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Fairfax County extends tax deadlines in midst of coronavirus pandemic

Several Northern Virginia counties said they’re extending tax deadlines in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to delay the deadline for individuals and businesses to file property tax returns. The original deadline was May 1, and the consequence for filing late is a 10% penalty, according to a news release.

The new deadline is June 1, the county said.

Seniors and people with disabilities also have until June 1 to apply for county tax relief.

Property owners are being given until Aug. 28 to pay the year’s first half of real estate taxes.

“There are a lot of folks in the county all of a sudden finding themselves without paychecks. And obviously we want to be as flexible as we can to accommodate those in a time of need,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.

Elsewhere in Virginia, the Alexandria City Council voted Tuesday to delay tax filing deadlines for business and personal property taxes from May 1 to July.

The council also agreed that restaurants and hotels can delay payments on meal and occupancy taxes until July.

Tax filing deadlines have also been extended to July for individuals filing for elderly or disabled tax relief.

The decision to extend deadlines comes after the income tax filing date was moved to July 15.

School bus emergency? Fairfax County students have a plan to handle it

This story is part of WTOP’s 2026 Back to School coverage. The wheels on the bus will soon be going round and round again in Fairfax County, Virginia, and some of its young riders are learning what to do if there’s an emergency on the way to school. The annual Safety Patrol Training Camp, hosted by Fairfax County Public Schools' Office of Transportation Services, combined hands-on exercises with classroom lessons to teach students how to keep calm during emergencies on buses. The training can feel remarkably realistic, with overturned school buses on their side or completely upside down in the middle of the county bus depot. Other buses, right side up, fill with smoke that is water-based but mimics the intensity of a bus overheating.
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