The National Business Aviation Association has applauded a measure passed by the Virginia legislature to exempt aircraft parts and maintenance from sales and use tax.

The bill, HB 1738, was recently passed by the state Senate, following its earlier passage by the House with overwhelming support. The legislation now goes to Gov. Terry McAuliffe for his signature.

In welcoming the bill’s passage, NBAA noted that it promises to accelerate growth in the commonwealth’s aircraft MRO industry. NBAA has been working closely with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the Virginia Aviation Business Association (VABA) to make the case for the exemption.

“Virginia is home to a lot of business aircraft, but has no major MRO facilities,” said Greg Voos, NBAA’s Southeast regional representative. “Many operators go out of the state for maintenance, and, as a result, the commonwealth is losing millions of dollars in economic activity every year. This exemption is the first step to make Virginia more attractive for repair shops to set up and expand.”

Voos traveled to Richmond many times over the last several months, working in a coalition with AOPA, VABA and other local groups to advocate for the exemption. Voos and other advocates arranged for several NBAA member companies to testify before the General Assembly on the need for a maintenance tax exemption.

NBAA, which has nearly 300 member companies located in Virginia, conducted an online survey of those companies, which underscores the need for the new tax policy. In the survey, most companies indicated they currently travel out of Virginia for major maintenance work, spending $50,000 to $100,000 per event, but would consider having the work done in Virginia if a qualified MRO was available.

The bill’s chief patron was Del. Richard Anderson in the House. Anderson recently formed the Virginia General Assembly Aviation Caucus, along with Del. Daniel Marshall, who also authored Virginia’s aviation week resolution, and Del. Barry Knight, the only active pilot in the General Assembly.

The Virginia tax exemption includes parts and maintenance for unmanned aircraft systems, a specialty that lawmakers and industry representatives both want to grow in the commonwealth.

McAuliffe has until March 27 to sign the bill into law. As written, the tax exemption takes effect in 2018 and sunsets in 2022, but NBAA will be working with local groups to make it permanent.

“When NBAA works with local groups to push for tax reform, it can sometimes take many years to accomplish,” said Scott O’Brien, NBAA’s senior manager of finance and tax policy. “Based on the strength of the coalition in Virginia, the industry was able to secure passage in one legislative session, which is an outstanding accomplishment.”

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