[Archived] Alexandria 2018 Second Half Real Estate Tax Bills Mailed

The City of Alexandria has mailed bills for the second half 2018 real estate tax, refuse fee and stormwater utility fee to all property owners and/or mortgage companies. The 2018 real estate tax rate is $1.130 per $100 of assessed value, the annual refuse fee rate is $373 and the annual stormwater utility fee rate is $140.

Second half real estate tax and fee payments are due Thursday, November 15. Late payment penalty and interest will be assessed on all real estate taxes and 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, 2018, and 10 percent of the tax if paid on or after December 1, 2018, or $10, whichever is greater. The late payment penalty is 10 percent of the refuse fee. Interest on tax and late payment penalty accrues at an annual rate of 10 percent for the first year and five percent for each year thereafter, beginning November 16, 2018, and continues until the entire outstanding balance is paid. Interest accrues on unpaid refuse fees at an annual rate of 10 percent and stormwater utility fees at an annual rate of 6 percent, beginning November 16, 2018. There is no late payment penalty on stormwater utility fee.

Real estate tax payments may still be deductible for income tax purposes, with limitations, for those who itemize their returns, while user fees such as refuse and stormwater utility are not deductible. The City has applied prepayments to second half 2018 real estate tax rather than to refuse and stormwater utility fees. Accordingly, second half real estate tax bills may include a second half tax balance, refuse fee and/or stormwater utility fee that are due by November 15, 2018. Any remaining prepayment will be applied to the first half 2019 real estate tax during the next billing in early May. To request a refund or to allocate any remaining prepayment to the refuse and/or stormwater utility fees, please email payments@alexandriava.gov. For additional information, please call the Treasury Division at 703.746.3902, Option 8.

In May 2017, the City adopted a stormwater utility fee to fund the Stormwater Management Program, including Chesapeake Bay cleanup mandates. The stormwater utility fee requires all properties to pay and shifts stormwater management costs to the properties with greater impact on stormwater runoff. The fee funds stormwater management more equitably than through real estate taxes. The stormwater utility fee shows as a separate line item on the real estate tax bill.

For more information, including how property owners can lower their fees in 2019 and beyond by implementing select practices that manage stormwater quantity and reduce runoff and pollution, or by performing certain stormwater-related voluntary activities, please visit alexandriava.gov/Stormwater or contact the Stormwater Management Division at stormwater@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4357.

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 about the City’s 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. Information on the stormwater utility fee is available at alexandriava.gov/Stormwater.

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

This news release can be found online at alexandriava.gov/106436.