Join us for this educational event with lunch following:

How to Strategically Navigate Local Business Taxes and Licenses in Virginia

Have you ever been caught off guard by the cost of a local gross receipts tax? Have you ever had a permit delayed due to not having a local business license? Have you ever missed a filing deadline for one of the many taxes in one of the dozens of cities or counties your company works in? Have you ever wondered if you could manage the dozens of local taxes more efficiently and effectively? If so, this session is for you!

• This session will explore the statutory authority of local taxes on businesses, how to navigate them and how to minimize their financial and time impact on your business.  It will explore these taxes from the perspective of the local government implementing them and ensuring compliance as well as the hands-on perspective from a construction business.   This session will discuss real estate taxes, business property taxes including vehicles, and business license (gross receipts for contractors) taxes.

2 CPE | Intermediate Level | 10:00 am @ SVEC Meeting Room | Virtual Attendance is Optional

To request virtual attendance please email blueridge@cfma.org for the meeting link

Thomas M. “Tommy” Blackwell grew up in Essex County and graduated from Tappahannock High School in 1970. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on an NROTC scholarship and received his chemistry degree in 1974. After serving as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy, he retired as Commander, U.S. Naval Reserve in 1994, and then earned a degree in computer science from Mary Washington College in 1996. After 30+ years of combined active, reserve, and civilian service with the U.S. Navy, Blackwell was elected Commissioner of the Revenue (COR) in November 2005 and served Essex County and the Commonwealth of Virginia for over 18 years. He received his professional designation as Master Commissioner of the Revenue (MCR) in 2011 from the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. In 2019, he was elected President of the Commissioners of the Revenue Association of Virginia (VACOMREV) at its Centennial Conference in Colonial Williamsburg. Not standing for reelection in 2024, Blackwell is now the principal/owner of a revenue management and tax administration consulting business for local and state government.

Blackwell married the former Lillian Baird of Essex County, and they reside on the Rappahannock River at “Otterburn Farm” in Chance, VA.

Rebekah (Blackwell) Kuller is the CFO for Nielsen Builders, a 100% employee-owned general contractor in her hometown of Harrisonburg, VA, whom she joined in 2019. Prior to this role, Rebekah spent four years as an accountant for the federal government followed by another six years at some of the largest construction contractors in the nation out of their San Diego, CA offices. In those roles she handled business licenses and local taxes in hundreds of cities across the US.

Rebekah currently serves as the Chair-Elect for the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce and the Treasurer for the Blue Ridge Chapter of the CFMA. She is a CPA with a Master of Science in Accounting (Liberty University) and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (University of Mary Washington) and has obtained several industry-specific credentials, including the CCIFP. Her expertise and insights have led her to present multiple times at the local, regional and national levels for many construction industry groups. She has also taught several courses as an adjunct professor at local colleges. Outside of work, Rebekah enjoys time with her husband Brad and their two young sons, taking a walk on a sunny day, and coaching youth sports.