Restaurants and other food sellers in Fairfax County are preparing to start collecting a new 4% food and beverage tax on Jan. 1, 2026, according to Fairfax County.
The levy applies to prepared food and beverages sold “as a meal,” including sales at restaurants, bars, coffee shops, food trucks, and prepared-food counters at grocery and convenience stores, according to Fairfax County. The county’s guidelines also indicate that certain concessions at places such as movie theaters and sporting venues can be taxable when they meet the definition of a meal.
Fairfax County says the tax does not apply to establishments located in the Towns of Clifton, Herndon or Vienna, or in the Cities of Fairfax or Falls Church, where separate local meals taxes already exist.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted the meals tax during the FY2026 budget process, even though county voters rejected meals tax referendums in 1992 and 2016, according to a Fairfax County Springfield District press release.
County leaders have tied the new revenue to closing a projected budget gap described as roughly $300 million, reported by WTOP.
