Augusta County: Tax bills going up for vehicles due to shortages, value increase

The personal property bills are being prepared in Augusta County, and to no one’s surprise, residents should expect an increase in the amount due.

In a news alert sent to county residents, the county said the increases are due to supply-chain issues resulting in vehicle shortages.

“As you may know, the value of most vehicles has increased from 2021 to 2022. A vehicle shortage due to supply-chain issues has not only decreased new vehicle inventory but also increased demand on used vehicles,” the notice read. “The limited availability of vehicles in the market has increased their value and this has impacted assessments on personal property throughout the Commonwealth and across the country.

To help provide relief to taxpayers, the Augusta County Board of Supervisors voted to reduce the assessed value by 8 percent. Therefore, the Commissioner of the Revenue’s office will be using a reduced value of 92 percent of the assessed value to calculate personal property taxes due.

The tax bills are going out this week, according to the alert.

Tax payments are due on Dec. 5.

The county has posted some examples of what a taxpayer might expect to pay online.

For a 2020 Nissan Rogue, the tax would go from $291.37 to $525.72, according to the projections provided by Augusta County. For a 2019 4WD Pickup, the tax would go from $839.80 to $1,410.76.

Cities and counties are required by law to assess the value of personal property using a recognized pricing guide. Augusta County uses JD Power car guides’ (formerly the National Automobile Dealers Association, or NADA) clean loan value. The value does take into account wear and tear on a vehicle over time. The county has used this assessment method for more than 25 years.

Personal property tax relief applies to the first $20,000 of assessed value and is set by the state.

Some vehicles do not qualify for tax relief:

• Business vehicles do not qualify
• Personal vehicles that are used more than 50 percent for business do not qualify
• Trucks that are running farm or truck tags do not qualify

If there are items on your bill that you did not own on Jan. 1, 2022, if you were not a resident of Augusta County on January 1, or if you have questions about the value assigned to your vehicle, you may contact the Augusta County Commissioner of Revenue’s office at (540) 245-5640 or [email protected].

For payment questions, please contact the Treasurer’s office at (540) 245-5660 or [email protected].