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Virginia sales tax rates by ZIP code
The 5.3% figure includes the mandatory 1% local tax. Some regions add more.
Counts and the combined rate range are drawn from our October 2026 file. Rates change monthly.
What you actually have to charge in Virginia
Local jurisdictions add their own rate on top, so the rate you must actually charge is almost never the state rate.
- State base rate4.3%
- Local taxesYes — city, county and/or special district rates apply on top
- ShippingExempt alone — taxable if combined with handling
- Taxing jurisdictions we track167
- ZIP codes with more than one rate84 of 1,211 (7%) — a single rate per ZIP code would be wrong for these
- Update frequencyMonthly, delivered two business days before the month begins
See the VA data before you buy. Every edition has a free sample file cut from our October 2026 file, with the full state, county, city and district breakdown exactly as it ships, including 30 VA rows.
What's in the Virginia rate file
Virginia data ships inside every edition — we do not sell single-state files. Each row carries the ZIP code, county and city name, the rate at each jurisdiction level, the combined total, and whether shipping is taxable. The higher editions add district reporting codes, FIPS codes, effective dates and sales tax holiday windows.
Research
Official Virginia sales tax resources
Every link below goes to an official Virginia government source, not to us. The state is always the authority — our file is how you avoid checking it by hand every month.
- Virginia Department of TaxationThe agency that administers sales tax in Virginia (opens in a new tab)
- Sales & use tax sectionRules, guidance and forms straight from the agency (opens in a new tab)
- Official rate lookupCheck a rate at the source, by address or jurisdiction (opens in a new tab)
- Downloadable rate tablesThe state's own rate and boundary files (opens in a new tab)
- Local & municipal taxHow cities and counties handle their share (opens in a new tab)
- Register for a permitApply for a sales tax licence or permit (opens in a new tab)
- File and payThe state's online filing and payment portal (opens in a new tab)
- Sales tax holidayDates and qualifying items (opens in a new tab)
How local tax works in Virginia. State-collected. The 1% local option tax and the regional add-ons for the Historic Triangle, Central Virginia, Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia are all collected by Virginia Tax and distributed back to localities.
Worth knowing. Returns require the correct FIPS locality code, not just a rate, so the locality code lookup is effectively mandatory. Groceries and certain hygiene products are taxed at a reduced 1% local-only rate, reported separately from the general rate.
Questions
Virginia sales tax questions
What is the sales tax rate in Virginia?
The statewide base rate is 4.3%. Local jurisdictions add their own rate on top, so the rate you must actually charge is almost never the state rate.
Is shipping taxable in Virginia?
It depends on how you bill it. In Virginia a separately stated shipping charge is generally not taxable — but bill shipping and handling as one combined charge and the whole thing becomes taxable.
That distinction catches people out, which is why our file carries both flags — TAX_SHIPPING_ALONE and TAX_SHIPPING_AND_HANDLING_TOGETHER — on every row, for the specific jurisdiction. Your system doesn't have to encode the rule.
How many sales tax jurisdictions are there in Virginia?
We track 167 bodies that actually levy a sales tax in Virginia — 163 counties, 1 cities and 3 special districts — across 1,211 VA ZIP codes. We count a county, city or district only where it charges something, not merely because it appears in the file.
Where can I download Virginia sales tax rates?
Every Sales Tax Systems edition includes Virginia along with the other 49 states, DC and Canada — we do not sell state-by-state files. Download a free sample to see the format and the VA rows in it.
Sales tax rates in other states
Virginia is one state. The file covers all of them.
Every edition includes all 50 states, DC and Canada, updated monthly, from $499/year.
See pricing Free sample