Sales tax in Fairfax County, Virginia
The sales tax rate in Fairfax County, Virginia is 6%. That is a 4.3% state rate plus a 1% county rate, and it is the same at every address in the county. That rate was read from Virginia's own published schedule and checked on September 9, 2026.
What is the sales tax rate in Fairfax County?
| Virginia state rate | 4.3% |
|---|---|
| Fairfax County rate | 1% |
| Combined rate | 6% |
How much sales tax is that on a purchase in Fairfax County?
At 6%, a $100 purchase carries $6.00 in sales tax and a $1,000 purchase $60.00. That is general merchandise; Virginia taxes some categories, often groceries, differently, as the note below explains.
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Fairfax County's rate ranks 12th highest, level with 27 other counties. See every Virginia county.
Sales tax in counties next to Fairfax County
Fairfax County borders 9 counties, 3 of them in another state.
| County | Combined sales tax |
|---|---|
| Charles County, MD | 6% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 6% |
| Prince George's County, MD | 6% |
| Arlington County, VA | 6% |
| Loudoun County, VA | 6% |
| Prince William County, VA | 6% |
| Alexandria city, VA | 6% |
| Fairfax city, VA | 6% |
| Falls Church city, VA | 6% |
| Fairfax County, VA (this county) | 6% |
Why the rate here is not the whole story
Virginia charges a 4.3 percent state tax and Fairfax County levies the 1 percent local option sales tax, and the General Assembly imposes a 0.7 percent regional transportation tax across the whole Northern Virginia region on top of that, giving 6 percent at every address here. The 0.7 percent is set by state law for the entire region rather than chosen by this locality, so the 1 percent local option is the only part it levies itself. Virginia towns and special districts cannot levy a general sales tax of their own, so a single rate covers the whole locality. Groceries and essential personal hygiene products are taxed at a reduced 1 percent everywhere in Virginia, which is the local share only, so that reduced rate sits outside the general rate shown here.
How do I find the exact rate for an address in Fairfax County?
Use Virginia's own address lookup.
Who has to collect sales tax in Fairfax County?
Any seller with a physical presence in Virginia collects at the rate for the address of the sale; a remote seller does once it passes Virginia's economic nexus threshold. Virginia sales tax covers the statewide rules and what is exempt.
Work out your own numbers
-
Sales tax calculator
Tax on a specific purchase at this county's rate, and the total you will actually pay.
-
Do you have to collect?
Whether your sales into Virginia cross its economic nexus threshold. A different question from the rate.
-
Property tax in Fairfax County
The other local tax: effective rate and median bill for this county.
-
Sales tax by county
Every US county, and how Virginia compares with the rest of the country.
Sources
- Fairfax County rates: Virginia Department of Taxation, Sales and Use Tax Rates by Locality, worksheet "Jan 2026 - Present" (rates effective January 1, 2026), https://www.tax.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/sales-and-use-tax-rates-by-locality-by-date.xlsx, cross-checked against the same Department's rate chart in the Form ST-1 package (Rev. 10/24) and the rate table on https://www.tax.virginia.gov/retail-sales-and-use-tax
- Collected and verified September 9, 2026. Confidence: P on the rate components, P on the range (P read on a primary agency page, S strong but indirect, U unverified).