The Personal Property Tax Relief Act of 1998 provides tax relief on the first $20,000 of the assessed value for qualified passenger cars, motorcycles, and pickup or panel trucks having a registered gross weight of less than 7,501 pounds.

To qualify, a vehicle must:

• be owned by an individual or leased by an individual under a contract requiring the individuals to pay the personal property tax or held in a private trust for nonbusiness purposes by an individual beneficiary; AND
• be used 50% or less for business purposes.

Motor homes, trailers and farm use vehicles do not qualify for tax relief.

If you can answer YES to any of the following questions, your motor vehicle is considered by State Law to have a business use and does NOT qualify for Car Tax Relief.

• Is more than 50% of the mileage for the year used as a business expense for Federal Income Tax purposes OR reimbursed by an employer?
• Is more than 50% of the depreciation associated with the vehicle deducted as a business expense for Federal Income Tax purposes?
• Is the cost of the vehicle expensed pursuant to Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Service Code?
• Is the vehicle leased by an individual and the leasing company pays the tax without reimbursement from the individual?

For qualifying vehicles valued at $1,000 or less, your obligation to pay this tax has been eliminated.
Contact the Commissioner of the Revenue or Treasurer for assistance.

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Mobile home tax relief is available for elderly and disabled applicants that are sixty-five (65) years of age or totally disabled. Applicants must be on file on or before June 30th of each year. An application may be obtained via download or by contacting the Commissioner of the Revenue.

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Applying for Real Estate Tax Deferral for the Elderly and Disabled. Questions: call (757)926-3535

An application may be obtained via download or by contacting the Commissioner of the Revenue at (757) 926-3535 or email to commish@nngov.com.
Information and Instructions are also available here.
You may apply for this program beginning January 1 until August 31 each calendar year.
If you were granted approval last year, you will receive an application for this program in the mail in January of each calendar year.
You may also pick up an application at our two locations. At our main office of the Commissioner of the Revenue at 2400 Washington Ave and at our satellite office at 12912 Jefferson Ave in Newport News.
A notarized, completed and signed application for real estate tax deferral should be delivered to the following office location starting January 1 but no later than August 31 of each calendar year. 
 

CITY OF NEWPORT NEWS
COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE
2400 WASHINGTON AVENUE
NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA 23607

Newport News residents may also drop off their notarized, completed and signed application at our Commissioner of the Revenue's satellite office at 12912 Jefferson Avenue in Newport News.
A representative from the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue will determine if you are eligible for this program. We can also help you if you need assistance completing your annual application and will notarize your application free of charge.
If you have any questions regarding this information, please call our office at (757) 926-3535 or email us at commish@nngov.com.

 Solid Waste Fee Grant Relief Program
Your application for Real Estate Tax Deferral will automatically be used to determine your eligibility for relief from paying a portion of your solid waste fees. It is not necessary for you to take any action or file a separate application for the Solid Waste Fee Grant Relief Program.

The Real Estate Tax Deferral Program and the Solid Waste Fee Grant Program have different income guidelines. You will be notified of eligibility for both programs on your Real Estate Tax Deferral notice.

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Real Estate Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans (Began 1/1/ 2011)

This exemption was enacted by a constitutional amendment approved by Virginia voters on November 2, 2010. Subsequently, the 2011 General Assembly amended the Code of Virginia by adding code sections 58.1-3219.5 and 58.1-3219.6.

This legislation applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2011.  The City of Newport News assesses real estate tax for a fiscal year (FY) that begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year.

Therefore, this exemption becomes effective in Newport News for the fiscal year of July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012 (FY12) and applies to the December 5, 2011 bill and thereafter.  The exemption is not effective for the June 5, 2011 bill since that assessment is for the second half of the 2010-11 fiscal year (FY11).

The provisions of Code Section 58.1-3219.5 are as follows:

The General Assembly hereby exempts from taxation the real property, including the joint real property of husband and wife, of any veteran who has been rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to have a 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability, and who occupies the real property as his or her principal place of residence.

The surviving spouse of a veteran eligible for the exemption shall also qualify for the exemption, as long as the death of the veteran occurs on or after January 1, 2011, the surviving spouse does not remarry, and the surviving spouse continues to occupy the real property as his or her principal place of residence.
If you are a disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran, and you meet the above requirements, you must complete and sign the enclosed application, and provide the documents listed below, to be granted the exemption.

The veteran must provide the original, designated letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued to you attesting that you are 100% service-connected, permanently and totally disabled.

The surviving spouse of the disabled veteran must provide a copy of the veteran’s death certificate confirming a date of death on or after January 1, 2011; and certified documentation of marriage to the qualified veteran.

Effective January 1, 1994, pursuant to City Ordinance #4553-93, the City of Newport News began levying the motor vehicle of a physically handicapped individual at the rate of one dollar ($1.00) on every one hundred dollars ($100.00) of the assessed value.

Effective January 1, 1994, pursuant to City Ordinance #4563-94, the City of Newport News began levying, not more than one motor vehicle owned by and regularly used by a disabled veteran, at the rate of one dollar ($1.00) on every one hundred dollars ($100.00) of the assessed value.

The following is offered to assist you in the conditions you must meet to qualify for the tax reduction:

HANDICAPPED
Motor vehicles shall be adapted with one or more of the following devices:

• Power door operators
• Hand controls
• Lifts or ramps for wheelchairs or scooters
• Special restraints systems for wheelchairs
• Raised door and roof to allow wheelchair entry
• Special steering devices, such as, but not limited to "tripins" or "V grips"
• Driving aids such as, but not limited to, touch pads, low effort power steering, power steering back up, power parking brake or electronic directional signals
• Roll cages

Taxpayers may send a letter from the company who modified the vehicle or present the vehicle to the appropriate persons at the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue for physical inspection.

DISABLED VETERAN
A disabled veteran, means any veteran who has either lost, or lost the use of, one or both legs, or an arm, a hand, or who is blind, or who is permanently and totally disabled as certified by the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

• Veterans must provide a written statement to the Commissioner of the Revenue from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and complete the below Veterans Certificate of Disability.
• Disability must be classified as service connected by the Veterans' Affairs.

The Veterans Certificate of Disability, with instructions included, can be downloaded for printing.

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