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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 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;

View official code

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?
The Commissioner of the Revenue assigns a classification, contractor, retailer, wholesaler, financial/real estate/professional service, or the repair/personal/business catch-all, based on the actual activity under City Code § 24-25.2 and § 24-25.9(c). A business with two activities at one location can get a single combined license only if all activities share a tax rate or the licensee agrees to pay the highest rate on everything.
Do I need a license if my Norfolk business earns under $100,000?
Yes. Section 24-25.9(a)(1) exempts businesses with $100,000.00 or less in annual taxable gross receipts from paying the license tax itself, but every business must still obtain the license. If receipts later exceed the threshold, the business must report the change to the Commissioner of the Revenue so the tax can be recalculated on actual receipts.
Can I dispute the classification Norfolk assigned my business?
Yes. Under § 24-25.6, an assessment appeal, including a dispute over classification, must be filed with the assessing official within one year of the assessment or appealable event. If the ruling is unfavorable, the taxpayer has 90 days to appeal to the state tax commissioner, and either side may then apply to circuit court under Virginia Code § 58.1-3984.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Norfolk

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