Franklin County, Virginia property tax runs $0.47 per $100 of assessed value on real estate and $2.41 per $100 on vehicles for 2026, with bills split into two installments due June 5 and December 5.1Franklin County, VA. Tax Rates and Due Dates A home assessed at $200,000 owes $940 a year; a $15,000 vehicle owes $361.50. Several programs can reduce or eliminate what you pay if you qualify.
2026 Tax Rates by Property Type
The Board of Supervisors sets rates each spring after reviewing the county budget.2Franklin County, Virginia. 2024 Reassessment Every rate is expressed per $100 of assessed value.1Franklin County, VA. Tax Rates and Due Dates
- Real estate: $0.47, covering residential, agricultural, and commercial land and structures.
- Personal property: $2.41, applied to cars, trucks, motorcycles, and trailers.
- Mobile homes: $0.43, taxed separately from both real estate and standard personal property.
- Machinery and tools: $0.70, covering business equipment used in manufacturing and similar operations.
Personal property is where new residents get surprised. The Commissioner of the Revenue values vehicles using standardized pricing guides based on make, model, year, and mileage, so the assessed value usually drops each year as the vehicle depreciates. Real estate values, by contrast, are set by a third-party appraisal firm on a periodic reassessment cycle and typically hold steady between reassessments unless you improve the property.2Franklin County, Virginia. 2024 Reassessment
When Payments Are Due and How to Pay
Real estate and personal property taxes both bill in two equal installments. The first half is due June 5 and the second half December 5.1Franklin County, VA. Tax Rates and Due Dates
You have four ways to pay:
- By mail: check or money order payable to “Franklin County Treasurer,” sent to 1255 Franklin Street, Suite 101, Rocky Mount, VA 24151.
- In person at the Treasurer’s Office at the same address, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Online through the county’s payment portal.
- By phone at 1-888-272-9829.
Online and phone payments may include a convenience fee, so check current charges before submitting. If installments are hard to budget for, the Treasurer’s Office accepts prepayments of any amount at any time during the year. Write your account number on the check and note that it’s a prepayment.1Franklin County, VA. Tax Rates and Due Dates
Penalties and Interest for Late Payment
Missing June 5 or December 5 triggers both a penalty and running interest. Virginia law authorizes a late-payment penalty of up to 10 percent of the past-due amount. For personal property taxes more than 30 days overdue, the penalty can rise to 25 percent.3Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3916 – Counties, Cities, and Towns May Provide Dates for Filing Returns and Paying Taxes Interest begins the day after the due date at up to 10 percent per year.
These charges compound quickly. On a $1,000 bill, a 10 percent penalty plus a year of interest at 10 percent adds $200. If you’ve fallen behind, the Treasurer’s Office at (540) 483-3078 can quote your exact balance and arrange payment.
Ways to Lower Your Bill
Elderly and Disabled Real Estate Exemption
Franklin County offers a real estate tax exemption for owners who are at least 65 or permanently and totally disabled. Virginia authorizes localities to set their own thresholds.4Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3210 – Exemption or Deferral of Taxes on Property of Certain Elderly Individuals and Individuals With Disabilities Franklin County’s limits:
- Household income cannot exceed $38,000.
- Combined net worth of the owner and spouse cannot exceed $110,000, excluding the dwelling and up to five acres.
The property must be your primary residence, and you must both own and occupy it.5Franklin County, Virginia. Elderly or Disabled Real Estate Tax Relief File an application with the Commissioner of the Revenue with supporting income statements or medical certification of disability before the local deadline to have relief applied for the upcoming tax year.
Disabled Veteran Exemptions
Veterans rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at 100 percent service-connected, permanent and total disability qualify for a full real estate tax exemption on their primary residence. This is guaranteed by the Virginia Constitution, so it applies automatically in Franklin County.6Virginia Code Commission. Constitution of Virginia – Article X, Section 6-A If the veteran dies, a surviving spouse keeps the exemption as long as they don’t remarry, and can move it to a new principal residence.
A separate provision exempts one motor vehicle owned and primarily used by or for a 100 percent disabled veteran from personal property tax. The vehicle must be a passenger car, pickup, or panel truck registered for personal use. Either spouse’s vehicle can qualify if the veteran is married. This exemption does not transfer to a surviving spouse.7Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3668 – Motor Vehicle of a Disabled Veteran
Apply through the Commissioner of the Revenue with your VA disability documentation.
Land Use for Farms, Forest, and Open Space
Owners of qualifying farmland, forestland, or open space can be taxed on the land’s use value instead of its market value, which usually cuts the bill sharply. Each category has its own rules:8Franklin County, VA. Land Use
- Agricultural or horticultural: at least five qualifying acres (one acre excluded if a dwelling exists), actively producing crops, livestock, or horticultural products for sale, generating at least $1,000 gross income per year averaged over three years, with a five-year farming history before qualifying in year six.
- Forest: at least 20 acres devoted exclusively to forest use under a forestal commitment agreement. Clear-cutting requires Department of Forestry supervision.
- Open space: at least five acres in specific parks, historical, or recreational uses, under a formal agreement with the Board of Supervisors recorded with the Clerk of Circuit Court. Unused open land does not qualify.
Contiguous parcels under the same ownership can be added together to meet the minimum, but recorded subdivision lots cannot.
File new applications by November 1 of the year before you want land use taxation to start. Late applications are accepted through December 31 with a $10 per parcel fee. Enrollment must be revalidated every six years.9Franklin County, VA. Application Process
One warning before you enroll. If the land later comes out of qualifying use or drops below the minimum acreage, the county assesses rollback taxes for up to six years, equal to the difference between what you paid under land use and what you would have paid at full market value, plus simple interest. Voluntary withdrawal is allowed at any time, but rollback exposure follows a use change for six years after withdrawal.10Franklin County, VA. Roll-Back Taxes
Appealing Your Assessment
If a reassessment notice shows a value that looks too high, start with the Real Estate Assessors directly. Many disputes get resolved once the assessor hears about conditions they didn’t know about, like structural damage or repairs needed.
If that doesn’t resolve it, the next step is a formal appeal to the Board of Equalization, a five-member panel appointed by the Circuit Court of Franklin County.11Franklin County, Virginia. Property Assessments You carry the burden of showing the assessor made an error. The strongest evidence is recent sales of comparable properties or documentation of property conditions the assessor missed. A professional appraisal helps but typically costs several hundred dollars.
Appeal applications are on the county’s reassessment page, and the county references a 45-day notice period in its Board of Equalization materials.2Franklin County, Virginia. 2024 Reassessment Filing deadlines shift with when notices are mailed, so confirm the current cycle’s deadline with the Commissioner of the Revenue before you file.