The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at a special meeting today (Tuesday) to retroactively extend the deadline for car tax payments from yesterday (Monday) to Wednesday, Nov. 5.
The temporary relief was granted in response to the current federal government shutdown, which is adding to economic challenges already facing county residents and the D.C. region as a whole.
“This is a no-brainer,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said before the vote. He pointed to an estimated 80,000 county residents in the federal workforce and thousands more working for contractors.
With the change, residents who pay their bills for the personal property tax — known informally as a vehicle or car tax — by the new deadline will not face any late fees or penalties.
The Code of Virginia allows localities to extend the payment deadline for personal property taxes for up to 90 days. Under state law, the reason for the extension and its timing must be “reasonable” in nature.
McKay said he could come back with a request for a further extension if the current shutdown lingers on.
“I hope we don’t get to that point,” the chair said, but acknowledged “we have no idea” how long it could last.
The board’s lone Republican, Springfield District’s Pat Herrity, joined his Democratic colleagues in supporting the extension, but he acknowledged “a little bit of heartburn” after many residents dug deep to pay their bills in time for the original deadline.
The tax rate in Fairfax County for most vehicles is $4.57 per $100 of assessed value, with a state-funded subsidy covering 51% for the first $20,000 of assessed value for vehicles used for non-business purposes.
For the owner of a vehicle assessed at $30,000 in Fairfax this year, the resulting tax bill would be $905, according to an example provided by the county government.
Herrity asked county staff to study whether, in the future, a loan program could be developed to aid those experiencing short-term financial crunches around the time car tax bills come due each year.
Arlington and Falls Church currently have such programs, and Herrity said he’s eager to “see if that is something the county could do.”
“I want to help federal workers as much as everybody,” he said.
Jay Doshi, director of Fairfax County’s Department of Tax Administration, said it was too early to divine any trends in whether fewer people than usual paid the car tax by the now-extended Oct. 6 deadline.
In neighboring Falls Church, Treasurer Jody Acosta told city council members last week her office was seeing more applications for payment plans in advance of the city’s own Oct. 6 deadline for car tax payments.
“Last year we had 15 payment plans overall; this year we’re at 40 — we’re writing them every day,” Acosta said.
Virginia’s personal property taxes on vehicles have long been both a key revenue source for local governments and a source of anger for some residents.
Noting that both of Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates have expressed support for different ways of lessening the burden on vehicle owners, Fairfax County’s legislative director said local officials need to be vigilant of impacts.
