Taxes in Fairfax
Virginia's near-flat 5.75% income tax applies to Fairfax residents the same as anywhere else in the state, layered with a 6.0% combined sales tax and a real, disclosed wrinkle: the independent City of Fairfax sets its own real estate tax rate, separate from surrounding Fairfax County's FY2026 rate of $1.1225 per $100 of assessed value.
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Learn moreVirginia's income tax -- restated as place-level context
Virginia applies a four-bracket schedule (2% on the first $3,000, 3% on $3,001-$5,000, 5% on $5,001-$17,000, 5.75% above $17,000) that functions, in practice, as a near-flat 5.75% tax for the large majority of working filers, since the top bracket starts at just $17,000. Social Security is fully exempt at any age; filers 65+ can claim an age deduction of up to $12,000, phased out above $50,000 (single) / $75,000 (married) federal AGI. See the Virginia statewide record for the full detail, independently verified in this project.
A real jurisdictional split on property tax
Fairfax County's own adopted FY2026 real estate tax rate is $1.1225 per $100 of assessed value, applying to unincorporated county areas and most towns within it. The independent City of Fairfax, being a legally separate jurisdiction, sets its own distinct rate rather than defaulting to the county's -- a specific current City rate was not independently confirmed to one figure this research pass; confirm directly with the City of Fairfax Finance Department for a specific property, and never assume the county rate applies automatically to a City address.
Fairfax's combined 6.0% sales tax
Fairfax's combined 2026 sales tax rate is 6.0%: Virginia's 4.3% state rate, a 1.0% city/local-option rate, and a 0.7% Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) regional transportation tax -- the same structure and rate already documented for Arlington in this project's sibling record, applying uniformly to this build's Fairfax-County-based NoVA markets.
No state estate or inheritance tax
Virginia does not levy a state estate tax or inheritance tax. Confirm current guidance for any actual estate-planning decision, since Virginia residents with sufficiently large estates may still owe the federal estate tax.
Key takeaways
- Virginia's near-flat 5.75% income tax applies uniformly across Fairfax, regardless of City vs. County jurisdiction.
- The independent City of Fairfax sets its own separate real estate tax rate -- do not assume Fairfax County's FY2026 rate ($1.1225/$100) applies automatically to a City address.
- Fairfax's combined sales tax is 6.0% (4.3% state + 1.0% local + 0.7% NVTA regional).
- Virginia levies no state estate or inheritance tax, though the federal estate tax can still apply to sufficiently large estates.
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