Chesterfield VA Property Tax: Rates, Assessments & Relief

Chesterfield VA property tax runs $0.89 per $100 of assessed value on real estate and $3.35 per $100 on vehicles and other personal property.¹² A home assessed at $350,000 owes $3,115 for the year. A car assessed at $15,000 owes $502.50 before state vehicle tax relief is applied. Both bills come from the Chesterfield County Treasurer, and both have hard deadlines with penalties that stack quickly if you miss them.

When Property Taxes Are Due

Chesterfield splits real estate tax into two installments. The first half is due June 5, and the second half is due December 5. Your full personal property tax bill on vehicles is also due June 5.³

Not getting a bill in the mail does not excuse a late payment. Virginia law lets localities charge a penalty of up to 10 percent on unpaid taxes plus interest of up to 10 percent per year starting the day after the due date. For personal property taxes more than 30 days overdue, the penalty can climb to 25 percent, and the county can add collection or attorney fees up to 20 percent of the delinquent balance.⁴ A missed deadline gets expensive fast.

How to Pay Your Chesterfield Tax Bill

You will need your bill number and the Real Estate Property Code (RPC) or account number from your statement. If the paper bill is missing, the Treasurer’s online search tool can look up your account.

Online through the Treasurer’s Citizen Portal, using e-check, debit card, or credit card, available around the clock.³
By mail with a check or money order to Chesterfield County Treasurer’s Office, P.O. Box 70, Chesterfield, VA 23832. Payments are processed locally.⁵
By drop box at the Lane B. Ramsey Administration Building and other satellite locations.
In person at the Treasurer’s teller windows during business hours.

Mail your payment early enough to arrive by the due date. The county’s guidance does not confirm that a postmark counts as timely payment, so plan for the check to physically arrive on time.

How Chesterfield Sets Your Assessment

Real Estate

The Department of Real Estate Assessments values every parcel annually, effective January 1. Virginia law requires the assessed value to represent 100 percent of fair market value, based on recent sales, neighborhood trends, and property characteristics.⁶ Assessment notices go out by February 1, giving you a window to review the new value before the first tax bill lands.

Vehicles and Other Personal Property

Vehicle values come from standardized pricing guides, not individual appraisals. Chesterfield uses the J.D. Power Used Car Guide for standard automobiles, a collectible vehicle guide for classics, and the ABOS Marine Blue Book for boats. All values are set as of January 1.²

Cars, trucks, motorcycles, low-speed vehicles, and motor homes are prorated monthly based on how much of the year you own or garage the vehicle in Chesterfield. Boats, trailers, and airplanes are not prorated.²

Appealing an Assessment You Think Is Too High

Chesterfield gives you two administrative appeal steps, and both have firm deadlines.

First, file an appeal with the Department of Real Estate Assessments by March 15. Applications received or postmarked after March 15 will not be processed. Your application needs supporting documentation: up to three comparable sales, a recent appraisal, or photos showing the property’s condition. Income-producing properties require three years of income and expense statements plus a current rent roll.⁷

If the department’s answer doesn’t resolve it, appeal to the Board of Equalization by April 15. The Board is independent, appointed by a Circuit Court judge, and trained by the Virginia Department of Taxation. You must have already appealed to the assessor’s office before going to the Board.⁷

Beyond the administrative path, Virginia Code 58.1-3984 lets a taxpayer go to Circuit Court, generally within three years of the last day of the tax year or one year from the assessment date, whichever is later. The taxpayer carries the burden of proving the value is above fair market value.⁸

Real Estate Tax Relief for Seniors and Disabled Residents

Homeowners who are at least 65 or permanently and totally disabled can qualify for real estate tax relief in Chesterfield. Your total household income must be under $65,400, and your assets, excluding the home itself, cannot exceed $514,000.⁹¹⁰¹¹

Exemption for Disabled Veterans

Veterans rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability are fully exempt from real estate tax on their principal residence, including up to one acre of land. The exemption depends on the disability rating itself, not on the level of VA compensation. When a qualifying veteran buys a new home after being rated, the exemption starts on the acquisition date.¹²

A surviving spouse keeps the exemption as long as the veteran died on or after January 1, 2011, and the spouse does not remarry. The spouse can move to a different principal residence and keep the exemption.¹²

Vehicle Tax Relief Under PPTRA

Virginia’s Personal Property Tax Relief Act reduces the tax on qualifying vehicles. In Chesterfield, PPTRA relief applies to the first $20,000 of a vehicle’s assessed value, and the county sets a relief percentage each year (recently 44 percent). The credit shows up automatically on qualifying bills, so no application is needed. Motor homes and RVs do not qualify.² Check the current year’s percentage on your bill, since it can shift with each budget.

What Happens if Property Taxes Stay Unpaid

Real estate that remains delinquent long enough can be sold. Under Virginia law, a parcel becomes eligible for judicial sale when taxes are still unpaid on December 31 following the second anniversary of the original due date. The county files suit in Circuit Court, and a special commissioner runs the sale.¹³

The owner can stop the sale at any time before it closes by paying all delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and court costs. The county must send notice to the owner’s last known address at least 30 days in advance and publish a list of properties in a local newspaper. From filing to sale, the process usually runs several months to about 18 months.¹³

Deducting Chesterfield Property Taxes on Your Federal Return

Both real estate and personal property taxes paid to Chesterfield count toward the federal state and local tax (SALT) deduction if you itemize. For the 2026 tax year, the SALT cap is $40,400 for most filers and $20,200 for married filing separately, with a 1 percent annual increase through 2029 before dropping back to $10,000 in 2030. Taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income above $505,000 in 2026 see the SALT cap gradually reduced.¹⁴

Itemizing only helps if your total itemized deductions beat the standard deduction for your filing status. If your mortgage lender pays your property taxes through escrow, the amount should appear on IRS Form 1098, but keep your Chesterfield receipts as backup.¹⁵

1
Chesterfield County. Board of Supervisors Approves Real Estate Tax Rate Reduction, Adopts Fiscal Year 2026 Budget
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Chesterfield County, VA. Personal Property Taxes
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Chesterfield County. Treasurer
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Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 58.1-3916 – Counties, Cities, and Towns May Provide Dates for Filing and Penalties
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Chesterfield County. Chesterfield Residents Have Several Options for Tax Payments
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Chesterfield County, VA. Real Estate Assessments
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Chesterfield County, VA. Appeal of Real Estate Assessment
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Virginia Law. Code of Virginia 58.1-3984 – Court Relief From Local Tax Assessments
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Chesterfield County, VA. Real Estate Tax Relief and Exemptions
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Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 58.1-3210 – Exemption or Deferral of Taxes on Property of Certain Elderly Individuals and Individuals With Disabilities
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Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 58.1-3212 – Local Restrictions and Exemptions
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Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 58.1-3219.5 – Exemption From Taxes on Property for Disabled Veterans
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Chesterfield County. Delinquent Billings, Late Payments and Judicial Sales
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 164 – Taxes
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Internal Revenue Service. New and Enhanced Deductions for Individuals