Virginia sales tax
At a glance
| State sales tax | 5.3 % |
|---|---|
| Local taxes | Cities, counties or districts add their own tax, so the total depends on the place. Summalo has local rates for this state. |
Average combined rate
5.61 % (state 5.3 % plus about 0.31 % local). Rank 39 of 51, highest first.
Example
An item with a $100 tag costs about $105.61 at the average combined rate (tax $5.61). At the lowest local rate in the state it would be $105.30, at the highest $107.00.
Clothing and shoes
No special rule: clothing is taxed like most other goods.
Food and drink
| Groceries | State rate lowered to 1 %, no local tax * |
|---|---|
| Prepared food and restaurants | Taxed at the regular rate * |
| Candy | State rate lowered to 1 %, no local tax * |
| Soft drinks | State rate lowered to 1 %, no local tax * |
| Alcohol | Taxed at the regular rate |
| Over-the-counter medicine | Exempt from state tax, and from local tax * |
* Depends on details a price tag does not show (hot or cold, packaging, local options). Treat it as an estimate.
Tax-free days
Dates change every year; the app shows the next one.
- Sales tax holiday, Aug 7–9, 2026
Clothing and footwear (not accessories or athletic items); school supplies up to $20; hurricane-preparedness items and ENERGY STAR and WaterSense products have their own limits - Sales tax holiday, Aug 6–8, 2027
Clothing and footwear (not accessories or athletic items); school supplies up to $20; hurricane-preparedness items and ENERGY STAR and WaterSense products have their own limits
Neighbouring states
| State | Average rate |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 6 % |
| Kentucky | 6 % |
| Maryland | 6 % |
| North Carolina | 7.02 % |
| Tennessee | 9.59 % |
| West Virginia | 6.24 % |
Official sources
- www.tax.virginia.gov/grocery-tax
- www.tax.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/tb-22-12-grocery-tax-reduction.pdf
- www.tax.virginia.gov/laws-rules-decisions/rulings-tax-commissioner/05-78
- law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title58.1/chapter6/section58.1-609.10/
- law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title23/agency10/chapter210/section940/
- www.tax.virginia.gov/virginia-sales-tax-holiday
Rules as of 2026-10-04. These pages summarise the rules Summalo uses. They are estimates, not tax advice. At the register, the store's receipt is what counts.
Summalo applies these rules to the price tag you scan, offline.