What's New?

County Board Approves Increase in Transient Occupancy Tax

• Increase will yield $1.25 million for travel and tourism promotion
• Move follows action by Virginia General Assembly
• Takes effect July 1

The Arlington County Board has approved an increase of 0.25 percent in the transient occupancy tax charged for hotel rooms in Arlington, which will yield approximately $1.25 million in revenue for travel and tourism promotion in the County in Fiscal Year 2017.

Real Estate Taxes

The due date for the first installment of real estate taxes is Wednesday, June 15.  Real estate bills will be mailed in early May.  You will not receive a bill if your taxes are paid from an escrow account through your mortgage.  If you have a mortgage and receive a bill, please contact your mortgage company as soon as possible.

For customers who are responsible for paying their real estate taxes, the Customer Assessment and Payment Portal (CAPP) is a convenient way to pay securely online.  Even if you do not pay via the internet, CAPP has many other benefits, including emails to you about upcoming due dates.  To learn more about CAPP, visit capp.arlingtonva.us or call 703-228-3702.  For other payment options, click here.

Also, for taxpayers experiencing financial hardship and unable to pay their real estate taxes by the due date, the Treasurer’s Office, in partnership with a local bank, offers a Taxpayer Assistance Program (TAP).  TAP provides an interest-free, short-term loan, paid in 6-10 monthly installments, without a credit check.  A small, nonrefundable origination fee payable to the bank is a requirement with the TAP application.  Please visit the Treasurer’s Office before June 15 to complete an application.  For more information, email treasureroperations@arlingtonva.us or call 703-228-4000.

DMV2Go - Full Service

DMV2Go, a full service mobile unit will be in Arlington on Thursday, October 6, 2016. The unit will be parked on the corner of 15th Street N and North Courthouse Rd, across from Jerry’s Subs & Pizza.

Are You Airbnb-ing an Arlington Address?

If you're making money offering short-term lodging in an Arlington home, you probably need to collect the local 7-percent transient occupancy tax. And keep in mind that charging the tax and getting it to the County Treasurer does not cover compliance with any zoning ordinance.

If you collect $10,000 or more annually in rentals, you also must obtain an Arlington County business license.

For more information about tax issues, contact the Business Tax Division of the Office of the Commissioner of Revenue at 703-228-3060 or email business@arlingtonva.us.

For zoning questions, call 703-228-3883.

 

Utilities Phone Scam Alert

It has come to our attention that residents are receiving phone calls directing them to make payments to prevent water service shut offs. This is a phone scam -- do not send money to the accounts provided in the call. We want to remind residents of the approved ways to make secure payments for utilities:

• Pay by mail: Arlington County Treasurer’s Office, PO Box 1752, Merrifield Virginia 22116-1752.
• Pay online: https://capp.arlingtonva.us/
• Pay by phone: 1-888-272-9829 – Option: 3, Jurisdiction code: 1000 (a nominal Fee applies)
• Pay in person: County Building 2100 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 215

Customers with further questions about their Utilities account may contact the Utilities Dept. Customer Call Center at 703-228-6570.  Those with questions about payments may contact the Treasurer’s Office at 703-228-3090.

 

Wakefield High Schooler Wins Arlington's 2016-17 Decal Design Contest

January 28, 2016

• Ryan Kovich’s “Arlington is for Enjoyment” chosen
• Winning entry will be displayed on more than 160,000 vehicles
• Instant Runoff Voting determined winner

Ryan Kovich, a Wakefield High School 10^thgrader, is the winner of Arlington’s 2016-17 Decal Design Competition, Treasurer Carla de la Pava announced today.

Kovich’s photo of the historic landmark, the Arlington Cinema ‘n’ Drafthouse, will appear on more than 160,000 vehicles in Arlington County.

“This building has been entertaining Arlington residents since the 1930s,” Kovich wrote in his Decal Competition application. “This picture represents Arlington because the arts are very important to the residents. The Cinema ‘n’ Drafthouse also represents friendship and time spent together. Every time I see the aged building and the nostalgic sign, it reminds me of the moments I have spent there with family and friends.” The Drafthouse is located at the corner of South Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike.

About the competition

Last November, the Arlington County Treasurer’s Office invited high school students who live in Arlington or attend school here to submit a design for the 12th Annual Vehicle Decal Design Competition. In December, a Citizens’ Panel convened to narrow the 85 submissions to just four finalists.

This year, Arlington County residents were asked to rank their selections in order of preference (first choice through fourth choice). The Treasurer’s Office then used Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) to determine the winner.

“I was excited to use Instant Runoff Voting this year for the Decal Competition.  It’s hard to choose just one, so this allowed the voters to express a range of preference. The winning entry had a very clear majority from among the four finalists,” de la Pava said.  “During the six-week voting period, more than 1,800 Arlington residents voted and Kovich’s design came in first.”

Kovich will receive a cash prize of $750, thanks to the generosity of the Arlington Community Federal Credit Union.  The three runners-up will each receive $500.

The other finalists were:

• Gabrielle McKenna, 10^th Grader at Washington-Lee High School, with her design, “Ed. Center”
• Amelia Wilt, 12^th Grader at Wakefield High School, with her design, “Dark Star Park”
• Schuyler Workmaster, 9^th Grader at Bishop O’Connell High School, with her design, “The Netherlands Carillon”

Background on Decals

Arlington began requiring local licensing of vehicles in 1949, which took the form of a metal tag attached to the license plate. The first windshield decal was issued in 1967; decals were first produced with a color image in 2000. In 2003, residents were given the opportunity to vote on the decal image, and in 2005 the Treasurer’s Office started the Decal Design Competition for high school students.

To view the submissions, please click here.

If you are interested in being on the Citizens' Panel, email sanderson@arlingtonva.us.

A Message from the Arlington County Treasurer

We have recently become aware that many Arlington County homeowners have received correspondence from Jud Allen of Express Homebuyers, falsely claiming that these owners owe real estate taxes and that the County may take their homes away from them due to delinquent taxes.

Please be assured that, unless you have heard directly from the Arlington County Treasurer, you do not owe delinquent real estate taxes and there is no risk of the County taking or selling your home.

If you have any questions about this letter, or would like to report having received this letter, call us at 703-228-3090.

 

EasyPark, Arlington's New in-Vehicle Parking Meter

• Pay only for the time you are parked
• Purchase and reload online
• iParks can still be used

Arlington County Treasurer Carla de la Pava today announced the latest convenience in Arlington parking – the EasyPark in-vehicle parking meter. The successor to Arlington’s popular iPark device, EasyPark combines the ease of coin-free/credit card-free parking with the convenience of Internet customer service.

“The iPark was very popular, and EasyPark is even better,” de la Pava said. “It makes metered parking simple and easy. We are pleased to partner with the manufacturer, OTI America, to make EasyPark available to everyone who parks in Arlington.”

“Customers who already have iParks can still use and reload their iParks for as long as they last,” de la Pava said.  Customers can reload their iParks over the phone at 703-228-3082 or at the Arlington Treasurer’s Office, 2100 Clarendon Blvd, Window 215.  

Read more here.

CAPP Security Update

When using CAPP, we recommend using the most recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari. Using beta or older versions of Chrome, Firefox or Safari (before version 8) may result in limited security and functionality and CAPP will no longer support them.

New Resident Checklist

If you've recently moved to Arlington, either from another state or another jurisdiction, you need to do certain things as soon as possible.

New Resident Checklist