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Business Tax

Business Tax is responsible for issuing all business and professional licenses, assessing both the business license and business personal property taxes, and maintaining all business license and business personal property records.
Page updated on March 4, 2025 at 2:18 PM

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Opening a Business in the City?

See Alexandria's Tax Guide for New City Businesses,  Licensing and Tax Guide for Non-Profit Organizations, and Events, Courses, and Resources for City Businesses.

Small Business Support

The Small Business Support Program of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) is here to help. The AEDP provides free counseling services to help you start and scale your small business. 

Penalties and Fines

Pursuant to the Code of Virginia, there is a late payment penalty of 10% or $10, whichever is greater, for payments made within 30 days after the due date.  Beginning with Tax Year 2024, an additional 15% late penalty will be added if personal property payments are made more than 30 days after the due date (a total of 25%, or $10, whichever is greater, if payment is more than 30 days late). No penalty may exceed the amount of the tax billed.  PLEASE BE SURE TO PAY THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 6, 2024 TO AVOID THE ADDITIONAL PENALTY.

Business Tax Portal

The City of Alexandria has created a new online business tax portal that allows businesses to securely access business tax accounts, view historical data, file tax returns, and make payments online.

You can now file and pay your Business, Professional, and Occupational License (BPOL) online using the Business Tax Portal!  We hope you find this new feature helpful and welcome your feedback.

To access the portal, click the button below or visit  businesstaxportal.alexandriava.gov.

To link accounts, use the one-time PIN mailed to your business in early April 2019 (your PIN can be retrieved any time by contacting the Business Tax Division at 703.746.4800) and your Business Account Number along with either your business’ Federal Employer Identification number or your Social Security number. Once the accounts are linked, you will be able to file and pay for taxes such as Business, Professional, and Occupational Licenses (BPOL), Business Personal Property, Meals, Transient Lodging, and Admission taxes online. 

Please note the PIN must be a 10-digit number.  If you received a PIN with fewer than 10 digits, add zeros at the beginning of the PIN to reach 10 digits.

Return Booklets by Email: The Department of Finance mails business tax returns to registered businesses each year.  Businesses that file meals taxes, transient lodging taxes, short-term rental taxes, or admissions taxes may choose to instead receive the annual return booklets by email.  To opt-in to receiving annual return booklets by email, please take the following steps.

  1. Log in to the Business Tax Portal and under the "Settings" menu you may select to electronically receive the returns, bills, and/or payment notifications.
  2. To opt-out from receiving the annual return booklets by mail, please also notify our office via email to businesstax@alexandriava.gov.  Please include the business name and account number(s) that you wish to exclude from receiving the returns by mail.

At this time, business license renewals and business personal property returns will continue to be mailed to all businesses registered with the City of Alexandria.

  • BUSINESS TAX PORTAL

Business License and Business Personal Property Taxes

  • Business License Tax Information 
    Pursuant to the Code of Virginia and the Virginia Administrative Code, extraordinary COVID-19 loans/grants such as Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and AEDP Back-2-Business (B2B) and Weather grants can be excluded from taxable gross receipts when filing the City’s Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax returns.

    Va. Code § 58.1-3732 (A)(4)
    23VAC10-500
    23VAC10-500-60
  • How the Business Tax is Calculated 
  • Additional Documentation for Business License Filing 
  • Business Personal Property Tax Information 
  • Short-Term Residential Rental Registry

Business Tax Forms

Make a Payment

Tax Forms

Tax Forms for Business Licenses, Property Taxes, Real Estate Tax, and Prior Year Forms.

Business License Renewals

Business License Renewal forms can be filed online and the preprinted renewals are mailed to license holders. Copies of the forms can be obtained from the online portal under correspondence of the license account.

  • BUSINESS TAX PORTAL

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Residential Rental Registry page

Other Business-Related Taxes

  • Admission Tax 
  • Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP), Small Business Services
  • Bank Franchise License Tax 
  • Cigarette Tax 
  • Communications Tax 
  • Consumer Utility Tax 
  • Gasoline Tax 
  • Meal Tax 
  • Public Rights-of-Way Use Fee 
  • Sales Tax 
  • Short-Term (Daily) Rental Tax 
  • Transient Lodging (Hotel) Tax 

Contact Us

For questions about operating a business in the City, and the City's business license and business personal property taxes, contact:

Business Tax
301 King St., Suite 1700
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.746.4800      
Email: businesstax@alexandriava.gov

Business may also visit the Finance Department Revenue Office at City Hall located at 301 King Street, Room 1700, Alexandria, VA 22314, or our West End Office located at 4850 Mark Center Drive, Suite 2011, Alexandria, VA 22311. Hours of Operations are 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday.   

For questions about any other business-related tax, please see the page for that tax as listed above or in the Alexandria Tax Guide.

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Alexandria City Hall
301 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

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