News

Alexandria wants to raise penalty for late personal property tax payments

By James Cullum
House of money (photo via Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash)

Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon is asking City Council to increase penalties for late personal property tax payments.

The news comes as City Council considers a real estate tax increase to fund a significant budget request from the Alexandria School Board.

Parajon wants to increase the late payment penalty from a flat rate of 10% to “a rate of 10% if paid within 30 days 20 after the due date, and 25% if paid more than 30 days after the due date,” according to the proposal that Council will receive on Tuesday, April 2.

The city’s personal property tax rate is $5.33 per $100 of the assessed value of  vehicles, and $3.55 for vehicles retrofitted to accommodate disabled drivers.

The following residents can get an exemption on personal property taxes:

  • Active-duty U.S. military personnel and their spouses
  • Antique car owners
  • Member of Congress and their spouses
  • Foreign diplomats
  • Disabled U.S. military veterans

Personal property tax bills are mailed in the summer and payments are due Oct. 5.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.