Virginia Sales Tax Calculator

Virginia’s five sales tax rates by region

Virginia’s general sales tax is 5.3% in most of the state, and 6%, 6.3% or 7% in regions that have added their own taxes. The 5.3% base rate applies everywhere, and the higher rates come from additional regional taxes that apply only inside the listed cities and counties.

Richmond, for example, is in the Central Virginia region at 6%. The population-weighted average combined rate is 5.77%. Virginia Tax publishes a locality code lookup and a downloadable spreadsheet of every city and county rate.

Groceries and hygiene products: 1% everywhere

Food for home consumption and essential personal hygiene products are taxed at 1% throughout Virginia, whatever the general rate is where you shop. Virginia Tax lists this as a separate grocery tax rate, so the higher regional rates in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, Central Virginia and the 6.3% and 7% localities do not apply to your groceries.

The difference adds up quickly. A $250 weekly shop in Fairfax County carries $2.50 of tax. Taxed at the 6% general rate, it would be $15.00. Restaurant meals are not food for home consumption, so they are taxed at the full local rate.

August sales tax holiday: what qualifies

Virginia’s 2026 sales tax holiday ran for three days, from 12:01 a.m. Friday, August 7 to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 9. The holiday starts on the first Friday in August. It covers school supplies, clothing and emergency items, plus energy- and water-efficient products. Each item must be under its own price cap.

Buying a car: 4.15% and no trade-in credit

Cars in Virginia are not charged the retail sales tax. Instead, the DMV collects a 4.15% motor vehicle sales and use tax when the vehicle is titled. The tax is 4.15% of the gross sales price or $75, whichever is greater. The price is measured after rebates and includes the dealer processing fee. Unlike most states, Virginia does not subtract a trade-in.

Example: a $40,000 car with a $10,000 trade-in is still taxed on the full $40,000, so the tax is $1,660.00. A newcomer titling a car they already registered in another state generally pays nothing. If they bought it within the last 12 months, they must show the tax was paid elsewhere.

Common Virginia sales tax mistakes

Most errors come from applying one rate to everything. Watch for these:

• Using the 6% or 7% regional rate on groceries. Food for home consumption and hygiene products are 1% everywhere.
• Assuming every city outside the big regions charges 5.3%. Danville and seven counties, including Pittsylvania, Halifax and Northampton, are at 6.3%.
• Expecting a trade-in to lower the car tax. Virginia’s 4.15% is charged on the gross sales price.
• Adding up a holiday basket against one cap. The limits apply per item, so two $90 pairs of shoes both qualify, but one $110 pair does not.
• Forgetting use tax on purchases from sellers that don’t collect Virginia tax.

How to work out Virginia sales tax on a purchase

First decide which rate applies to the item: 1% for groceries and hygiene products, 4.15% (through the DMV) for a vehicle, or the general rate for everything else. Then find the general rate for the place where you buy or receive the item, using the regional table above or Virginia Tax’s locality lookup. Multiply the price by that rate.

For a delivery from an online seller, use the rate where you receive the item. A $600 dishwasher delivered to Virginia Beach (6%) carries $36.00 of tax. Delivered to Charlottesville, outside all the regional districts, it carries $31.80.

Consumer use tax and worked examples

Virginia’s consumer use tax applies to items used, consumed or stored in Virginia when no Virginia sales tax was paid at purchase. It is charged on the full cost, including any services that are part of the purchase. Remote sellers with more than $100,000 of Virginia sales or 200 transactions a year must collect the tax, so use tax mainly comes up with smaller sellers and purchases made in other states.

The same $1,000 television costs $53.00 in tax in Roanoke at 5.3%, $60.00 in Richmond or Arlington at 6%, $63.00 in Danville at 6.3% and $70.00 in Williamsburg at 7%. To reverse a 6% receipt, divide by 1.06: $84.80 is $80.00 of goods and $4.80 of tax.