Norfolk, VA Local Taxes & Fees: Business Tax Classification (2026)
Key Facts
- Contractor rate
- $0.16 per $100 of gross receipts
- Retailer rate
- $0.20 per $100 of gross receipts
- Financial/real estate/professional rate
- $0.58 per $100 of gross receipts
- Catch-all services rate
- $0.36 per $100 of gross receipts
- Small business exemption
- $100,000 or less in gross receipts
- Application deadline
- March 1 each license year
- Late penalty
- 10% of tax or $10, whichever greater
Summary
Norfolk's Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax classifies every business by activity, then taxes gross receipts at the rate for that class. City Code § 24-25.9(c) sets $0.16 per $100 for contractors, $0.20 for retailers, $0.58 for financial, real estate and professional services, and $0.36 for the repair/personal/business services catch-all. The Commissioner of the Revenue assigns each license its classification.
(c)Tax rates imposed:(1)For contractors and persons constructing for their own accounts for sale, sixteen cents ($0.16) per one hundred dollars ($100.00) of gross receipts;(2)For retailers, twenty cents ($0.20) per one hundred dollars ($100.00) of gross receipts;(3)For financial, real estate and professional services, fifty-eight cents ($0.58) per one hundred dollars ($100.00) of gross receipts;(4)For repair, personal and business services and all other businesses and occupations not specifically listed or exempted in this article or otherwise by law, thirty-six cents ($0.36) per one hundred dollars ($100.00) of gross receipts;(5)For wholesalers, fifty dollars ($50.00) and 15/100 of one percent of purchases;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
3(a). 36. 9(e), (f) and (h). 00 or less in annual taxable gross receipts from the tax itself, though a license is still required. 00 or less, which lapses at the end of the first full license year following the year the business locates in Norfolk. 3(b), (c). 3(g).
Violations & Fines
Failing to file the license application or pay by the due date draws a penalty of 10 percent of the tax or $10.00, whichever is greater, under § 24-25.3(e), plus interest at 6 percent per year from the due date under § 24-25.3(f). An assessing official's additional assessment left unpaid for 30 days can draw another 10 percent late-payment penalty. Penalties are abated only if the taxpayer shows the failure was not their fault.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Norfolk decide my BPOL license classification?
Do I need a license if my Norfolk business earns under $100,000?
Can I dispute the classification Norfolk assigned my business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
Compare Norfolk to another location·View the Virginia local taxes & fees overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.