Personal Property Tax

Personal Property Tax

Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Property

Online Personal Property Tax Registration

All cities and counties in Virginia administer a tax on personal property, such as automobiles, as an important and stable revenue source for municipal services ranging from police and fire protection to street maintenance and solid waste collection. City Council is required by the Commonwealth to annually adopt a resolution setting the percentage reduction in personal property tax that year. The current percentage reduction for personal property tax relief is 58.18% for the 2009 tax year.

Proration of personal property tax began January 1, 1991 on all vehicles with the exception of aircraft and boats.

The personal property tax rate, set annually by City Council, is $3.45 per $100.00 of assessed value, or 3.45% except for Aircraft which is taxed at a rate of $1.06 per $100.00 assessed value, or 1.06%.

The personal property tax is assessed on all vehicles (aircraft, boats, buses, cars, mobile homes, trailers, motor homes, motorcycles and trucks) that are garaged, parked or stored within the city of Roanoke.

Most cities and counties in Virginia require a valid decal to be displayed or the annual license tax to be paid in addition to the personal property tax. See the Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Property for exceptions to the license tax.

The city of Roanoke participates in the Vehicle Registration Withholding Program as authorized by . This program allows the city to notify the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles electronically when a citizen fails to pay property taxes of over $50 per vehicle. The owner of the vehicle cannot renew tags, state decals or vehicle registration until the taxes have been paid. An additional processing fee of $20 per vehicle will be added to the taxes due. Citizens can settle any assessments or pay bills at the City Treasurer's Office in the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building in downtown Roanoke. For more information on this program, call the City Treasurer at (540) 853-2561.