Taxes in Alexandria
Virginia's state income tax applies identically in Alexandria as in Arlington -- graduated, but effectively near-flat 5.75% for most working households since the top bracket starts at just $17,000 -- while Alexandria adds its own real, city-specific taxes on top: a $1.135/$100 real estate tax rate, a combined 6.0% sales tax, and a distinct 5% Meals Tax on restaurant dining that Arlington's own disclosed record does not mention.
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Learn moreVirginia's Graduated Income Tax: The Same Statewide Structure Disclosed for Arlington
Virginia taxes income at 2% on the first $3,000, 3% on the next $2,000 ($3,001-$5,000), 5% on the next $12,000 ($5,001-$17,000), and 5.75% on all taxable income above $17,000 -- brackets unchanged for decades, applying identically regardless of filing status or which Virginia city or county a household lives in. Because the top 5.75% bracket starts at just $17,000, most working Alexandria households pay effectively close to a flat 5.75% marginal rate on the great majority of their income, the same structural reality disclosed for Arlington, even though Alexandria's own disclosed median household income ($119,681-$128,073) runs somewhat lower than Arlington's.
The Same Unresolved Wrinkle: A Possible New 7% Top Bracket
As disclosed for Arlington, some 2026 aggregator coverage describes a new 7% Virginia tax bracket on taxable income above $600,000 (HB1754, from a 2025 Delegate Watts proposal), with genuinely disagreeing sources on its actual enacted status -- NOT independently confirmed against Virginia's own Department of Taxation guidance this session. This is disclosed as a real, unresolved item, identical to the Arlington record's own disclosure, since it's a statewide question rather than an Alexandria-specific one.
Social Security Exemption and the Age Deduction: The Same Statewide Rules
Virginia does not tax Social Security income at all, regardless of age or income level. Filers 65+ may claim an age deduction of up to $12,000 against other income, phased out $1 for every $1 that federal adjusted gross income exceeds $50,000 (single) or $75,000 (married filing jointly), fully eliminated at $62,000/$99,000 -- the same statewide provisions disclosed for Arlington. See the retiring topic page for how this applies to Alexandria retirees specifically.
Standard Deduction: The Same Recent Statewide Increase
Virginia's standard deduction increased to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for married filers beginning tax year 2025, indexed for inflation annually starting tax year 2026 -- a real, recent, statewide increase applicable to every Virginia filer, Alexandria residents included.
Alexandria's Own City-Specific Taxes: Real Estate, Sales, and a Distinct Meals Tax
Beyond the statewide income tax, Alexandria levies its own real estate tax at $1.135 per $100 of assessed value for 2026 (see the property-taxes topic page), a combined 6.0% sales tax (4.3% state + 1.0% city + 0.7% NVTA regional -- though one source cited a conflicting, unresolved 7.000% figure), and a real, Alexandria-specific 5% Meals Tax on prepared food and restaurant dining, confirmed directly from the City of Alexandria's own Meals Tax page -- an added cost on top of the base sales tax rate that this record's Arlington sibling does not disclose (it was not independently researched or confirmed for Arlington this project, not confirmed absent there). Virginia has no state estate or inheritance tax (repealed effective July 1, 2007), though the federal estate tax's $15 million 2026 exemption can still apply to sufficiently large estates.
Key takeaways
- Virginia's income tax (2%/3%/5%/5.75%) applies identically in Alexandria and Arlington -- effectively close to a flat 5.75% for most working households since the top bracket starts at $17,000.
- A possible new 7% top bracket above $600,000 (HB1754) remains genuinely unresolved this session, identical to the Arlington record's own disclosure -- a statewide, not city-specific, open question.
- Social Security is fully exempt statewide; the $12,000 age deduction (phased out above $50K/$75K federal AGI) and the $12,000/$24,000 standard deduction (2025+) apply identically in Alexandria.
- Alexandria's own real estate tax ($1.135/$100) and combined sales tax (6.0%) sit alongside a real, city-specific 5% Meals Tax on restaurant dining -- confirmed directly from the City of Alexandria's own tax page, an added cost this record's Arlington sibling does not disclose.
- Virginia has no estate or inheritance tax (repealed 2007), though the federal estate tax can still apply above its $15 million 2026 exemption -- identical statewide rule.
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