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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>372428</law_id><section_number>58.1-485.1</section_number><catch_line>False claims of employment status; penalty</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="125" identifier="58.1">Taxation</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="2" identifier="I">Taxes Administered by the Department of Taxation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="3" identifier="3">Income Tax</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="15" identifier="16">Income Tax Withholding</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly coerce or threaten an <span class="dictionary">individual</span> to falsely declare his <span class="dictionary">employment status</span> for the purpose of evading the withholding or payment of taxes required under this article. <a id="paragraph-1388816" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/58.1-485.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly and falsely claim an <span class="dictionary">individual</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">employment status</span> for the purpose of evading the withholding or payment of taxes required under this article. <a id="paragraph-1388817" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/58.1-485.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> In addition to any other penalties provided by <span class="dictionary">law</span>, any violation of this section is punishable as a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-1388818" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/58.1-485.1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> As used in this section &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">employment status</span>&#x201D; has the same meaning as defined by the United States Internal Revenue Code. <a id="paragraph-1388819" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/58.1-485.1/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2006, c. 393.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
