Property tax in McLean, Virginia is set and collected by Fairfax County, because McLean is an unincorporated community with no separate municipal government. For 2026, the county’s base real estate tax rate is $1.1225 per $100 of assessed value,1Fairfax County, Virginia. Real Estate Tax Rates but most McLean homeowners pay more than that once small district levies are added. Bills come in two installments, due July 28 and December 5.
What a McLean Homeowner Actually Pays
Start with the base county rate of $1.1225 per $100 of assessed value. On a home assessed at $800,000, that alone is $8,980 a year.
Most McLean properties sit inside Small District 1A, which funds the McLean Community Center and adds $0.023 per $100 of assessed value.1Fairfax County, Virginia. Real Estate Tax Rates Two other charges reach across the county and typically hit McLean addresses as well:
- Stormwater Service District: $0.0325 per $100 for 2026, funding stormwater infrastructure and drainage.1Fairfax County, Virginia. Real Estate Tax Rates
- Leaf Collection: $0.019 per $100 for properties inside designated sanitary leaf districts.2Fairfax County. Fund 40130 – Leaf Collection
A McLean homeowner inside all four districts pays a combined effective rate of roughly $1.196 per $100. On an $800,000 assessment, the full annual bill works out to about $9,568. Not every McLean parcel is in the leaf district, so your own total depends on your address. The county’s online real estate assessment lookup will show which districts apply to your property.
How Your Assessment Is Set
Fairfax County’s Department of Tax Administration (DTA) values every parcel at fair market value as of January 1 each year,3Fairfax County, Virginia. Real Estate Assessments and Taxes using mass appraisal that draws on recent sales and neighborhood trends rather than inspecting homes one by one. The figure is meant to reflect what the property would sell for on the open market.
Assessment notices begin arriving by mail in mid-February.3Fairfax County, Virginia. Real Estate Assessments and Taxes Each notice shows the new value next to last year’s, so the change is easy to see. Read it carefully, because this is the number your bill is calculated from.
If You Think the Assessment Is Too High
You can appeal if the assessed value exceeds what your home would actually sell for, or if it’s out of line with comparable nearby properties. A large year-over-year jump, by itself, is not a legal basis for appeal; you need market-value evidence or a comparability argument.4Fairfax County. Real Estate Assessment Appeals
Two separate tracks are available, each with a firm 2026 deadline:
- Administrative appeal to the DTA, filed online, by email, or postmarked by April 1, 2026.4Fairfax County. Real Estate Assessment Appeals
- Board of Equalization (BOE) appeal, postmarked or submitted by June 1, 2026. The BOE is independent of the DTA.5Fairfax County. Board of Equalization Assessment Appeals
The strongest residential appeals rest on comparable sales showing your home is overvalued against similar homes that recently sold. Be sure of your evidence before filing: an appeal can leave the value unchanged, lower it, or raise it.6Fairfax County, Virginia. Online Real Estate Appeal Application – Residential Properties Only
When and How to Pay
Real estate taxes are due in two equal installments, July 28 and December 5. If either date falls on a weekend, the deadline rolls to the next business day.7Fairfax County. Real Estate Tax – Frequently Asked Questions
You can pay online by electronic check or by credit or debit card through a third-party processor, by mail with the payment voucher, by phone, or in person at the Fairfax County Government Center during business hours.8Fairfax County, Virginia. Pay Taxes and Fees If your lender escrows your taxes, it receives the bill and pays on your behalf. Confirm the transfer before each deadline anyway; the responsibility stays with you.
What Happens If You’re Late
Missing an installment triggers an automatic 10% penalty on the unpaid amount, with interest accruing at 1% per year.9Fairfax County, Virginia. I’ve Missed a Due Date – Now What? The penalty applies to each installment separately, so missing both in one year means two 10% hits. On a $9,500 annual bill, that’s close to $1,000 in penalties on top of what you already owe.
Programs That Can Lower the Bill
Seniors and People with Disabilities
Fairfax County runs a graduated relief program, authorized under Virginia law, for homeowners who are at least 65 or permanently and totally disabled.10Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3210 – Exemption or Deferral of Taxes on Property of Certain Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities The property must be your primary residence, and you must pass both an income test and a net worth test.
For 2026, relief is tiered by total gross household income from the prior year, including income from all owners and any relatives in the home:11Fairfax County, Virginia. Tax Relief for Seniors and People with Disabilities
- $60,000 or less: 100% exemption
- $60,001 to $70,000: 75% exemption
- $70,001 to $80,000: 50% exemption
- $80,001 to $90,000: 25% exemption
Across all tiers, the combined net worth of the owners and any spouse living in the home cannot exceed $400,000. The home itself and up to one acre of its land are excluded from that calculation.11Fairfax County, Virginia. Tax Relief for Seniors and People with Disabilities
A separate deferral is available for incomes between $90,001 and $100,000. Deferred taxes aren’t forgiven; they come due when the property is sold or transferred.11Fairfax County, Virginia. Tax Relief for Seniors and People with Disabilities
Disabled Veterans
Virginia fully exempts from real estate tax the primary residence of any veteran rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as 100% service-connected, permanent, and totally disabled.12Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3219.5 – Exemption from Taxes on Property for Disabled Veterans Veterans rated below 100% but paid at the 100% level for individual unemployability also qualify.13Fairfax County, Virginia. Tax Exemption for Disabled Veteran or Surviving Spouse The exemption covers the dwelling and up to one acre.
Surviving spouses who have not remarried keep the exemption, and they can move to a different primary residence without losing it.12Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3219.5 – Exemption from Taxes on Property for Disabled Veterans To apply, submit the VA’s Summary of Benefits letter confirming the 100% rating. The county does not accept a DD-214 for this purpose.13Fairfax County, Virginia. Tax Exemption for Disabled Veteran or Surviving Spouse
Solar Energy Equipment
Install qualifying solar equipment and you can claim a five-year exemption on the value the system adds to your property. Eligible equipment includes solar water heaters, space heating and cooling systems, passive solar features such as south-facing collector windows, and thermal storage.14Fairfax County, Virginia. Solar Energy Equipment Tax Exemption The application requires plans, a description of how the equipment works, and installation cost documentation, and it’s worth filing as soon as the system is operational.
Vehicle Tax Is Separate
Property tax in Fairfax County isn’t limited to real estate. The county also taxes vehicles, at $4.57 per $100 of assessed value, which is well above the real estate rate.15Fairfax County. Vehicle Tax Rate Virginia’s Personal Property Tax Relief Act covers 49% of the tax owed on the first $20,000 of a personal-use vehicle’s assessed value for 2026; business vehicles don’t qualify.16Fairfax County, Virginia. Vehicle Tax Subsidy If you register your vehicle with the DMV within the 30 days Virginia law requires, the county files your personal property tax return automatically. Missing a required filing carries a penalty of 10% of the tax due or $10, whichever is greater.17Fairfax County, Virginia. Vehicle Taxes – Frequently Asked Questions