54 ©2018 WASHINGTON DC ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP BUSINESS TAXES
PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX
For any tangible personal property (e.g., furniture,
computers, fixtures, books, etc.) that is used or available
for business purposes, you are required to file Form
FP-31 and pay personal property tax on or before July
31 each year. This includes property kept in storage or
held for rent, which is leased to third parties, including
governmental agencies including non-profit entities
under operating lease. Form FP-31 must be based upon
the current value of all tangible personal property owned
as of July 1. The statute allows filers to exclude $225,000
of personal property value. The tax rate is $3.40 per each
$100 of value of tangible personal property.
GROSS RECEIPTS TAX
If your business falls under one of the following categories,
you are subject to the gross receipts tax:
• Utilities (FR-27U)
• Telecommunications companies providing long distance
service, cable television, satellite relay or distribution of
video or radio transmission to subscribers and paying
customers (FR-27T)
• Heating oil delivery companies (FR-27H)
• Commercial mobile service providers and non-public
utility sellers of natural or artificial gas (FR-27M)
• Cable Television, Satellite Relay or Distribution of Video
or Radio Transmissions (FR-27C)
• Natural Gas Utilities (FR-27NU)
All Gross Receipts are to be filed and paid via the web portal,
MyTax.DC.gov.
BALLPARK FEE
The Ballpark Fee was introduced with baseball’s return
to DC. The Office of Tax and Revenue requires that all
businesses that have derived at least $5 million in annual
DC gross receipts file and pay a Ballpark Fee Return
electronically. In order to file and pay electronically, a fee
payer must:
• Have a valid Federal Tax Identification Number (EIN)
• Have filed a completely executed FR-500 (Combined
Business Tax Registration Form)
Please refer to the Ballpark Fee Schedule to see which
bracket applies to your business.
BALLPARK FEE SCHEDULE
Annual Gross Revenues Fee
$0–$4.99M Exempt
$5–8M $5,500
$8–12M $10,800
$12–16M $14,000
$16M+ $16,500
TAXES ON SPECIAL EVENTS
Vendors participating in special events are liable for sales
tax on items sold during the event. A “special event” is an
uncommon, unique, noteworthy, or extra occurrence of a
specific activity open to the general public and designed,
advertised, or promoted for an identified purpose. The event
is to be conducted or held on a designated day or series of
days, whether held outdoors, indoors, or both, in a public or
private facility at which at least 50 vendors will be present.
/MyTax.DC.gov
