Business Tangible Property Tax
Submit returns through the Taxpayer Portal for faster processing. Click here to register for an online account or log in (if you already have one). To set up a portal account, use the Tax Account number printed on your billing statement in the upper right corner.
The business tangible personal property tax is levied on all general office furniture and equipment, machinery and tools, equipment used for research and development, heavy construction equipment, computer equipment, and peripherals located in the County on January 1 of each year. Please use the Tax Portal or the Business Personal Property Return below to file your annual business personal property return before the April 15th due date. This video provides additional instructions for using the Taxpayer Portal to complete your return.
2026 Business Tangible Property Return Form
You can use the forms linked below to report prior year Business Personal Property.
2025 |2024 |2023 | 2022 | 2021
Each business must file a Business Tangible Personal Property Return annually, summarizing property cost values by purchase year. Generally, an item is assessed at 85% percent of its original cost in the year acquired; thereafter, the percentage decreases by 10% percent increments. After eight years, the item's assessed value remains constant at 10% percent of the original cost.
Computer equipment and peripherals are valued at 50% of the cost in the first year, 35% in the second year, 20% in the third year, 10% in the fourth year, and 5% in the fifth and all subsequent years.
Businesses located in any of the towns within Prince William County (Dumfries, Haymarket, Occoquan, and Quantico) are subject to the same business tangible personal property tax as all other businesses located in the County. They must file an annual Business Tangible Personal Property Return with the county (click here for an explanation of the requirement).
Note: Closing a business does not entitle the owner to a refund. Business licenses and tangible taxes are non-refundable and are not subject to proration.
Machinery and Tools are limited to properties used in manufacturing, water well drilling, processing, reprocessing, radio or television broadcasting, dairy, dry cleaning, or laundry business activity. Exceptions include computer application software and certified pollution control equipment.
All individuals, partnerships, corporations, or other entities owning or using Machinery and Tools in the business of manufacturing, water well drilling, processing, or reprocessing, radio or television broadcasting, dairy, dry cleaning, or laundry businesses located in Prince William County are required to file an itemized list of all business personal property utilized in the business as of January 1 of the current year. All returns and lists must be filed with the Prince William County Tax Administration on or before March 1 of each year.
Business Personal Property Tangible Returns Filing
Please email [email protected] or call 703-792-6710 with questions.