Henrico Property Tax Rates, Deadlines, and Exemptions

Henrico County taxes real estate at $0.83 per $100 of assessed value and most cars, trucks, and motorcycles at $3.35 per $100.¹ Property tax bills are split into two halves, due June 5 and December 5, and a handful of relief programs can lower what you actually owe. The rest of this guide walks through the rates, deadlines, penalties, and exemptions in the order most Henrico property owners need them.

Current Tax Rates

The Board of Supervisors sets Henrico’s tax rates each spring during the budget process, so the figures below can shift from one year to the next:

Real estate: $0.83 per $100 of assessed value
Cars, trucks, and motorcycles: $3.35 per $100 of assessed value
Business tangible personal property: $3.50 per $100 of assessed value
Machinery and tools used in manufacturing or mining: $0.30 per $100 of assessed value

All four come from the county’s approved rate schedule.¹ For qualifying vehicles, the amount actually billed is usually lower than the base rate because of state-funded relief, covered below.

Real estate is assessed at 100 percent of fair market value, as Virginia law requires.² The county mails each owner an annual notice of assessment showing the updated value. If the rate holds steady and your assessed value climbs 10 percent, your bill climbs 10 percent too, so the notice is worth reading before the bill arrives.

Payment Due Dates and How to Pay

Property taxes in Henrico come in two installments. The first half is due on or before June 5, and the second half on or before December 5. When either date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.³

You’ll need the account number and Parcel ID printed on the top right of your bill for any payment method. If the paper bill is lost, the Treasury Division can look it up by property address.

The county’s online portal accepts credit cards, debit cards, and e-checks around the clock, and there are currently no processing fees for online, phone, or cash payments.⁴ Mailed checks or money orders should be payable to “Henrico County” and sent to the Treasury Division’s P.O. box with the remittance slip from your bill; a single check can cover multiple bills as long as each slip is enclosed.⁵ In-person payments are taken at the cashier windows in the Henrico Government Center and the Western Government Center.

Penalties and Interest for Late Payments

Henrico adds a 10 percent late-payment penalty to any balance received after a deadline. Interest then accrues at 4 percent per year on the unpaid amount, starting the first of the month after the due date.⁶

In practical terms: a $2,000 installment paid late picks up $200 in penalty right away, with interest compounding on top. Two dates on the calendar, June 5 and December 5, are the simplest way to avoid that.

Vehicle Tax Relief

Virginia’s Personal Property Tax Relief Act offsets part of the tax on qualifying passenger vehicles. In Henrico, a car or truck assessed at $1,000 or less gets 100 percent relief, meaning you owe nothing on it. Above $1,000, the county applies a 42 percent relief rate to the first $20,000 of assessed value.⁷

The relief shows up automatically on your bill; no application is needed. The bill lists the full tax, the relief amount, and the net balance. Because the relief percentage can shift from year to year as state funding changes, the figure on the current bill is the one that governs.

Relief for Seniors and Disabled Residents

Henrico runs two programs that cut or freeze real estate taxes for older homeowners and those with permanent disabilities. Both share an April 1 filing deadline each year, with first-time applicants and hardship cases accepted through December 31.⁸

Real Estate Advantage Program (REAP)

REAP provides a tax exemption of up to $3,200 per year. To qualify, you must be at least 65 years old or 100 percent permanently and totally disabled as of December 31 of the prior year. The combined income of you, your spouse, any co-owners, and relatives living in the home cannot exceed $75,000, and combined net worth (excluding the dwelling and up to ten acres around it) cannot exceed $500,000.⁸

Real Estate Cap Program (RECAP)

RECAP freezes your real estate tax bill at the level it was when you entered the program. If the assessed value rises in later years, your bill stays the same. The thresholds are higher: up to $125,000 in combined household income and up to $750,000 in net worth, again excluding the home and up to ten acres. The age and disability requirements match REAP’s.⁹

For both programs, if you qualify and later move into a nursing home, assisted living facility, or hospice, the relief continues as long as you don’t sell or rent out the property.⁹ Applications require documentation such as tax returns and proof of age or disability.

Disabled Veterans Exemption

Veterans with a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can receive a full real estate tax exemption on their principal residence and up to one acre of surrounding land.¹⁰ There are no income or net worth limits.

The exemption extends to the surviving spouse of a qualifying veteran as long as the spouse has not remarried, and to surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty under the same terms. If the surviving spouse moves to a different home in Virginia, the exemption transfers to the new residence.¹¹

Appealing Your Assessment

If you believe your property’s assessed value is too high, based on incorrect property details, or out of line with similar homes nearby, you can file an appeal. The deadline is April 1 each year; if April 1 falls on a weekend, the deadline extends to the following Monday at 11:59 p.m.¹² Appeal forms can be requested by emailing AssessmentAppeal@henrico.gov or calling 804-501-4300.¹³

After the county reviews your case and issues a recommended assessment, you can request a hearing before the Board of Real Estate Review and Equalization, a citizen panel independent of the assessment office. If the board’s decision still doesn’t resolve the matter, the next step is filing a case in Circuit Court.¹²

Pay your tax bill on time while the appeal is pending. If the appeal lowers the assessment, the county adjusts the bill and refunds any overpayment. Skipping payment while you wait only adds penalties and interest to whatever you ultimately owe.¹²

Business Personal Property

Businesses operating in Henrico must file a return each year listing their tangible personal property, which includes furniture, fixtures, equipment, and computers. The filing deadline is March 1, and missing it triggers a 10 percent penalty on the total personal property tax owed.¹⁴

The base rate on most business personal property is $3.50 per $100 of assessed value.¹⁵ Manufacturing and mining equipment classified as machinery and tools is taxed at $0.30 per $100.¹ New Henrico businesses, and existing ones that have acquired significant equipment, should treat the March 1 return as a hard deadline.

1
Henrico County, Virginia. Approved Tax Rates and Schedule
2
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3201 – What Real Estate to Be Taxed; Amount of Assessment
3
Henrico County, Virginia. Important Tax Dates
4
Henrico County, Virginia. Payment Options
5
Henrico County, Virginia. Pay by Mail
6
Henrico County, Virginia. Real Estate and Personal Property Due Dates/Penalties and Interest
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Henrico County, Virginia. Personal Property Tax Relief (PPTRA)
8
Henrico County, Virginia. Real Estate Advantage Program (REAP)
9
Henrico County, Virginia. Real Estate Cap Program (RECAP)
10
Henrico County. Real Estate Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans
11
Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Tax Exemptions – Section: Real Estate Property Exemptions
12
Henrico County, Virginia. Real Estate Assessment Appeal
13
Henrico County, Virginia. Real Estate Assessment
14
Henrico County, Virginia. Business Personal Property Tax
15
Henrico County, Virginia. Property Tax – Business