Property Tax Proration in Northern Virginia: Who Pays at Settlement?
Property Tax Proration in Northern Virginia: Who Pays What at Settlement & When
In Northern Virginia, the seller pays real estate taxes through the settlement date and the buyer pays from that day forward. Your title/settlement company calculates the split from the current tax bill and shows the credit on the settlement statement. Second-half bills come due December 5 in Loudoun and Prince William counties, December 7 in Fairfax County this year (December 5 is a Saturday), November 15 in Alexandria, and October 5 in Arlington. When you close before that bill is paid, the seller's share of the months they owned the home is credited to the buyer, who then pays the full bill.
- The seller owes taxes through the settlement date. The buyer owns every day after it.
- Fairfax's second-half bill is due Monday, December 7, 2026. Loudoun and Prince William are due December 5.
- On an $800,000 Fairfax home closing October 30, the seller's credit to the buyer is about $2,946.
- Contract wording, estimated bills, and lender escrow can all move your final number.
- Ask your settlement agent for the proration worksheet at least three days before closing.
Northern Virginia Tax Due Dates: Which Bill Lands After Your Closing & Why It Matters
Real estate tax in Northern Virginia is billed in two installments, and each one covers six months. The first covers January through June. The second covers July through December. Whichever bill is still unpaid on your closing day decides who fronts the money and who gets a credit.
Here are the 2026 due dates from each locality's published schedule:
| Jurisdiction | First-half due | Second-half due |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | July 28 | December 5 (moves to Monday, December 7, 2026) |
| Loudoun County | June 5 | December 5 |
| Prince William County | July 15 | December 5 |
| Arlington County | June 15 | October 5 |
| City of Alexandria | June 15 | November 15 |
Offices change schedules, so confirm your exact date with the county treasurer before you rely on it.
Rates matter too. Fairfax County adopted a real estate tax rate of $1.12 per $100 of assessed value for FY2027, down from $1.1225. Alexandria's published rate is $1.135 per $100. Loudoun posts its current rate on the county's tax rate page. Some towns, including Vienna and Herndon, add a separate town tax on top of the county bill, and a few properties sit in special tax districts with an extra levy.
Fall closings are where people get surprised. If you're closing in Fairfax County in October or November, the second-half bill usually hasn't been paid yet. Nobody has written a check for the months you owned the home. Settlement is where that gets squared away.
If you think your assessment is too high, that's a separate deadline and a separate fight. I covered it in how Fairfax County assessment appeals work so you can plan for next cycle. Your specific number depends on your assessment, your closing date, and your contract - that's where a local net sheet comes in.
How Proration Works: An $800,000 Fairfax County Example & the Math at Settlement
Proration just means splitting the tax bill by days of ownership. Your contract sets the cutoff day. This example assumes the seller owns the home through the day before settlement, and settlement is October 30, 2026.
- Find the annual tax. $800,000 assessed value x $1.12 per $100 = $8,960 per year.
- Isolate the second-half bill. Half of $8,960 is $4,480, covering July 1 through December 31 (184 days).
- Count the seller's days. July 1 through October 29 is 121 days.
- Calculate the seller's share. $4,480 x 121 / 184 = about $2,946.
- Calculate the buyer's share. The remaining 63 days (October 30 through December 31) come to about $1,534.
- Read the settlement statement. The seller credits the buyer about $2,946. The buyer then pays the full $4,480 to the county in December, or the lender's escrow account does.
The flip side works the same way. Say the seller already paid the $4,480 bill and you close December 15. Now the buyer credits the seller for the 17 days left in the year, about $414.
A few details can nudge the math:
- Day-count method. Some settlement agents use actual days, others use a 30-day-month convention. Ask which one applies.
- Estimated bills. If the bill hasn't been issued yet, the agent often uses the prior bill or the current assessment times the adopted rate. Ask whether the contract calls for a true-up later.
- Cutoff day. Whether the seller owns the closing day or the buyer does is set by your contract's proration clause.
This is exactly the kind of line item I walk my sellers through before we list, so it's already in your net sheet instead of showing up on settlement day.
Settlement Surprises: Escrow Deposits, Unpaid Bills & What to Ask Before You Sign
Buyers: proration is not your escrow deposit. If you're financing, your lender sets up an escrow account for future tax and insurance bills. At settlement you fund an initial deposit, and federal RESPA rules cap the cushion your lender can hold at two months of payments. The seller's proration credit covers the months before you owned the home. The escrow deposit covers bills still ahead of you. They're two different lines.
Sellers: unpaid bills come out of your proceeds. Real estate taxes are a lien on the property. If the first-half bill is unpaid or delinquent, the title/settlement company pays it from your proceeds at the table, along with any penalty and interest. In Alexandria, for example, late payment adds a 5 percent penalty within 15 days and 10 percent after that. Check your county treasurer's online account before you list.
Don't mix this up with other tax line items. Proration is a split of the regular bill. If your property is in land-use assessment, a rollback tax bill is separate, and I explain who pays it in rollback taxes at settlement. The seller-paid grantor's tax and the Northern Virginia regional congestion relief fee also appear on the settlement statement as their own charges.
Questions to ask your settlement agent:
- Which tax bill or assessment are you using for the proration?
- Which day-count method, and who owns the settlement day?
- Is anything re-prorated if the real bill comes in different?
- Are any special tax districts or town taxes included?
- When will I see the proration worksheet?
Whether you're closing in Reston, Ashburn, Arlington, or Alexandria, the math is the same. Only the due dates and rates change. Virginia is a caveat emptor state and the contract rules, so read the proration clause before you sign.
Frequently Asked Questions: Property Taxes at Settlement in Northern Virginia
Q: Who pays property taxes at closing in Northern Virginia?
A: Both sides do, for the days they own the home. The seller pays through the settlement date, the buyer pays after it, and the title/settlement company splits the bill on the settlement statement. In Fairfax County the second-half bill is due December 7 this year, so many fall closings land before it is paid. See how this works across Fairfax County.
Q: What if the tax bill hasn't been issued by my settlement date?
A: The settlement agent estimates it, usually from the prior bill or the current assessment times the adopted rate. Loudoun County, for example, mails second-half bills in late October. Ask whether your contract re-prorates after the real bill arrives. More answers like this are on the blog index.
Q: Does the buyer's lender collect property taxes at closing?
A: If your loan has an escrow account, yes. You fund an initial deposit at settlement, and the lender's cushion is capped at two months under RESPA. That deposit is separate from the seller's proration credit. Buyers in Ashburn and across Loudoun see both lines on the Closing Disclosure.
Q: What happens if the seller hasn't paid the first-half taxes?
A: The title/settlement company pays unpaid or delinquent real estate taxes from the seller's proceeds, plus any penalty and interest, because the tax is a lien on the property. Land-use properties can also owe rollback taxes, which I explain in this rollback tax guide.
Q: Are property taxes the same in Fairfax, Alexandria, and Arlington?
A: No. Fairfax County's adopted FY2027 rate is $1.12 per $100, Alexandria's published rate is $1.135 per $100, and each locality sets its own due dates. Towns such as Vienna and Herndon add a town tax. To see how your own closing numbers shake out, request a free home valuation and net sheet.
Ready to See Your Real Numbers?
If you're thinking about selling and want to know exactly what your Northern Virginia home is worth right now, I'd be glad to put together a free home valuation for you, including a personalized net sheet that shows your real proceeds after prorations, grantor's tax, and the regional fee. Find out what your home is worth today. Prefer to talk it through? Schedule a consultation here.
This post is general information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm due dates, rates, and your contract's proration clause with your county treasurer and your title/settlement company.
About Samantha Bard, REALTOR®
Samantha Bard is a licensed REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Realty specializing in the Fairfax County and broader DC Metro real estate markets. As an Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) and Seller Representative Specialist (SRS), she provides strategic, detail-oriented guidance to buyers, sellers, and investors navigating everything from first-time purchases to probate sales and out-of-state relocations. She is dedicated to helping clients across Northern Virginia make informed, confident real estate decisions.
License #0225198344 VA | Coldwell Banker Realty | (703) 471-7220
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