1372 Urn CONGRESS. SESS. II. CHS. 449, 450. MAY 2G, 1936. 



^^''"k ti n premises : Provided, however, That the city of Buffalo shall have 



sane ion. secured the sanction and consent of the State of New York through 



its constituted agencies. 

 Approved, May 26, 1936. 



[CHAPTER 450.] 



AN ACT 

 May 26, 1936. 



[H. R.8287.1 To establish an assessed valuation real property tax in the Virgin Islands of the 



[Public, No. 616.1 United States. 



Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Refresentatives of the 

 Virgin Islands. United States of Avierica in Congress assembled, That it is the policy 



Establishment oi / ,. ^ ^ -j i i j. i- j_ -i i • j.- 



assessed valuation real of Congi'ess to equalize and more equitably to distribute existing 



property tax. ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ property iu the Virgin Islands of the United States and 



to reduce the burden of taxation now imposed on land in productive 

 use in such islands. 



^^Based on actual q^q_ 2. For the Calendar year 1936 and for all succeeding years 

 all taxes on real property in the Virgin Islands shall be computed 

 Uniform rate in each qj^ ^|^g basis of the actual value of such property and the rate in each 

 municipality of such islands shall be the same for all real property 

 subject to taxation in such municipality whether or not such prop- 

 erty is in cultivation and regardless of the use to which such 

 property is j^ut. 

 Provisional rate. iiT.c. 3. Until local tax laws Conforming to the requirements of this 



Act are in effect in a municipality the tax on real property in such 

 municipalit}' for any such calendar year shall be at the rate of 

 President to pre- J 25 jDcr ceiitum of the asscssed value. If the legislative authority 



mun^cipanevy,°ltc. °° of a municipality shall fail to enact laws for the levy, assessment, 

 collection, or enforcement of any tax imposed under authority of 

 this Act within three months after the date of its enactment, the 

 President shall then prescribe regulations for the levy, assessment, 

 collection, and enforcement of such tax, which shall be in effect 

 until the legislative authority of such municipality shall make 

 regulations for such purposes. 

 Depositotcoiiections. gj-Q ^ x\\ taxes SO levied and collected shall be deposited in the 

 municipal treasury of the municipality in which such taxes are 

 collected. 

 Virgin Lsiands Com- ^^c. 5. The Virgin Islands Company shall pay annually into the 



^"payments by, in lieu municipal treasuries of the Virgin Islands in lieu of taxes an amount 



'''""'^' equal to the amount of taxes which would be payable on the real 



property in the Virgin Islands owned by the United States and in 

 the possession of the Virgin Islands Company, if such real property 

 Avere in private ownership and taxable, but the valuation placed upon 

 such property for taxation purposes by the local taxing authorities 

 shall be reduced to a reasonable amount by the Secretary of the 

 Interior if, after investigation, he finds that such valuation is 

 excessive and unreasonable. The Virgin Islands Company shall also 

 pay into the municipal treasuries of the Virgin Islands amounts 

 equal to the amounts of any taxes of general application which a 

 private corporation similarly situated would be required to pay into 

 other property the Said treasuries. Similar payments shall be made with respect 



Ss^. "'' '^' ^°'"'' to any property owned by the United States in the Virgin Islands 

 which is used for ordinary business or commercial purposes, and the 

 income derived from any property so used shall be available for 

 making such payments. 



