Virginia · Property tax exemptions for seniors · Updated Oct 2026
Virginia property tax exemptions for seniors (2026)
Every statewide property tax break for older homeowners in Virginia that our guide lists: extra exemptions, freezes, deferrals and age-based credits. What each is worth, the starting age, the income limit, the deadline and how to apply.
Short answer
The main property tax break for seniors in Virginia is the Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled (local option). Set by each locality: it may exempt, defer, or partly exempt and partly defer the tax on your home.
Some amounts depend on where you live. In Virginia, some of these breaks or their amounts are set or adjusted by your county, city or town, as each exemption below explains. Ask your local assessor for the figure that applies to your home.
Property tax breaks for seniors in Virginia
Seniors
Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled (local option)
Set by each locality: it may exempt, defer, or partly exempt and partly defer the tax on your home. Example, Fairfax County 2026: 100% relief with income up to $60,000; 75% for $60,001-$70,000; 50% for $70,001-$80,000; 25% for $80,001-$90,000, on the home and up to one acre (state law lets localities cover up to ten acres), capped at 125% of the county's mean residential assessment.
Who qualifies
You are 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled (if your locality includes disability), and you own the home and live in it as your sole dwelling. A home owned jointly by a married couple qualifies if either spouse meets the age or disability test. Localities may set income and net worth limits; they may not require a minimum time living in the locality. Under state law, income of relatives who live with you as bona fide caregivers is not counted, and a locality may also leave out tenants, caregivers and the disability income of permanently and totally disabled household members (Va. Code §58.1-3212(A)). Fairfax County: total combined income (owners, spouse and relatives living there) of $90,000 or less and net worth of owners and spouse of $400,000 or less, not counting the home and up to five acres; up to $7,500 of a disabled applicant's income is excluded.
Income limit
Set locally. Fairfax County 2026: $90,000 total combined prior-year income; $400,000 net worth
How to apply
File your locality's tax relief application with the Commissioner of the Revenue or tax office, with proof of age or a disability certification, and income and asset records for the prior year. Fairfax County: 2026 Tax Relief Application for Seniors and People with Disabilities, to the Department of Tax Administration.
Real Estate Tax Deferral for the Elderly and Disabled (local option)
Lets you postpone paying the tax (or the increase since you turned 65 or became disabled). The deferred tax is a lien on the home and is paid when the home is sold or after your death. Example, Fairfax County: no penalty, interest at the prime rate plus 1% (no more than 8%), and the total deferred cannot exceed 10% of the home's assessed value.
Who qualifies
Same groups as the relief program (65+, or permanently and totally disabled), if your locality offers deferral. Fairfax County: prior-year household income up to $100,000 and net worth up to $500,000, not counting the home.
Income limit
Set locally. Fairfax County 2026: $100,000 income; $500,000 net worth
How to apply
Apply to your local Commissioner of the Revenue or tax office on its tax relief/deferral application.
File your locality's tax relief application with the Commissioner of the Revenue or tax office, with proof of age or a disability certification, and income and asset records for the prior year.
Fairfax County: 2026 Tax Relief Application for Seniors and People with Disabilities, to the Department of Tax Administration.
Apply to your local Commissioner of the Revenue or tax office on its tax relief/deferral application.
Deadline: Set locally (Fairfax County: May 1).
Renewal: Set locally (Fairfax County: every year).
Savings estimate for Virginia
None of these breaks is one fixed dollar amount taken off your home's value, so we can't estimate the savings here. What each one is worth is on its card above.
Eligibility finder for Virginia
Answer a few questions to see which property tax breaks may fit you. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.
Pre-set for seniors: you own and live in the home, age 65. Change any answer to your own.
Document checklist for Virginia
Pick the breaks you plan to apply for. You get a checklist of forms, documents, steps and deadlines to print or keep on your phone.
Questions about seniors property tax breaks in Virginia
Who qualifies for property tax breaks for seniors in Virginia?
Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled (local option): You are 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled (if your locality includes disability), and you own the home and live in it as your sole dwelling. A home owned jointly by a married couple qualifies if either spouse meets the age or disability test. Real Estate Tax Deferral for the Elderly and Disabled (local option): Same groups as the relief program (65+, or permanently and totally disabled), if your locality offers deferral. Fairfax County: prior-year household income up to $100,000 and net worth up to $500,000, not counting the home.
Is there an income limit for seniors' property tax breaks in Virginia?
Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled (local option): Set locally. Fairfax County 2026: $90,000 total combined prior-year income; $400,000 net worth. Real Estate Tax Deferral for the Elderly and Disabled (local option): Set locally. Fairfax County 2026: $100,000 income; $500,000 net worth.
When is the deadline for seniors to apply in Virginia?
Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled (local option): Set locally. Fairfax County: May 1 each year; first-time applicants and people with hardship may get an extension to December 31. Real Estate Tax Deferral for the Elderly and Disabled (local option): Set locally (Fairfax County: May 1).
Do seniors have to reapply every year in Virginia?
Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled (local option): Set locally (Fairfax County: every year). Real Estate Tax Deferral for the Elderly and Disabled (local option): Set locally (Fairfax County: every year).
Where do seniors apply for property tax breaks in Virginia?
Each county and city runs its own program. You apply to your local Commissioner of the Revenue, or in some places the Department of Tax Administration or Real Estate Assessor's office (in Fairfax County, the Department of Tax Administration's Tax Relief Office). For the Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled (local option): File your locality's tax relief application with the Commissioner of the Revenue or tax office, with proof of age or a disability certification, and income and asset records for the prior year.