Buchanan County, Virginia Tax Rates

Buchanan County Tax Rates - At a Glance

Buchanan County Tax Rates Summary (real estate, vehicle, machinery and tools, and mineral rates confirmed on the county Treasurer page; vehicle, machinery and tools, and merchants' capital rates also match the Virginia DOT Local Tax Rates Survey TY2025; payment and assessment details per the county Treasurer and Commissioner of the Revenue)

Tax Type	County Rate (per $100)	Notes
Real Estate	$0.39	100% fair market value. Six-year countywide reassessment. Due December 5.
Personal Property (vehicles)	$1.95	County Treasurer page + Virginia DOT TY2025. NADA Loan Value; due December 5.
Machinery and Tools	$1.95	County Treasurer page + Virginia DOT TY2025. 100% of cost year one, declining 10%/yr to a 50% floor.
Merchants' Capital	$2.00	Virginia DOT TY2025 (Table 1).
Mineral	$0.39	County Treasurer page. Coal, gas, and mineral lands; annual mineral license and severance.
Town overlay (Grundy)	RE +$0.220 / PP +$0.500 / M&T +$0.500 / MC +$0.500	Town levies on top of county rates, per DOT Table 3.
Sales Tax	5.3% (4.3% state + 1.0% local) - no regional district

The real estate ($0.39), vehicle/personal property ($1.95), machinery and tools ($1.95), and mineral ($0.39) rates are confirmed directly on the Buchanan County Treasurer page, which also states that both real estate and personal property are due December 5, that vehicles are assessed at NADA Loan Value, that machinery and tools is valued at 100% of original cost the first year then declines 10% per year to a 50% floor, and that the county reassesses real estate every six years. The vehicle, machinery and tools, and merchants' capital rates match the Virginia DOT Local Tax Rates Survey tax year 2025 (Table 1 county levies; Table 3 Town of Grundy levy). The current-year PPTRA percentage, the county's vehicle proration policy, the penalty and interest specifics, the vehicle license fee, and the elderly/disabled relief income and asset thresholds are pending direct confirmation - see Official Sources below.

Vehicle Personal Property (Car) Tax

Rate and Classification

Buchanan County's personal property (vehicle) tax rate is $1.95 per $100 of assessed value, verified directly on the county Treasurer page and matching the Virginia DOT Local Tax Rates Survey tax year 2025. The same $1.95 rate applies to machinery and tools. The Buchanan County Board of Supervisors sets the personal property rate each year, and the rate may vary by category.

Assessment

Personal property is assessed by the Commissioner of the Revenue based on ownership as of January 1 each year. Vehicle values are established using NADA Loan Value, per the county Treasurer. The Commissioner of the Revenue's office maintains the personal property records and is the office to contact for assessment questions and adjustments at (276) 935-6542.

Due Date and Proration

Personal property tax is due December 5 each year, per the county Treasurer. Buchanan County's proration policy - whether the county prorates vehicle tax by months of ownership or bills the full year based on January 1 ownership - is not stated on the county pages and is pending direct confirmation with the Commissioner of the Revenue. We do not assume it matches a neighboring county; many far-southwest Virginia counties do not prorate, but this must be confirmed for Buchanan specifically. The late-payment penalty and interest schedule is also pending direct confirmation with the Treasurer.

PPTRA Relief and Veteran Exemption

Qualifying personal-use vehicles receive Virginia's Personal Property Tax Relief (PPTRA) discount under Code of Virginia § 58.1-3524, applied to the first $20,000 of a qualifying vehicle's value; the current-year percentage is not published in advance - confirm it with the Commissioner of the Revenue at (276) 935-6542. A vehicle used for business more than 50% of the time does not qualify. Separately, the county administers a personal property tax exemption for veterans rated 100% service-connected permanent and totally disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Source: Buchanan County Treasurer page (buchanancountyvirginia.gov) and Commissioner of the Revenue, plus the Virginia DOT Local Tax Rates Survey TY2025, verified June 2026. For a deeper explanation of PPTRA, see our Virginia PPTRA explained guide. The current-year PPTRA percentage, the proration policy, the vehicle license fee, and the penalty and interest specifics are pending direct confirmation.

Real Estate Tax

Rate and Assessment

Buchanan County's real estate tax rate is $0.39 per $100 of fair market value, confirmed on the county Treasurer page. This is among the lowest real estate rates in Virginia, a reflection of the substantial coal, gas, and mineral tax revenue the county collects. All real estate in Virginia is assessed at 100% of fair market value. Buchanan County conducts a countywide general reassessment every six years, contracting an appraisal firm to reappraise every parcel; the Commissioner of the Revenue maintains the assessment records and assesses any new construction or demolition between reassessments.

Due Date and Payment

Real estate tax is due December 5 each year, per the county Treasurer. Payments are made to the Treasurer at the Buchanan County Government Center, 4447 Slate Creek Road, Grundy VA 24614 (mailing P.O. Box 1056); the office also offers an online E-Treasurer lookup. The specific late-payment penalty and interest schedule is pending direct confirmation with the Treasurer at (276) 935-6551.

Exemptions and Relief Programs

Buchanan County administers a real estate and personal property tax relief program for qualifying residents who are elderly or disabled and meet income and asset guidelines. Under Virginia Code § 58.1-3219.5, a veteran rated 100% service-connected disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is exempt from real estate tax on a principal residence, a benefit that extends to a qualifying surviving spouse; the county also administers a real estate exemption for surviving spouses of members of the armed forces killed in action. Contact the Commissioner of the Revenue for current programs, income limits, and application windows.

Source: Buchanan County Treasurer and Commissioner of the Revenue pages (buchanancountyvirginia.gov), plus the Virginia DOT Local Tax Rates Survey tax year 2025 (Table 1), verified June 2026. The late penalty and interest schedule and the relief income/asset thresholds are pending direct confirmation.

Machinery, Tools, Minerals, and Business Property

Buchanan County levies Machinery and Tools at $1.95 per $100, valued at 100% of original cost the first year, declining 10% per year to a 50% floor, per the county Treasurer. The county also levies a merchants' capital (inventory) tax of $2.00 per $100 and a separate mineral tax of $0.39 per $100 on coal, gas, and mineral lands. As a major coalfield jurisdiction, Buchanan administers annual mineral license applications for active coal mine permits and gas wells, processes monthly mineral severance tax returns, and assesses gas wells, compressors, and pipelines. Businesses inside the limits of the Town of Grundy also owe the applicable town levy.

Source: Buchanan County Treasurer and Commissioner of the Revenue pages (buchanancountyvirginia.gov); Virginia DOT Local Tax Rates Survey TY2025 (Table 1): Buchanan County RE $0.390, TPP $1.950, M&T $1.950, Merchants' Capital $2.000.

Sales Tax

Rate and Composition

The combined sales tax rate in Buchanan County is 5.3%: the 4.3% Virginia state rate plus the 1.0% standard local rate. Buchanan County is not part of any regional sales tax district, per the Virginia Department of Taxation.

Buchanan County Sales Tax Rate Breakdown

Component	Rate
Virginia state rate	4.3%
Standard local rate	1.0%
Regional district	None
Combined rate	5.3%

Qualifying food and grocery items are subject to Virginia's reduced 1.0% rate.

Source: Virginia Department of Taxation - Retail Sales and Use Tax (tax.virginia.gov)

Town Taxes in Grundy

Buchanan County's county seat, the Town of Grundy, taxes property by both the town and the county. Per the Virginia DOT Table 3 town levies, Grundy adds $0.220 per $100 on real estate, $0.500 on personal property, $0.500 on machinery and tools, and $0.500 on merchants' capital - all on top of county rates. A homeowner in the Town of Grundy therefore pays a combined real estate rate of about $0.61 per $100 (county $0.39 + town $0.220).

How Buchanan County Compares to Its Neighbors

Buchanan County's $0.39 real estate rate is the lowest in its coalfield cluster - below live Dickenson County's $0.52, live Tazewell County's $0.58, and live Russell County's $0.579, the three counties Buchanan borders - a direct result of the county's coal and mineral tax base. Its $1.95 vehicle rate matches live Russell's $1.95, sits above live Dickenson's $1.85 and live Wise's $1.79, and below live Tazewell's $2.00. Confirm each county's own proration, PPTRA relief, assessment basis, and due dates rather than assuming they carry across county lines.