Virginia Beach City · Virginia
Virginia Beach sales tax rate (VA)
Virginia taxes groceries and personal hygiene products at a reduced 1% local-only rate statewide, including in Virginia Beach.
Quick answer
The combined sales tax rate in Virginia Beach, VA is 6% as of January 1, 2026 — 4.3% state + 1% county + 0.7% special district. On a $100 purchase that is $6 in tax, for a total of $106. Virginia's statewide base is 4.3%.
- Combined rate
- 6%
- State share
- 4.3%
- Local share
- 1.7%County + city + districts
- Tax on $100
- $6
Calculate Virginia Beach sales tax
Pre-filled with the Virginia Beach combined rate.
Sales tax calculator
The full combined rate of 6% applies to general merchandise.
Enter a pre-tax amount to see the tax due in Virginia Beach, VA.
- Pre-tax
- $100
- Sales tax at 6%
- $6
- Total
- $106
Tax is rounded to the nearest cent on the full transaction, which is how most registers compute it. Line-item rounding can differ by a cent or two on long receipts.
Is 6% high?
Where Virginia Beach sits against the state and the covered-metro median, in points and in dollars.
- vs covered median
- -1.95 ptsMedian 7.95%
- Local share
- 28%1.7% of the total
- Cost per household
- $1,560Per year on $26,000 taxable spend
- Jurisdiction layers
- 3Stacked into the combined rate
6% in Virginia Beach — low. It ranks 84 of 94 covered metros, -1.95 pts against the 7.95% median. On $26,000 of taxable household spending that is $1,560 a year, $507 below it.
Local government sets 1.7% of the total, 28% of the bill; the state takes 4.3%. 3 layers stack: Virginia state 4.3%, City of Virginia Beach local option 1%, Hampton Roads regional transportation 0.7%. The City of Virginia Beach local option increment at 1% is the largest local piece — 59% of everything local, worth $260 a year on its own.
1 of 2 covered Virginia metros, level with the 6% state median. The in-state spread runs 6% in Richmond to 6% in Virginia Beach — 0 points wide. Virginia Beach is the cheapest covered metro in Virginia; no in-state line is worth crossing.
Same bracket nationally: Boise, ID (6%); Louisville, KY (6%); Baltimore, MD (6%). A household relocating between Virginia Beach and any of them sees no meaningful change in sales tax.
Scale: 455,618 residents, roughly 182,247 households. At $26,000 of taxable spend each, the 1.7% local share pulls about $80,553,174 a year from residents alone — before any visitor or business spending, which in a metro this size is where the rest comes from.
Virginia taxes groceries and personal hygiene products at a reduced 1% local-only rate statewide, including in Virginia Beach.
Rates move when a district measure passes or a local option expires. Confirm the current figure with the Virginia Department of Taxation before filing or quoting it to a customer.
Jurisdiction breakdown
Every layer that makes up the combined rate, and how much of the total each one contributes.
| Jurisdiction | Level | Rate | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia state | state | 4.3% | 72% |
| City of Virginia Beach local option | county | 1% | 17% |
| Hampton Roads regional transportation | special district | 0.7% | 12% |
| Combined rate | 6% |
Virginia Beach sales tax reference table
Tax due at 6% on common purchase amounts.
| Purchase | Sales tax | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.60 | $10.60 |
| $25 | $1.50 | $26.50 |
| $50 | $3.00 | $53.00 |
| $100 | $6.00 | $106.00 |
| $500 | $30.00 | $530.00 |
| $1,000 | $60.00 | $1060.00 |
| $5,000 | $300.00 | $5300.00 |
| $25,000 | $1500.00 | $26500.00 |
Reverse out sales tax
Enter a receipt total and we split the item price from the 6% tax collected.
Backing out 6% for Virginia Beach, VA.
- Item price before tax
- $100
- Sales tax collected
- $6
What this rate applies to
Virginia publishes the taxable base separately from the rate. Groceries, prescription drugs, clothing and services are treated differently state to state, and several categories in Virginia are taxed at reduced rates or exempt entirely. Virginia taxes groceries and personal hygiene products at a reduced 1% local-only rate statewide, including in Virginia Beach. Check the Virginia Department of Taxation guidance for the category you are pricing before assuming 6% applies.
Virginia Beach at a glance
- Population
- 455,618
- Median household income
- $89,760
- County
- Virginia Beach City
- ZIP codes covered
- 8
Compare with other Virginia cities
Other covered Virginia metros and how they compare.
Neighboring districts tax profiles
The closest covered jurisdictions by county and ZIP sectional centre, with the rate difference against this metro.
Compare Virginia Beach with another metro
Side-by-side rate stacks and the dollar difference on a $1,000 purchase.
Cities near Virginia Beach
Straight-line distance, estimated drive time and the rate charged there.
Download this metro's data
The Virginia Beach jurisdiction stack, combined rate (6%), effective date and Census figures are published as open files. Free to use with attribution — no key, no signup.
More Virginia Beach data
Other Virginia Beach datasets on this site.
- Virginia Beach population and income
- Virginia Beach property tax
- Virginia Beach cost of living
- Virginia Beach home values and rent
- Virginia Beach crime rates
- Virginia Beach public schools
- Virginia Beach weather normals
- Virginia Beach commute times
- Virginia Beach jobs and wages
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