Suffolk, Virginia’s real estate tax rate is $1.07 per $100 of assessed value through June 30, 2026, with higher rates in two special districts. Bills come due in two installments each year — December 5 and June 5 — and late payments trigger a 10% penalty plus 10% annual interest. The city also taxes vehicles, boats, and other personal property, and offers relief programs for seniors, disabled residents, and disabled veterans.1City of Suffolk, Virginia. Real Estate Taxes
Real Estate Tax Rates by District
Your rate depends on where the property sits:
- Citywide: $1.07 per $100 of assessed value
- Downtown Business District: $1.175 per $100
- Route 17 Taxing District: $1.31 per $100
To figure your bill, divide the assessed value by 100 and multiply by the rate. A home assessed at $275,000 in the citywide district owes $2,942.50 for the year. The City Council sets these rates each year as part of the budget.1City of Suffolk, Virginia. Real Estate Taxes
Personal Property Tax Rates
Tangible personal property garaged or kept in Suffolk is taxed separately. Rates per $100 of assessed value:
- Cars, motorcycles, trucks, and trailers: $4.25
- Boats: $1.50
- Recreational vehicles: $1.50
- Manufactured homes: $1.11
- Airplanes: $0.58
- Machinery and tools: $3.15
Vehicle tax is prorated based on how many months the vehicle is registered in Suffolk during the year. Boats and airplanes are not prorated. Personal property tax is due in one installment on December 5.2City of Suffolk, Virginia. Personal Property Taxes
Payment Deadlines
Real estate taxes are billed in halves. The first half is due December 5, and the second half June 5 of the following year.3City of Suffolk, Virginia. Specific Due Dates If you can’t find your bill, the treasurer’s office can issue a duplicate, or you can look up the account online.
How to Pay
The City Treasurer accepts several payment methods:
- Mail a check or money order using the envelope that came with your bill
- Drop a payment in a contact-free box at a municipal building
- Pay online by electronic check or credit card
- Use the automated phone system at 1-866-791-4845
Suffolk dropped all convenience fees for tax payments on July 1, 2021. Online, phone, and in-person card payments cost the same as a mailed check — just the tax owed.4City of Suffolk, Virginia. Payment Methods
What Late Payment Costs
A payment received after the due date gets hit with a 10% penalty plus 10% annual interest. Online or phone payments started after midnight on the due date count as late, so leave yourself a cushion.5City of Suffolk, Virginia. Tele-Pay Payments
Virginia law caps the real estate late-payment penalty at 10% and lets localities charge up to 10% interest in the first year. After the first year, interest can rise to the greater of 10% or the federal underpayment rate. The city may also recover attorney or collection agency fees of up to 20% of the delinquent amount.6Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3916
Real estate taxes left unpaid more than two years past the due date can trigger a judicial sale of the property at public auction. The treasurer must send written notice and publish a list of properties at least 30 days before filing suit. For properties assessed at $100,000 or less, or those with condemned or blighted structures, the clock can be as short as one year.7Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3965
Tax Relief for Seniors and Disabled Residents
Suffolk offers partial or full real estate tax relief to homeowners who are at least 65 or permanently and totally disabled, under authority granted by Virginia law.8Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3210 For the 2025–2026 cycle:
- Combined gross household income cannot exceed $75,583
- Net worth, excluding the home and up to 10 acres, cannot exceed $338,759
- The first $10,000 of a relative’s income is excluded from the household income calculation
You must apply every year with the Suffolk Department of Social Services between January 1 and June 30 of the year preceding the tax year you want covered. Walk-in appointments run Monday through Thursday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., or you can call (757) 514-4870.9City of Suffolk, Virginia. Tax Relief Program
Disabled Veteran Exemption
Veterans rated 100% service-connected, permanent, and totally disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs get a full real estate tax exemption on their primary residence and up to one acre of land. This is a statewide requirement, not something Suffolk chose to adopt.10Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3219.5
Surviving spouses keep the exemption as long as they don’t remarry, and Virginia law lets a surviving spouse move to a different principal residence without losing it.10Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3219.5
Solar Equipment Exemption
Residential solar systems with a capacity of 25 kilowatts or less are automatically exempt from state and local taxation under Virginia law. Larger systems only qualify where the locality has adopted an ordinance; a local exemption, once enacted, must last at least five years. The equipment has to be certified by the local building department.11Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3661
Appealing Your Assessment
If your assessed value seems too high or out of line with similar homes, start with an informal review at the assessor’s office. Bring evidence — recent comparable sales, an independent appraisal, anything showing the number doesn’t match fair market value.
If that doesn’t resolve it, file a formal appeal with the Board of Equalization using the application the assessor’s office provides for the current tax year.12City of Suffolk, Virginia. Real Estate Assessor The burden is on you to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the property is assessed above fair market value or that generally accepted appraisal practices weren’t used.13Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code – Article 14, Boards of Equalization The board can lower, affirm, or raise the assessment, though it must notify you before any increase. Appeal deadlines are set locally and printed on your notice of assessment, so read that notice when it arrives.