Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

There are no use restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Reports of Taxes Due on Dividends, 1827-1869. Accession APA 386, State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

No acquisition information available.

Biographical Information

On 27 March 1843 the General Assembly imposed a tax upon the dividends paid by joint stock companies. The next day the General Assembly passed an act specifying the procedures to be followed in paying the tax, and requiring an officer of the company to report his company's dividends to the auditor of public accounts. The auditor kept accounts of the dividends and taxes due and issued warrants to the treasurer to receive the payments.

Scope and Content

Contains a list and register of joint stock companies within the state, letters with reports and amounts of taxes due or paid by joint stock companies, and two ledgers. The first ledger lists taxes on dividends paid by banks and insurance companies from 1861 to 1869. The second ledger lists taxes on dividends paid by banks and other businesses from 1843 to 1859.

The reports had to be "made on oath" by the Treasurer or another officer, a fact which several treasurer's were not aware of and belatedly sent reports in, such as the Staunton and James River Turnpike Company. Reports were often submitted annually or semiannually, although the conistency and frequency vary across the companies. Some companies list just the amount paid while others, like the Little River Turnpike Company's 1843 report, list the name and location of stockholders, the amount paid, and number of shares they hold in the company.

Arrangement

Documents are arranged numerically by folder title.