Treasurer
Tax Prepayment Refunds
If you prepaid 2018 Arlington County property taxes and would now like to request a refund, please read these important instructions. Please note that if you paid with a credit card, we cannot refund the convenience fees.
Requests for refunds must be made by April 1, 2018.
The Internal Revenue Service published an advisory on December 27, 2017 regarding deductibility of prepaid property taxes.
Please read the Statement on Assessments for more information.
Mission
In order to provide services to its residents, every government needs revenue and needs to know that its revenue will be collected and kept safe until needed. It is the mission of the Treasurer’s Office, as spelled out in the Code of Virginia, to collect state and local taxes and other revenues, to invest and safeguard the funds, and to disburse the funds as directed by the local governing body.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I was sent a bill even though I sold my property/moved. What do I do?
- How can I get a decal for my car?
- When are my taxes due?
- Real Estate taxes: Change of address, due dates, etc.
- Vehicle (Personal Property) taxes: decals, due dates, etc.
- What if I pay late?
- I just moved here with my dog. Does my dog need a license?
Organization
The Treasurer is elected by the voters of Arlington. Organizationally, the Treasurer’s Office has three divisions (Accounting & Treasury Management, Compliance, and Operations), plus the Administrative and Litigation Units. To view an organizational chart, click here.
The Treasurer’s responsibilities include:
Innovative Programs
CAPP – Customer Assessment and Payment Portal: This relatively new system allows Arlington taxpayers – individuals and businesses – to file, pay and monitor their accounts online. Among the services offered by CAPP are:
- Pay by E-check or Credit Card
- Schedule future payments and automatic payments
- Pay your real estate tax in monthly – instead of twice yearly – installments
- Receive email notifications and reminders of taxes, parking tickets and water/sewer bills owed to the county
TAP – Taxpayer Assistance Program: TAP helps Arlingtonians meet their tax obligations through short-term loans arranged with a local community bank. The loan is guaranteed by the Arlington County Treasurer so there is no credit check. There is an up-front origination fee of ten percent (10%) and no further interest is charged on the loan. The taxpayer pays back the loan in six to ten monthly installments. During the past 5 years, Arlingtonians have used TAP to pay approximately $2.0 million dollars in Arlington County taxes.
Taxpayer Outreach: The Treasurer's Office strives to find low-cost ways to potentially save hundreds of dollars each in late-payment fees and interest. These included participating in an advertising campaign with neighboring Northern Virginia jurisdictions, placing automated reminder calls to taxpayers who have yet to make their payments, and emailing Bill Payer Notifications to those who are signed up in CAPP (the Customer Assessment and Payment Portal). To sign up for Bill Payer Notification, visit CAPP.
Publications
Report to the Citizens 2016-2017
Awards
- 2011 Government Finance Officers Association Award for Excellence (eGovernment & Technology category) — Recognized for the Assessment and Collection Enterprise (ACE) System, which streamlined the assessment and collection of several County receivables
- 2011 Public Technology Institute Excellence in Technology Award (Web & eGovernment category) — Recognized for ACE
- 2009 National Association of Counties Achievement Award — Recognized for the Reaching Out to Citizens initiative, which helps taxpayers avoid a late-payment situation with the Bill Payer Notification service, timely targeted communication and the Neighborhood Payment Program
- 2007-2008 Public Technology Institute Solutions Award (Telecommunications & Information Technology category) — Recognized for the Neighborhood Payment Program, which allows residents to pay their taxes and fees at various Arlington locations