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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The city has mailed 2026 personal property tax bills to registered vehicle owners and business personal property tax bills to businesses that were operating in Alexandria as of Jan. 1. Both are due Monday, Oct. 5.
The vehicle tax rate is unchanged from last year at $5.33 per $100 of assessed value.
How much relief a vehicle gets
State car tax relief is applied on a sliding scale based on assessed value. For 2026, qualifying vehicles assessed under $5,001 receive full relief and owe nothing. The city mails those bills showing no amount due so owners can see the relief they are getting; they do not need to be returned.
Vehicles assessed between $5,001 and $20,000 receive 50% relief on the first $20,000 of value, up to $533. Those between $20,001 and $25,000 receive 25%, up to $266.50. Those above $25,000 receive 12%, up to $127.92.
The relief applies to passenger cars and motorcycles under 7,501 pounds, and pickup and panel trucks under 10,001 pounds. Motor homes and trailers do not qualify. A vehicle used more than half the time for business does not qualify, and the insert mailed with the bills lists four tests the city uses to determine business use.
Relief programs for older residents and veterans
Residents 65 or older, or who are permanently and totally disabled, may qualify for the city's Personal Property Tax Relief Program. Eligibility requires combined gross income of the applicant and spouse under $20,000 for the prior year and combined net assets under $75,000, excluding the primary residence and up to an acre of land. The vehicle must be owned, not leased, and assessed at less than $30,000. The program is limited to one vehicle per household.
Applications are due annually by April 15, though the city says late applications may be accepted from first-time filers or in cases of hardship. The tax must still be paid by Oct. 5 even if an application has been submitted.
Separately, under state law a veteran rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a 100% service-connected, permanent and total disability is exempt from the tax on one vehicle owned and used primarily by or for that veteran.
Information on both programs is available at taxrelief@alexandriava.gov or 703-746-4800.
Penalties
Bills not paid by Oct. 5 draw a late payment penalty of 10% of the tax, or $10, whichever is greater. The total penalty rises to 25% for payments made after Nov. 4. Interest accrues at 10% the first year and 5% each year after, beginning Oct. 6.
A vehicle not registered with the city on time also draws a late filing penalty of 5% of the net tax, or $10, whichever is greater.
State law does not allow the city to waive tax, penalty or interest for inability to pay or for failure to receive a bill.
Payments are applied first to any prior-year balance on an account, which means a taxpayer who owes from a previous year and pays only the current amount can still end up penalized on the remaining current-year balance.
Unpaid accounts can be referred to the DMV's registration withholding program, the state's set-off debt collection program, or a private collection agency, which adds a 20% collection charge. Accounts referred after Oct. 5 may also be charged an administrative fee of up to $50.
How to pay
Payments can be made by eCheck at no charge or by credit card for a fee at alexandriava.gov/Payments, or by credit card by phone at 1-877-273-5708. Checks and money orders can go in the 24-hour drop box at 100 N. Pitt St., where payments must be deposited by midnight Oct. 5 to count as on time. The city asks that cash not be placed in the drop box. Returned checks and online payments are subject to a $35 fee.
Vehicle owners mailing payment should use P.O. Box 34710, Alexandria, VA 22334-0710. Businesses should use P.O. Box 34901, Alexandria, VA 22334-0901.
In-person payments moved to the West End Finance Office at 4850 Mark Center Drive, Suite 2011, after City Hall closed for renovation in January. The Old Town tax offices are closed to walk-ins except for appointments with the Real Estate Division.
Vehicle owners who have not received a bill should contact the Treasury Division at payments@alexandriava.gov or 703-746-4800, Option 2. Businesses that have not received one by Sept. 1 should contact Business Tax at businesstax@alexandriava.gov.
For businesses
Businesses billed on a statutory assessment can file a 2026 return with an itemized asset list to receive a revised bill. Separate forms are available for businesses that moved within the city, moved out or closed, at alexandriava.gov/BusinessTax.
More on vehicle taxes is at alexandriava.gov/CarTax.
Ryan Belmore is an Alexandria resident and the founder and publisher of The Alexandria Brief. Send tips, feedback, and story ideas to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.
