Virginia Property Tax Appeal — 2026 Guide

How to Appeal Your Property Tax Assessment in Virginia

The general appeal process in Virginia:

1. Meet the deadline: Virginia sets no statewide real-estate appeal deadline. After an administrative review with the local assessing officer, a taxpayer applies to the local Board of Equalization (BOE), which sits for the time(s) needed to discharge its duties after giving at least 7 days' public notice (Va. Code §58.1-3378). The applicable deadline is fixed by each county or independent city off its own reassessment/assessment cycle and stated on the notice of change in assessment, which gives 'the time and place at which persons may appear before the officers making such reassessment or change and present objections thereto' and is mailed at least 15 days before the protest hearing (Va. Code §58.1-3330). Reassessment cadence varies by locality: counties reassess every 4 years (or every 3 by board vote) under §58.1-3252, cities every 2 years under §58.1-3251, with an annual/biennial option under §58.1-3253.
2. File a appeal: Contact your county's BOE or file online through your county's online portal.
3. Gather evidence: Market analysis, recent comparable sales, and documentation of property defects or errors.
4. Attend your hearing: Present your evidence to the Board of Equalization.
5. Escalate if needed: After the initial hearing, consider Local Board of Equalization (BOE) — file an application/complaint per the locality's deadline; the board hears complaints and equalizes assessments and may increase, decrease, or affirm value (Va. Code §§58.1-3378, 58.1-3379).