People You Should Know: Robert Wertz, Loudoun County Commissioner of the Revenue
By: Susan VanEpps
Robert Wertz has worked for Loudoun County since 1992, and has been elected commissioner by Loudoun voters since 2003. Of the 134 cities and counties in the commonwealth, his office became the first to offer companies online business license renewals and the first with online business property reporting services. Wertz emphasizes that entrepreneurs thinking of starting a business should contact his office first. Here’s why.
How do you and your staff assist entrepreneurs?
As the chief tax assessing officer in Loudoun County, my staff and I must discover, classify and value all business personal property located in Loudoun County and assess local business license tax and other local taxes.
When entrepreneurs contemplate starting a business, my office is often the first contacted, as we are responsible for issuing business licenses to owners of businesses operating in Loudoun County. While the basic steps to registering a business are available on my office’s website, we recommend that new business owners visit or call my office to discuss their particular activities with a tax representative who can provide situation-specific advice, and if desired, review all the necessary business registration paperwork. The tax representative can also answer any questions you may have and can guide you through the business registration process.
To promote equitable taxation, my office also has a compliance division composed of staff who review and audit business records and tax returns and visit commercial centers and construction sites in the county to ensure adherence with local and state tax laws.
Is there a common error you see small businesses make?
The most frequent error we encounter with businesses is, when declaring their business equipment for local tax assessment, no detailed listing of assets is included with the filing. Owners of business personal property located in the county on January 1 must report it to my office for local assessment by April 15. Along with a summary of equipment cost segregated by year of purchase, business owners must submit an asset list that includes the original purchase price, a brief description, and the year of purchase of each piece of property. This list should include all business property located in Loudoun County, even if fully depreciated for federal tax purposes.
What advice would you give Loudoun entrepreneurs?
Loudoun entrepreneurs have many resources available to them to ensure their success. In addition to our office, the Department of Economic Development, the Loudoun County Small Business Development Center, the Mason Enterprise Center, the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Department of Business Assistance are all here to help. Take advantage of them!