ACCOMACK, Va. — If you’ve ever given any thought to how much a Class I railroad pays in taxes, consider this: A single county in Virginia owes Norfolk Southern more than $158,000 for a relatively small taxation error.
The Eastern Shore Post reports that Accomack County, Va., will be sending NS a $158,713 refund for taxes erroneously paid on 48 trucks and SUVs that were never kept in the county, and had already been taxed in another fashion. The vehicles were taxed as personal property, while the railroad had already paid tax on them as rolling stock.
County Administrator Mike Mason told a recent county board of supervisors meeting that the charges likely resulted from errant use of a dropdown menu in the computer system at the state Department of Motor Vehicles, reflecting that the county is first on an alphabetical list. The charges date to 2020 and were undetected until discovered by the railroad.
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