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Business Personal Property

Taxscribe for Washington D.C. Business Owners & CPAs

Modern personal property tax filing for Washington D.C. — prepare your return in minutes, import fixed assets, and e-file to participating jurisdictions or email a print-ready PDF to your local assessor.

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What is Business Personal Property tax?

For DC Personal Property Tax, personal property includes all movable assets that are used in conducting business. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Office furniture and fixtures
  • Machinery and equipment
  • Computers and electronic devices
  • Any other tangible assets not permanently attached to real estate

Who should file Business Personal Property?

Every individual, corporation, partnership, executor, administrator, guardian, receiver, or trustee that owns or holds tangible personal property in trust must file a District of Columbia (DC) personal property tax return.
Filing deadline
The DC Personal Property Tax return is due annually on July 31st.
Late penalty
Returns and/or payments that are not received by the due date will accrue penalties and interest as required by District law.

When you should file:

The DC Personal Property Tax return is due annually on July 31st. If July 31st falls on a weekend or a public holiday, the due date is extended to the next business day.

Extensions:

Taxpayers may file form FP-129A to request a 3 month filing extension of the DC personal property return.

Exemptions:

You are exempt from paying if:
  • The value of your personal property is less than $225,000.
  • You are a non-profit organization.
  • You pay DC Gross Receipts Tax, Distribution Tax, Toll Telecommunication Service Tax, or Commercial Mobile Service Tax.
  • You are a co-generation system that produces both electric energy and steam or forms of useful energy (such as heat) that are used for industrial, commercial, heating, or cooling purposes.
  • You are a system using exclusively solar energy as defined in DC Official Code § 34-1431(14).

Important Notes About Business Personal Property:

  • There is no tax due if the value of your personal property is $225,000 or less; however, you still must file the return.
  • Returns and/or payments that are not received by the due date will accrue penalties and interest as required by District law.
  • Failure to file may result in an audit
  • Even if no tax is due, failing to file a Personal Property Tax Return is considered tax noncompliance and will result in a business being ineligible for a Certificate of Clean Hands.