[Archived] Alexandria 2017 Second Half Real Estate Tax Bills Mailed

For Immediate Release: October 19, 2017

The City of Alexandria has mailed bills for the second half 2017 real estate tax and refuse fee to all property owners and/or mortgage companies. The 2017 real estate tax rate is $1.13 per $100 of assessed value, and the annual refuse fee is $373.

Second half real estate tax and refuse fee payments are due Wednesday, November 15. In accordance with City Code, late payment penalty and interest will be assessed on all real estate taxes and refuse fees that are not paid or postmarked by the due date. The late payment penalty is five percent of the tax if paid by November 30, 2017, and 10 percent of the tax if paid on or after December 1, 2017, or $10, whichever is greater. The late payment penalty is 10 percent of the refuse fee. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 10 percent for the first year and five percent for each year thereafter, beginning November 16, 2017, and continues until the entire outstanding balance is paid. 

Beginning with service provided from July 1, 2017, the City’s annual residential refuse fee increased from $363 to $373 in order to recover 100 percent of the City’s cost of collecting and disposing of household refuse. The second half 2017 real estate tax bill shows a $5 increase. Households that do not receive service from the City are not charged this fee. Residents with questions about the refuse fee can contact the City’s Resource Recovery Division at 703.746.4410.

In May 2017, City Council adopted a new stormwater utility fee to be applied to all residential and non-residential property to pay for costly new federal and state Chesapeake Bay protection mandates. This fee will fund stormwater management more equitably than by raising the real estate tax, since a fee shifts stormwater management costs to the properties with greater impact on stormwater runoff. In May 2018, all property owners will be billed for half of the 2017-2018 fee as a separate line item on the real estate tax bill. Starting in October 2018, half the annual fee will be billed in October and the other half in May. Beginning in December 2017, non-residential property owners will be able to lower their fees through stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) and detention facilities, and by performing certain volunteer activities. A similar program for residential property owners will be developed in 2018. For more information, please visit www.alexandriava.gov/Stormwater or contact the Stormwater Management Division at stormwater@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4014.

The Code of Virginia does not allow for waiver of tax, penalty, or interest due to inability to pay or failure to receive a tax bill. Property owners who do not receive a real estate tax bill in the mail and do not have their real estate taxes paid by their mortgage companies should contact the City’s Treasury Division at payments@alexandriava.gov, or call 703.746.3902, Option 8, to request a bill before November 15. Detailed real estate tax balances and payment history are available 24 hours a day on the City’s website at realestate.alexandriava.gov. Property owners who changed their mailing address but did not previously report this change to the City can update their address by contacting the Real Estate Assessor’s Office at realestate@alexandriava.gov to ensure that future bills and correspondence are mailed to the correct address.

Additional information on real estate tax is available on the Finance Department website at alexandriava.gov/RealEstateTax. Information on real estate assessments, appeals, or updating the property owner’s mailing address is available from the Real Estate Assessor’s Office at alexandriava.gov/RealEstate. Information on payments, late payment penalty, and interest can be obtained through the Alexandria Tax Guide at alexandriava.gov/TaxGuide or by contacting the Treasury Division. 

Si necesita ayuda en Español, por favor llame al 703.746.3907.  

This news release is available online at www.alexandriava.gov/100178