing of inbound correspondence, issuing tax refunds, registering businesses, and processing returned mail (bills, letters and refund checks).

Tax Processing Operations supports the agency’s mission through the efficient, timely, and accurate processing of all business and income tax returns, refunds, correspondence, and payments.

Paper Tax Return and Payment Processing

• Opening mail


• Sorting/grouping mail


• Screening returns


• Preparing documents for processing


• Scanning/imaging of documents


• Managing data capture


• Depositing checks

 Electronic/Online Tax Return and Payment Processing

• Administering IRS Fed/State e-File program 


• Administering eForms program


• Administering Web Upload program 


• Supporting Virginia Tax Online functions


• Managing tax preparation software vendor relationships


• Approving substitute forms 

Business Registration

• Registering businesses


• Issuing Sales tax certificates


• Administering online business registration system 


• Registering Power of Attorney agents

 Process Undeliverable Mail

• Locating valid addresses and re-mailing assessments, correspondence, and refund checks


• Updating "bad address" indicators to prevent future mailings to a bad address

 Process Forms Requests

• Processing written requests for tax returns, Package X, and copies of tax returns

 Process electronic filing waivers

Customer Service comprises 3 distinct areas: the Customer Contact Center, the Error Resolution Unit, and the Court Debt Collections Unit.

The Customer Contact Center provides guidance, information, and assistance to Virginia Taxpayers via telephone, written correspondence, and secure email. The Error Resolution Unit is responsible for correcting errors made in the preparation of returns and payments, and in business tax registration. The Court Debt Collections Unit is dedicated to collecting delinquent court debt fines via telephone and written correspondence.

Customer Service provides citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia several ways to contact Virginia Tax about matters concerning the administration of state taxes in Virginia and other agency activities. Customer Service ensures that the integrity, efficiency, and consistency of Virginia Tax’s work are conveyed to taxpayers in a professional manner, and safeguards confidential tax information from unauthorized disclosure.

• Customer Contact Center:
  
  
  
  • Answering incoming telephone calls from taxpayers
  
  
  • Answering incoming paper and fax correspondence
  
  
  • Answering incoming e-mail and secure messages from taxpayers
  
  
  
  


• Error Resolution:
  
  
  
  • Resolving Individual and Corporate return preparation and processing errors
  
  
  • Resolving Sales tax, Withholding and Individual taxpayer errors
  
  
  • Approving refunds and assessments before issuance
  
  
  
  


• Court Debt Collections:
  
  
  
  • Answering incoming telephone calls
  
  
  • Answering incoming paper and fax correspondence
  
  
  • Providing debt collection services for 239 Virginia Courts 
  
  
  
  

Virginia Tax's audit programs are designed to ensure compliance with Virginia’s tax laws through automated and manual examination of taxpayer records and returns.

Work to effectively use available resources to ensure compliance with the Commonwealth’s tax laws and regulations. Our compliance efforts play an important role in ensuring that the tax laws are applied consistently among a large number of diverse taxpayers. In addition, the presence of both audit and collection efforts instills in taxpayers the incentive to fulfill their tax obligations to the Commonwealth. Not only do Virginia Tax's enforcement efforts generate compliance revenue, these efforts also affect voluntary compliance activities, which greatly improves the Commonwealth’s economic strength.

• Auditing to ensure compliance


• Assessing of outstanding taxes


• Increasing taxpayer education and awareness


• Delivering Compliance initiatives and revenue performance reporting


• Identifying and implementing new programs and best practices


• Increasing refund fraud prevention and review efforts

Compliance collections is dedicated to identifying and collecting delinquent state taxes from individuals and businesses that fail to satisfy tax obligations imposed by statute and to capture or set off obligations owed to the Commonwealth, local governments and other participating entities, such as educational institutions and courts.

The Virginia tax system relies on voluntary compliance by taxpayers. The continued participation by taxpayers requires that they have confidence that the tax obligations imposed on them are applied and enforced consistently on all similarly situated individuals and businesses. The integrity of a voluntary tax system cannot be maintained unless taxpayers generally understand how to comply and that noncompliance will be addressed in a comprehensive and timely manner.

Compliance collections provides a service by collecting delinquent taxes. This provides revenue for general and special fund appropriation needs and helps to encourage tax compliance by all taxpayers.

These services are provided with the assistance of outside collection agencies and bankruptcy attorneys.

The Office of General Legal and Technical Services oversees the Special Taxes, Customer Satisfaction, and Services Unit; the Disclosure and Safeguarding Unit; the Land Preservation Tax Credit (LPC) Compliance Unit; Legislative Support Services; and the Property Tax and Railroad & Pipeline Unit. The Customer Satisfaction Unit ensures prompt review and resolution of customer issues and complaints and maintains a Taxpayer Rights Advocate who ensures that taxpayers are responded to in a timely and respectful manner and that their rights are protected. The Disclosure and Federal Safeguarding Unit assures that all state and federal confidential taxpayer information is adequately protected, oversees the agency's records management program, and administers the agency’s Freedom of Information Act program. The LPC unit reviews applications for the LPC to make sure they comply with the Code of Virginia. The Legislative Support Services Unit provides administrative cost estimates for tax legislation and oversees Virginia Tax's legislation implementation process. This area also helps administer a variety of unique and special tax operations including communications, motor vehicle rental, farm, and agriculture taxes as well as several statewide tax credits.

General Legal and Technical Support provides advocacy for the taxpayers of Virginia and ensures their confidential tax information is protected from unauthorized disclosure. The team provides centralized legal functions and guidance throughout the agency in support of mission execution and collaboration with the Office of Attorney General. Additionally, the property tax and railroad and pipeline unit provides advisory aid and assistance to localities for real estate valuation and assesses the operating assets of Railroad and Pipeline companies.

• Resolving constituent issues and ensure taxpayer rights are protected


• Reviewing requests for taxpayer information, responding to ongoing Freedom of Information Act requests


• Administering tax credits


• Performing inspections of licensed tobacco wholesale dealers


• Reviewing LPC applications


• Implementing new tax legislation


• Assuring proper maintenance and disposal of the agency's records


• Reviewing and responding to offer in compromise requests


• Processing commodity taxes, the motor vehicle rental tax, and Communications taxes


• Administering Cigarette Exemption Certificates (ST-10C)


• Administering Locality transfer requests


• Administering Insurance Premium refunds and assessments


• Administering Bank Franchise assessments

As part of Virginia Tax's continuing education program for assessing officers, this section develops and conducts basic assessor training programs; training for local boards of assessors and boards of equalization; and administers an annual Advanced Assessor School to assessment professionals. The program provides coursework that meets the educational requirements for designations offered by the International Association of Assessing Officers.

The education provided to local assessing officers on the assessment of real and personal property improves the process of providing fair and equitable property assessments statewide, thus serving the public by enhancing local officials’ ability to properly administer the tax laws with integrity, efficiency and consistency.

Authority: § 58.1-202, subdivisions 6, 10, and 11

The coordination of the Advanced Assessors’ School, including the hiring of instructors, finding suitable classroom space, arranging for housing and meals, obtaining course materials, handling registration, billing and payments.

The Property Tax Section provides local advisory aid and assistance in order to ensure compliance with the Commonwealth’s property tax laws. The Property Tax Section also monitors local assessment performance through the collection, editing, compilation, and publishing of the Annual Assessment Sales Ratio Study and develops the annual Estimated Ratio Study for the equalization of public service corporation assessments. In addition, the Property Tax Section facilitates the work of the State Land Evaluation Advisory Council; provides advisory opinions and refund approval regarding the state recordation tax; and oversees personnel qualifications for local assessment staff as well as the certification of contract assessment staff.

The Railroad & Pipeline Assessment Section develops fair and equitable assessments of the rolling stock of freight car line companies and of the real and personal property of railroads and interstate pipeline companies for local taxation, while providing quality customer service. 

The advisory assistance and property valuations provided to local governments improve the process of providing fair and equitable property assessments statewide and ensure a viable tax base to support the funding of necessary services. This serves the public and supports the agency’s mission of administering the tax laws with integrity, efficiency, and consistency. The oversight of real estate assessments through annual assessment sales ratio studies, and the education provided to local assessing officers on the assessment of real and personal property improves the process of providing fair and equitable property assessments statewide.

Authority: Title 58.1, Chapters 32, 34, 35, 36, and 39 and §§ 58.1-202, subdivisions 6, 10, and 11, 58.1-206; §§58.1-2655, 58.1-3278, and 58.1-3374, Code of Virginia.

Advisory aid to all local assessing officials; education of boards of equalization and boards of assessors; training provided through the Basic and Specialty Assessment training programs; staff provided for the State Land Evaluation Advisory Council; refunds and opinions regarding the state recordation tax; rolling stock assessments of railroads and freight carline companies; statement of assessed values for local tax purposes of railroad and interstate pipeline transmission companies; review of appraisals submitted in support of the state land preservation credits; and the statewide assessment/sales ratio studies.

This area contains the administrative functions of Virginia Tax with the combination of the following sections: Fiscal Office, Procurement, General Services, Project Portfolio Management Office (PPMO), and Human Resources. Annually, this area updates and maintains the agency's Continuity of Operations Plan and the Strategic Plan. The Fiscal Office provides financial support to the agency, including budgeting, accounts payable, revenue accounting, banking services, and preparation of financial statements. Additionally, the Fiscal Office is responsible for the annual distribution of tax revenue to local governments. Procurement services administers and manages agency contracts. General Services is responsible for providing security services for employees at 2 primary facilities, facility management, fleet management, warehouse operations, print and mail operations, document destruction, and delivery services. The Project Portfolio Management Office provides standards and a consistent methodology for how we manage projects across the agency. They support project managers and subject matter experts with appropriate tools and work collaboratively with executive sponsors to manage overall project performance and ensure project success. The Human Resources Office provides HR strategy and support to the agency, including talent acquisition, workforce planning, performance management, learning and development, compensation, recognition, and benefits.

These sections collectively add to the efficiency of the Virginia Tax operations, enabling the agency to effectively administer Virginia's tax laws with consistency and integrity.

Authority: §§ 58.1-200, 58.1-202 and 58.1-213, Code of Virginia

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  Preparing the financial statements for the agency 

  
  


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  Processing all invoices for payments

  
  


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  Preparing and executing the agency’s budget

  
  


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  Distributing revenues to external entities: localities, contribution agencies, setoff agencies, and Department of Conservation and Recreation

  
  


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  Operating the cashiers office and coordinating all agency banking activity

  
  


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  Performing the accounting for all transactions that take place in a taxpayer's account, including all revenue received, all refunds issued, and all bills created

  
  


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  Coordinating and developing the agency’s strategic plan, service area plans, performance measures, and output measures for internal use and for the Department of Planning and Budget

  
  


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  Procuring goods and services for the agency, including IT procurements

  
  


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  Administering Virginia's electronic procurement system (eVA) for the agency 

  
  


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  Administering the agency’s Small Purchase Charge Card Program

  
  


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  Administering the agency fleet of 66 leased and 5 owned vehicles

  
  


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  Providing, monitoring and maintaining security services for 800+ employees at 2 primary locations

  
  


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  Administering the agency’s physical security program

  
  


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  Coordinating employee parking for both Virginia Tax locations

  
  


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  Providing relocation services, space design, and construction management at all locations

  
  


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  Administering and updating emergency plans, safety plans, and the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)

  
  


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  Printing and mailing letters

  
  


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  Managing pickup and delivery of incoming Virginia Tax mail

  
  


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  Providing inter and intra agency mail pickup and delivery

  
  


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  Maintaining a centralized Warehouse Management System for internal storage records, supplies, and tax forms 

  
  


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  Providing onsite document destruction 

  
  


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  Implementing Project Management methodology, best practice standards, and core project artifacts 

  
  


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  Coordinating communications across projects as well as monitoring and reporting project progress

  
  


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  Providing training and mentoring to build project management skills for Project Managers

  
  


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  Managing talent acquisition activities to recruit and hire staff

  
  


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  Managing compensation programs

  
  


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  Administering benefits and leave programs

  
  


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  Administering rewards and recognition programs

  
  


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  Overseeing performance management

  
  


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  Offering employee dispute resolution

  
  


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  Providing workforce development and training

  
  

This area contains the administrative functions of Virginia Tax with the combination of the following sections:

Communications and Public Relations, Internal Audit, and Information Security Officer (ISO). The Communications Office provides comprehensive, integrated communications support for the agency’s mission and goals via internal and external channels targeting the full spectrum of Virginia Tax stakeholders. The Internal Audit Office performs scheduled audits of activities throughout the agency to ensure activities are being performed as intended and to identify opportunities to improve operational efficiencies, controls and lessen risks. The Information Security Officer develops and implements policies that mitigate both internal and external cybersecurity risks.

These activities minimize the barriers between taxpayers and their voluntary compliance with Virginia’s tax laws, as well as ensure we identify and mitigate operational and cybersecurity risks for Virginia Tax operations.

Authority: §§ 58.1-200, 58.1-202 and 58.1-213, Code of Virginia

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  Developing and distributing internal communications; maintaining agency intranet

  
  


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  Managing media relations, responding to media inquiries and distributing press releases

  
  


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  Developing and distributing external and digital communications via GovDelivery messages, website content, and social media posts

  
  


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  Designing, developing, and distributing bulk taxpayer correspondence 

  
  


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  Performing scheduled audits of activities and special projects throughout the agency

  
  


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  Investigating allegations made through the State Employee Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline

  
  


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  Serves as Virginia Tax's liaison for audits and reviews conducted by the Auditor of Public Accounts

  
  


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  Conducting annual independent audits per approved audit plan and reporting opportunities to improve agency operational efficiency, effectiveness, controls, risk management, and noting specific areas where we can increase revenues reduce costs

  
  


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  Reporting authenticating or negating allegations of employee fraud, waste, and abuse and delivering short and long-term recommendations to address instances with merit

  
  


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  Identifying and managing internal and external threats to information technology by assessing vulnerabilities and risk, and implementing control strategies

  
  


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  Monitoring and reviewing system controls to ensure that that they are working

  
  


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  Developing and testing incident response plans for cybersecurity attacks or internal security breaches

  
  


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  Developing, implementing, and overseeing cyber resilience with vendor control programs

  
  


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  Understanding and implementing all regulatory requirements to ensure cyber security is a part of the agency culture

  
  

The information technology team is responsible for leveraging technology to enable all of Virginia Tax’s business objectives and priorities by developing, enhancing, and maintaining systems, including application software and supporting hardware. The agency depends on technology in every aspect of our daily operations. Nearly every employee relies on available and accurate information systems to perform essentially all of their daily responsibilities, and most employees, including auditors, collectors, and customer service staff, are unable to perform their core responsibilities when these systems are not available. Virginia Tax’s Technology team supports and maintains a broad range of complex Information systems.

• Sales Tax Audit and Nexus (STAUDN), Withholding, Corporate – An application used to perform audits at the taxpayer’s place of business.


• Computer Automated Collections System for Government (CACSG) – An automated collections system that tracks assessments through various collection stages.


• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – A suite of technology systems that provide customer assistance, customer contact tracking, correspondence tracking, and case management. 


• Imaging/Optical Character Recognition (OCR)/Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) – Automated data and image capture of returns and correspondence.


• Remittance Processing – A system for preparing checks for bank deposits and extracting data for input into the enterprise system. 


• Compliance Repository and Auditor’s Toolkit – A data warehouse of taxpayer information and an application that enables comparisons of data for audit selection and manages the resulting audit activities.


• A Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone system, various Case Management systems, Collaborative Work Environment application, a Configuration Change Management Tracking application, a Procurement Tracking application, and a Legislative Tracking application. 


• ADVANTAGE Revenue (AR) – Taxpayer accounting system that maintains taxpayer demographic and account information.


• Virginia Tax Online – A full suite of online services for businesses and individual income tax customers.


• iReg for Business - An application that allows taxpayers to register new businesses online and enables existing businesses to add business locations and consolidate their filings.


• iFile for Business - An application that allows business taxpayers to file sales, use, and withholding taxes electronically.


• e-File for Individuals, Corporations and other tax types - applications that allow taxpayers to submit their tax returns electronically.


• Collector's Web App - Web application used by field collectors to collect delinquent tax bills.


• WebPPA - Web application allowing taxpayers to set up Payment Plan Agreements to pay tax bills.

The software applications listed above are supported by a complex client server or web-based environment comprising many components, including Oracle, SQL Server, and Linux. In addition to supporting information technology, the Office of Technology is responsible for business systems analysis and Information Systems Security, including compliance with Commonwealth Security Policy Sec. 501, Sec 525, and IRS Pub. 1075.

This service area provides mission-critical enabling support to all operational areas of Virginia Tax by maintaining and enhancing the agency's computer applications and Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA)/Outsourced Contractor (OC) out-of-scope infrastructure as well as significant coordination with VITA/OC.

Additional core functions of the Office of Technology include ensuring system and data security and all aspects of enterprise application unit and integration testing.

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  Manage technology support delivery – Plan and manage delivery of Virginia Tax’s technology systems that enable business operations as well as the budget for technology services.

  
  


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  Develop and maintain application software – Develop, test, maintain, and operate the agency’s technology systems, including over 20 complex IT systems comprising our Integrated Revenue Management System. This includes annual legislative modifications, as well as the agency’s self-service applications.

  
  


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  Manage the VITA/OC out-of-scope technology environment configuration – Manage, plan, monitor, and oversee the agency’s technology infrastructure, and approve all changes to it, including a Change Control group that ensures effective migration (and protection) of all production systems, upgrades, maintenance, enhancements, releases, etc. Ensure maintenance of all components of the technology infrastructure (hardware, software, and environment configurations) as well as proper control and testing of changes to the production systems.

  
  


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  VITA/OC Coordination and Support – Participate with VITA/OC on Commonwealth Technology direction, implement VITA mandated and desired changes, comply with all VITA procurement requirements, and provide general support for VITA.

  
  


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  Administer and enable IT Security – Administer daily security activities such as adding, removing, and modifying users and their associated access. Review audit trails, access attempts, virus threats, and potential browsing incidents to ensure the security of the agency’s data, systems, and technology infrastructure by providing expert guidance to ensure security is “designed in.” Apply best practices in the use of technology tools to better detect intrusion, prevent unauthorized access, and enhance security administration. Focus on continuous improvement for vulnerability management, particularly software patching and updates, to decrease our time-to-patch metrics.

  
  


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  Manage IT Disaster Recovery – Manage a comprehensive IT Recovery plan, encompassing all aspects of IT connectivity, applications, and services. Ensure the full recovery of any unplanned interruptions to computing services.

  
  


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  Ensure Quality Control – Monitor and control the approximately 1,200 annual changes to production systems to reduce risks to the agency and minimize errors. 

  
  


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  Analyze systems and focus on design to enhance and maintain the software and infrastructure that supports the agency.