AppealHarbor Jurisdiction Fairfax County, VA Tax year 2026 Reviewed 2026-08-02

Property tax relief you may already qualify for

Last reviewed 2026-08-02, against the county's 2026 appeal forms and the current Virginia Code. The 2027 forms and dates have not been published yet.

Some Fairfax homeowners are paying real estate tax they are not required to pay.

Not because their assessment is wrong, but because a relief program or an exemption applies to them and no one has applied for it. These are separate from appeals, they are decided on eligibility rather than on value, and several have nothing to do with income at all.

We make no money from this page. There is nothing to buy here and nothing we can sell you — the county decides all of this, and the applications are free. It is here because it is the first thing worth checking, and for some people it is worth far more than any appeal.

In 30 seconds:

  • Virginia exempts the home of a veteran rated 100% service-connected, permanent and total disability. No age test, no income test.
  • Surviving spouses may qualify — of such veterans, of service members killed in the line of duty, and of first responders killed in the line of duty.
  • Fairfax runs a separate relief program for people 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled, on a sliding scale by income.
  • A deferral option exists with higher limits, for people who do not qualify for relief.
  • Applications are due May 1, with an extension to December 31 in defined circumstances.
  • Relief and an appeal are independent. You can pursue either, both, or neither.

All figures on this page are the county's published 2026 figures. Thresholds change. Confirm current numbers with the county before you rely on them.

Fairfax County only. The City of Fairfax and the City of Falls Church assess separately, run their own appeal processes, and set their own deadlines — including deadlines that differ from the county's. If your tax bill comes from one of those cities, this page does not apply to you.

The disabled-veteran exemption

This one is state law, it applies in every Virginia locality, and it is not means-tested.

Va. Code §58.1-3219.5 exempts from taxation the real property of a veteran who has been rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability, and who occupies that property as their principal place of residence. Joint property of married individuals is included.

Read what is not in that sentence. There is no age requirement. There is no income limit. There is no asset limit. The test is the rating and the residence.

A few details from the statute worth knowing:

  • The exemption applies for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2011.
  • If the rating came after January 1, 2011 and the veteran already had a qualifying home, the exemption begins on the date of the rating.
  • If the home was acquired after January 1, 2011, it begins on the date of acquisition.
  • A manufactured home used as the residence qualifies even if the veteran does not own the land beneath it — though the land itself is not exempt.
  • An affidavit or written statement is required, under §58.1-3219.6.

Surviving spouses

Three separate exemptions, each with its own conditions. Fairfax describes all three in its 2026 relief publication.

Surviving spouses of disabled veterans. May be eligible for an exemption on their principal residence. Under state law, not eligible if they have remarried, or if the veteran's date of death was before January 1, 2011.

Surviving spouses of military members killed in the line of duty. May be eligible on their principal residence. Not eligible if remarried. There is also a value ceiling: the dwelling's assessed value in the most recently ended tax year must not exceed the countywide average for homes zoned single-family residential.

Surviving spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty. Same structure — not eligible if remarried, and the same assessed-value ceiling applies.

Fairfax relief for seniors and people with disabilities

This is a county program, and unlike the veteran exemption it does test income and assets.

Who it is for. Someone at least 65 years old, or permanently and totally disabled. You must own or part-own the home. You must occupy it as your sole dwelling, year-round.

People turning 65 during the application year may qualify on a prorated basis. For disability, eligibility starts on the date of certification, and documentation is required.

The 2026 thresholds, exactly as the county publishes them:

Percentage of relief Total combined income Net combined financial worth
100% $0 – $60,000 $400,000
75% $60,001 – $70,000 $400,000
50% $70,001 – $80,000 $400,000
25% $80,001 – $90,000 $400,000

How those two figures are counted. Total combined income adds up the prior year's gross income of the owners, the owner's spouse, and every relative who lived in the home. It counts them whether or not they contributed anything. Up to $7,500 of the income of an applicant with a permanent and total disability may be excluded.

Net combined financial worth leaves out the home itself, its furnishings, and up to five acres of the land it sits on. That land must not be able to be subdivided.

What is covered. Relief applies to the home and up to one acre of land. It is capped at 125% of the mean assessed value of all residential properties in Fairfax County as of January 1 of the tax year. Value above that cap is taxed at the full rate.

If you are over the limits: deferral

A separate option, with higher thresholds.

Eligible seniors and people with disabilities may defer payment of real estate taxes rather than have them reduced. Deferred taxes do not incur penalties, but they do carry annual variable interest at the Wall Street Journal prime rate plus 1.00%, capped at 8.00%. Deferred taxes plus interest may not exceed 10% of the property's assessed value.

The deferral limits are higher than the relief limits. Total combined gross household income from the preceding year may not exceed $100,000. Total net worth may not exceed $500,000, excluding the home, its furnishings and the home site.

Deferred amounts become due when the property is sold or transferred, or within one year of the applicant's death.

How and when to apply

The deadline is May 1 each year. Relief is granted annually, so a renewal application is required each year.

Two groups may be eligible for an extension to December 31: people applying for the first time, and people who missed the deadline through no fault of their own because of hardship. A letter explaining the late filing is required.

One thing to be clear about: taxes remain owed until the county notifies you that you are no longer liable. Do not stop paying on the strength of an application.

Where to go. Applications and full details are at the county's tax relief pages, and the forms are on the tax forms page. The Tax Relief Office can be reached at 703-222-8234 or taxrelief@fairfaxcounty.gov, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and appointments by phone or video are available.

The county decides eligibility, not this page. Nothing here tells you whether you qualify. The thresholds above are the county's published criteria, and the application is where they get applied to your circumstances.

Relief and appeals are independent

They answer different questions. An appeal asks whether the assessed value is right. Relief and exemptions ask whether you fall within a category the law treats differently.

You can pursue one, the other, both, or neither. A successful relief application does not affect whether your assessment was accurate, and a successful appeal does not affect whether you qualify for relief.

If you are not sure which is relevant to you, the deadlines differ, so check both. Reading your assessment notice explains what the figures on your notice mean, and is appealing worth it? covers the arithmetic on the appeal side.

Know someone who might qualify? A veteran with a total disability rating. An older neighbor on a fixed income. A widowed spouse. Pass this page on — that is the whole reason it exists.

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