Winchester's real estate tax is $0.795 per $100 of assessed value, billed in halves due June 5 and Dec. 5. The next bill is due Monday, Dec. 7, 2026.

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Winchester’s Real Estate Tax page and its tax rates table.

Winchester is an independent city, so there is no county property tax on top of the city bill. The City Council sets one real estate tax rate, now $0.795 per $100 of assessed value. Bills come in two halves, due June 5 and Dec. 5. When either date falls on a weekend, the payment is due the next business day, which makes the second 2026 half due Monday, Dec. 7.

Who to call

  • Paying a bill, payment plans: Treasurer’s Office, 540-667-1815 (option 3), winctreasurer@winchesterva.gov
  • Assessments of cars and other personal property, tax relief, exemptions: Commissioner of the Revenue, 540-667-1815, cor@winchesterva.gov
  • Real estate assessment questions and appeals: Real Estate Administrator, Finance Department, Rouss City Hall, 4th floor
  • Pay by phone: 800-272-9829, jurisdiction code 6239
  • Official page: Real Estate Tax

How the bill is worked out

Your annual city tax is your assessment divided by 100, times the rate. The city’s own example: a property assessed at $100,000 owes $795 a year, paid in two halves of $397.50.

Bar chart of yearly Winchester real estate tax at $0.795 per $100: $1,590 on a $200,000 home, $2,385 on $300,000, $2,591 on the city median value of $325,900, $3,180 on $400,000 and $3,975 on $500,000

The $325,900 figure is the median value of owner-occupied homes in the city in the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey five-year estimates; your own assessment is on the real estate assessment search. Property in the downtown assessment districts pays an extra $0.23 per $100 (primary district) or $0.13 per $100 (secondary district, commercial use only), according to the city’s tax rates table.

Due dates and late payment

  • Halves are due June 5 and Dec. 5. Coming up: Monday, Dec. 7, 2026, and Monday, June 7, 2027, because both Dec. 5, 2026, and June 5, 2027, fall on Saturdays.
  • A 10% penalty is charged the day after the due date, and interest of 10% a year is charged daily from the day after the penalty.
  • Not receiving a bill does not excuse the penalty. If your mortgage company asks for your bill, the city sends it to the lender.
  • The Treasurer’s Office can set up a payment plan for delinquent real estate and personal property taxes before collection action starts. Late payments do not stop the DMV registration withholding process.

Ways to pay: online through the taxpayer portal; by phone at 800-272-9829 with jurisdiction code 6239; or in person at the Treasurer’s Office, Creamery Building, 21 S. Kent St., Suite 101, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with a drop box outside.

Car tax and other personal property

Winchester taxes cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers, campers, motor homes, boats and airplanes at $4.80 per $100 of assessed value, on the same June 5 and Dec. 5 schedule, according to the city’s personal property page.

  • Register a vehicle with the Commissioner of the Revenue within 45 days of buying it or moving into the city; a late filing adds a 10% fee.
  • The state’s Personal Property Tax Relief Act covers 25% of the tax on the first $20,000 of value for a qualifying personal vehicle in 2026. Business vehicles do not qualify.
  • Vehicle taxes are prorated by the month. If a vehicle leaves the city, tell the Commissioner of the Revenue within 30 days.

Reassessment and how to appeal

The city reassesses all real estate at 100% of market value every two years, as of Jan. 1 of each odd-numbered year, using an independent contractor overseen by the city’s Real Estate Administrator. Notices go out by Jan. 1 of a reassessment year, the council sets the rate in April with the budget, and bills are mailed in early May. The next reassessment is as of Jan. 1, 2027.

If you think your assessment is above market value, out of line with similar properties or based on wrong details, the city lists three steps:

  1. The Real Estate Administrator. The recommended first step for questions or an in-house review, though not required. File the Real Estate Appeal of Assessment form online or pick one up at the Finance Department, City Hall, 4th floor.
  2. The Board of Equalization. An independent citizen panel appointed by the Circuit Court. It schedules appeals up to Feb. 15 of the year new values take effect, hears only appeals filed on a complete form by the deadline, and mails its decision within 30 days.
  3. Circuit Court. You may appeal directly to the Circuit Court at any time within the limits of state law. The burden of proof is on the owner, who also pays court costs.

In the last reassessment the city extended the deadlines to Feb. 7, 2025, for the administrator review and March 7, 2025, for the board. The 2027 deadlines had not been posted when we checked.

Tax relief and exemptions

  • Elderly or permanently disabled owners: relief based on income and net worth. Applications are due April 1 each year and apply to real estate tax only. Use the 2026 tax relief application (PDF).
  • Disabled veterans: apply online or on the PDF form.
  • Rehabilitated historic property and derelict property: partial exemptions, applied for before work starts, through the Commissioner of the Revenue.

What this means for you

  • The second 2026 half is due Monday, Dec. 7. Pay it by then to avoid the 10% penalty.
  • New to the city? Register your car with the Commissioner of the Revenue within 45 days.
  • Expect a new assessment notice by Jan. 1, 2027, and watch for the appeal deadlines.
  • Seniors and disabled owners: the relief application is due April 1.

Related guides: moving to Winchester, home prices and who to call at City Hall.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Winchester, Virginia?

The city real estate tax rate is $0.795 per $100 of assessed value, so a home assessed at $300,000 owes $2,385 a year. Personal property, including cars, is taxed at $4.80 per $100.

When are Winchester property taxes due?

Real estate and personal property taxes are billed in two halves, due June 5 and Dec. 5. When the date falls on a weekend the bill is due the next business day, so the second 2026 half is due Monday, Dec. 7.

What happens if I pay Winchester taxes late?

A 10% penalty is added the day after the due date, and interest of 10% a year is charged daily from the day after the penalty. Not receiving a bill does not excuse the penalty.

How do I appeal my Winchester property assessment?

File the city’s Real Estate Appeal of Assessment form with the Real Estate Administrator in the Finance Department. You can then go to the Board of Equalization, and you may appeal to the Circuit Court at any time within the limits of state law.

How often does Winchester reassess property?

Every two years. Values are set as of Jan. 1 of each odd-numbered year, so the next reassessment is as of Jan. 1, 2027, with notices mailed by that date.