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Frederick County, VA Local Taxes & Fees: Business Tax Classification (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Minimum license tax
$30 per year
Flat-fee tier
$30-$50 under $100,000 receipts
Contractor rate
$0.16 per $100 of receipts
Professional services rate
$0.58 per $100 of receipts
Retailer rate
$0.20 per $100 of receipts
Small-business exemption
Under $4,000 gross receipts

Summary

Frederick County classifies every licensed business by gross receipts and by type of enterprise under Code §§ 155-95 and 155-96. Businesses grossing under $100,000 pay a flat $30 or $50 fee; those at $100,000 or more pay a per-$100 rate that varies by class, from $0.16 for contractors to $0.58 for financial, real estate and professional services, with a $30 minimum tax.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Frederick County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

§ 155-95. Minimum tax on classified business and occupations. The amount of tax imposed on all classified licenses computed on a gross receipts basis shall be in no event less than $30 unless otherwise provided in this article. Higher minimums may apply as provided in this article. § 155-96. License fee and tax. ... (1) Gross receipts of $4,000 to $14,999.99 will owe a fee of $30. (2) Gross receipts of $15,000 to $99,999.99 will owe a fee of $50. B. Instead of the license fee specified in Subsection A above, ... every such person or business subject to licensure under this article with annual gross receipts of $100,000 or more shall be assessed and required to pay annually a license tax on all the gross receipts of such persons includable as provided in this article at a rate set forth below for the class of enterprise listed: (1) For contractors and persons constructing for their own account for sale, $0.16 per $100 of gross receipts. ... (3) For financial, real estate and professional services, $0.58 per $100 of gross receipts.

Full Breakdown

99. § 155-92 exempts any business grossing less than $4,000 a year from the license tax entirely. The Commissioner of the Revenue administers the classification and can propound interrogatories or summon a taxpayer under oath under § 155-93 to verify which class and receipts figure applies.

Violations & Fines

§ 155-110 makes it unlawful to operate a business, employment or profession requiring a license without first obtaining one, punishable by a fine of up to $2,500, up to 12 months in jail, or both. Operating without a license does not excuse the tax itself, and the county will not issue any new license until an applicant pays every delinquent business, real estate, personal property, meals or transient occupancy tax already assessed against them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a Frederick County business license?
Frederick County bases the fee on gross receipts and business type: under § 155-96A, businesses grossing $4,000 to $14,999.99 pay a flat $30, and those grossing $15,000 to $99,999.99 pay $50; at $100,000 or more, § 155-96B applies a per-$100-of-receipts rate that runs from $0.05 for wholesalers up to $0.58 for financial, real estate and professional services.
Is there a minimum business license tax?
Yes. § 155-95 sets a $30 floor on every classified license computed from gross receipts, and § 155-92 exempts businesses grossing under $4,000 a year from the license tax altogether.
What rate applies to a Frederick County retail store?
Retailers and retail sellers, including coin-operated machine operators and short-term rental businesses, pay $0.20 per $100 of gross receipts once their annual receipts reach $100,000 under § 155-96B(2); below that threshold, the flat-fee schedule in § 155-96A applies instead.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Frederick County

All Frederick County rules

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