102320 Page 1 of 2
General Business License Requirements
-- & --
Classification Quick Reference Guide
Every business operating within the Town of Middleburg, including home-based businesses, is required to obtain a
business license for each separate function of business and each separate location of business within the Town. It is the
Finance Director/Treasurer’s responsibility to determine each taxpayer’s classification based on the function of business
and whether a taxpayer is engaged in multiple business functions based upon Code. If a function of business is
determined to be ‘not separate’ from the main function of business, it is deemed ancillary. Ancillary business activities are
subordinate, subservient, auxiliary, or in aid of the business’ principal business activity.
Business License Classifications
Professional Service Classification – All services rendered by a person or entity employing professionally licensed or
certified individuals. Some examples include, but are not limited to architects, attorneys-at-law, certified public
accountants, dentists, engineers, land surveyors, surgeons, veterinarians, and practitioners of the healing arts (i.e.
pharmacists and occupational and physical therapists, chiropractors, and dieticians).
Financial Service Classification
– The buying selling, handling, managing, investing, and providing of advice regarding
money, credit, securities and other investments by a broker or dealer. Some examples include, but are not limited to loan
or mortgage brokers, factoring, financing accounts receivable, consumer financing, credit card services, installment
financing, industrial loan companies, stockbrokers and working capital financing.
Real Estate Service Classification
– Assistance with the purchase, sale, lease, rental, or appraisal of real property
commonly offered by a real estate agent or broker.
Business Service Classification
– All services rendered that are not classified within financial services, real estate services
or professional services that are offered to commercial entities, institutions, industrial or governmental facilities. Some
examples include, but are not limited to advertising agencies, employment services, commercial janitorial service, project
management, procurement, and installation.
Personal Service Classification
– All services rendered that are not classified within financial services, real estate services
or professional services that are offered to an individual rather than an entity. Some examples include, but are not limited
to beauticians, house cleaning service, delivery service, dog grooming, childcare service, photography and dance studios.
Repair Service Classification
– All services rendered that are not classified within financial services, real estate services or
professional services that offer to repair or make whole an item for use, such as an automobile mechanic.
Retail Merchant Classification
– A person or business who sells tangible goods, wares and merchandise for use or
consumption by the purchaser or for any other purpose other than resale by the purchaser. Some examples include, but
are not limited to restaurants, clothing retail, bookstore, and grocery stores.
Wholesale Merchant Classification
- A person or business who sells tangible goods, wares and merchandise for resale by
the purchaser, including sales when the goods, wares and merchandise will be incorporated into goods for sale, and also
includes sales to institutional, commercial, industrial, and governmental users when the sales quantity, price and terms
are indicative of sales at wholesale.
Direct Seller Classification
– A person who (1) engages in the trade or business of selling or soliciting the sale of
consumer products primarily in private residences and maintains no public location for the conduct of such business; (2)
receives renumeration for such activities, with substantially all of such remuneration being directly related to sales or other
sales-oriented services, rather than to the number of hours worked; and, (3) performs such activities pursuant to a written
contract between such person and the person for whom the activities are performed and such contract provides that such
person will not be treated as an employee with respect to such activities for federal tax purposes. Some examples include
cosmetics or essential oils independent contractors. Direct sellers having less than $4,000 in gross receipts in a calendar
year are not required to register.
Contractor or Contracting Trades Classification
– Any person, firm or corporation (1) accepting or offering to accept
orders or contracts for doing any work on or in any building or structure, requiring the use of paint, stone, brick, mortar,
wood, cement, structural iron or steel, sheet iron, galvanized iron, metallic piping, tin, lead, or other metal or any other
building material; (2) accepting or offering to accept contracts to do any paving, curbing or other work on sidewalks,