For some taxpayers, the check is in the mail. But others will have to apply for their transportation-tax refunds.

Northern Virginia residents who paid more than $24 million in unconstitutional transportation taxes and fees this year will face two different systems for receiving their checks.

Those who paid taxes on property sales and one or both of the regional vehicle registration fees are expected to receive their checks in the mail in about three months or less.

However, residents and visitors who paid for car repair, hotel rooms, car rentals and vehicle inspection fees must apply for their refunds through the state Treasury Department.

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The separate requirements make sense for the types of taxes and fees the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority collected, its executive director, John Mason, said Monday.

Vehicle registrations are the easiest to refund because the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has addresses on file to send the money.

Home and property sales require an extra step. The five Northern Virginia court clerks who collected more than $13 million in taxes will forward the money to settlement agents to send to sellers.

But thousands of vendors collected the remaining three taxes and the vehicle inspection fees, making the refund process more challenging. Those who paid the taxes will have to use the state treasurer’s unclaimed money system to request their refunds.

Taxpayers will be able to begin requesting refunds in a matter of months but also have up to three years to file their applications online or through the mail.

The system relies on state agencies and the court clerks to process the refunds, partly because the Transportation Authority has no money or staff to lead the effort.

The Virginia Supreme Court last month ruled the seven taxes and fees — the agency’s entire revenue stream — unconstitutional.

“We’re not going to get a bill [from state and county agencies] … for the cost of the refund?” NVTA member Sharon Pandak asked.

“What are we going to pay it with?” responded Scott York, the Finance Committee chairman.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com