How many acres of agricultural land do
I need to qualify for land use?
The minimum requirement for open land is 5 acres, (excluding
a 1 acre house site), that has been farmed for 5 years prior
to the time you apply.
How many acres of timber land do I need
to qualify for land use?
The minimum requirement for timber land is 20 acres, (excluding
a 1 acre house site).
If I build a house on my land that is in
land use do I have a penalty to pay?
Yes, you will have to pay what is called a Rollback Tax on the
acreage you clear to build your house. A house site is a minimum
of 1 acre.
If I sell my parcel of land do I have to
pay back taxes? If you sell a parcel that will meet the requirements for
the land use program, there would be no rollback tax.
If I sell my parcel and the buyer does
not want to farm it any longer who pays the taxes?
The party that changes the use of the property is responsible
to pay the rollback taxes. So, if the buyer decides not to farm
the property any longer, he would be responsible to pay the taxes.
If I buy a piece of land that is in land
use and change the use of it a year or so later, why do I have
to pay the back taxes of the previous owner?
Land use travels with the land and not the owner, so until you
have owned the property for 6 years, you essentially acquire
the taxes of the previous owner.
What is the real estate tax rate?
All tax rates are set annually by the Board of Supervisors. The
current tax rate is $0.81 per $100 dollars assessed.
Where can I find out how much I paid in
real estate taxes on my property?
Contact the Treasurer's Office at (804) 365-6050. The Treasurer
handles all tax payment and mortgage company information.
Where can I find out how my property is
assessed?
Contact the Assessor's Office at (804) 365-6026. The Assessor
handles the valuation of all real property in the county.
Where can I get a copy of a survey of my
property?
Surveys and individual plats are recorded with the deeds in the
Clerk's Office of the Circuit Court. Contact the Clerk's Office
at (804) 365-6151.
Where are the maps of all the parcels in
Hanover County located?
The Real Estate Department of the Commissioner's Office, Room
107 in the Wickham Building at the Courthouse Complex on Route
301.
How do I find out who is the current owner
on a piece of property?
If you have the street address or legal description of the property,
the Commissioner's Office can provide the ownership information.
Contact the Real Estate Department at (804) 365-6128.
My spouse recently passed away. How do
I remove his/her name from the bill?
Contact the Commissioner's Office at (804) 365-6128. Your spouse's
name does not have to be removed from the bill - the choice is
yours. If you do decide to remove his/her name, you just need
to answer a few questions.
How do I find out what the assessment was
on my house when I purchased it over 10 years ago?
To determine your assessment from 1992 to present, contact the
Assessor's Office at (804) 365-6026. For all years prior to 1992,
the assessments are listed in the land books in the Clerk's Office
of the Circuit Court. Contact the Clerk's Office at (804) 365-6151
for more information.
I recently paid off my mortgage. Is there
anything I need to do?
Your mortgage company should assist you with the filing your
certificate of satisfaction. The Commissioner's Office recommends
that you verify your mailing address with the office to ensure
that you receive your tax bills in a timely manner.
How do I find out about any easements
or right-of-ways on my property?
Information on easements and right-of-ways is recorded with the
deeds and plats in the Clerk's Office. Contact the Clerk at (804)
365-6151 for more information.
How can I determine the zoning on a property
and if I can build on the land?
Contact the Planning Department at (804) 365-6171. They maintain
the zoning information for the county and can determine whether
or not a property is buildable.
Where do I go to get a building permit?
Contact the Building Inspector's Office at (804) 365-6361.
How do I get tax relief?
Applications are available in the Commissioner's Office. You
must either file an application or an affidavit each year by
March 1. In order to qualify, you must meet certain net worth
and gross income requirements. These requirements are set annually
by the Board of Supervisors.
How old do you have to be to qualify?
You must be 65 years of age by December 31 of the preceding year
unless you are permanently disabled. There is no age requirement
for taxpayers who are permanently disabled .
What is the most money you can make and
still qualify?
The current gross income limit is $50,000. This includes the
income of the applicant, their spouse and partial income of any
relatives who reside in the house. This limit is subject to change
on an annual basis.
What is the maximum net worth allowed? The current net worth limit is $200,000. Net worth includes
all assets except for the value of the house and up to ten acres
of land.
Do I have to list my social security as
income?
Yes, all sources of income must be included as the gross income
on the application. Dividends are counted as income only if the
money is actually sent to the applicant and not reinvested.
Can I subtract my mortgage payment from
my income?
No. Since the value of the house and up to ten acres of land
are excluded from the net worth, the mortgage payment cannot
be excluded.
What is considered individual personal
property?
Virginia State Code Section 58.1-3503 defines personal property
as automobiles, trucks, manufactured homes, motorcycles, recreational
vehicles, boats, trailers, and aircraft.
How do I file an individual personal property
return? What is the filing deadline?
Effective January 2006 the county amended the filing requirements
for personal property. An annual filing is no longer required.
Only changes need to be filed, changes such as buying or selling.
The 60 day filing requirement on new purchases still exists and
items that are not filed with the county within 60 days of purchase
are subject to a late filing penalty.
I am a new resident to Hanover County.
What do I need to do? The Commissioner of the Revenue welcomes you to Hanover County.
All vehicles should be registered with Virginia Dept. of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) prior to notifying us. All vehicles must be registered
with our office no later than 60 days after moving into Hanover
County. The County will honor your prior locality's decal until
it expires.
I am moving out of Hanover County. What
do I need to do?
The information required depends on the locality to which you
are moving. Please contact the office at (804)365-6129 for more
information.
How do I know if the locality I am moving
to is a 'prorating' or a 'non-prorating' locality?
Please contact the office at (804)365-6129 and our staff will
be happy to determine the locality type.
I am planning on disposing of my vehicle.
What do I need to do?
Virginia DMV requires notification within 30 days of selling,
trading, junking, etc. a vehicle by completing the back portion
of the vehicle registration form. Once DMV has been notified,
you are required to notify the Commissioner of the Revenue. You
may notify the office via telephone, fax, mail or email.
Do I have to register a leased vehicle
with Hanover County?
Any leased vehicle, including business vehicles, garaged in Hanover
County must be registered with our office within 60 days of the
date of the lease or from the date the vehicle moved to the County.
The lessee is responsible for registering the leased vehicle
with our office, regardless of the party responsible for the
property taxes.
I am a college student. Where do I register
my vehicle?
If you own the vehicle, then the property taxes
will be assessed by place of domicile, which is your place of
permanent residency. If your parent or party other than yourself
owns the vehicle, then the taxes will be assessed by
the locality where the vehicle is garaged (most likely the jurisdiction
in which the college is located).
If I am in the military, do I have to
pay personal property taxes?
If your legal domicile is Virginia, your vehicle(s) is/are subject
to personal property taxes from the locality where you are registered
regardless of where the vehicle is garaged during your active
military service. If your vehicle is titled in Virginia, but
your legal domicile is not in Virginia, your vehicle is not subject
to Virginia property taxes. A copy of a current LES statement
is required to absolve any liability to Virginia. This policy
only applies to vehicles registered/titled to active military
personnel.
If I own an antique or vintage vehicle,
do I have to register the vehicle with Hanover County?
Yes, all vehicles need to be registered with Hanover County.
If the vehicle is classified as an antique or vintage and has
permanent license plates issued as specified in Va. State Code
Section 46.2-730, then the vehicle is not subject to taxation.
My spouse and I are separated and our
vehicle is jointly owned. Who is responsible for the personal
property taxes?
The vehicle is taxed in both names and both parties are equally
responsible for the taxes until the title is changed with DMV.
How do you determine the assessment on
a vehicle?
We use the Eastern Edition, N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide
effective as of January of the year of tax. We use the trade
value and do not add for optional equipment.
When are personal property taxes due?
Where do I send payments? How much did I pay in taxes last
year?
Personal property taxes are due on February 5. Payments should
be sent to the Treasurer's Office. The Treasurer's Office can
answer any questions you have about current and past tax payments.
Does the County offer a discount for vehicles
with high mileage?
Yes, Hanover County does offer a discount program for vehicles
with high mileage.The criteria for the discount program conform
to the guidelines provided by N.A.D.A. Request forms for the
discount program can be obtained by calling (804) 365-6129 and
must be submitted annually by May 1.
Why do I need to file for the high mileage
discount every year?
The amount of discount applied to the assessment is calculated
according to the year of the vehicle, the make and the amount
of mileage. In order to ensure that you receive the greatest
amount of relief available, our office requires a yearly update
of information. Vehicles with mileage exceeding 150,000 miles
are exempt from the annual filing requirement after the initial
validation.
How do I contact DMV to update my vehicle
information?
The customer service telephone number for DMV is (804)367-0538. The Hanover
Commissioner of the Revenue is also serves as a DMV Select Office so you may
update your vehicle information in person in our office.
You may also access the DMV web site at www.dmvnow.com.
When will I stop paying personal property
tax?
The Governor's "No Car Tax" plan is not a complete elimination
of car taxes. It is intended to alleviate the tax burden on the
first $20,000 in assessment value. This only applies to personal
vehicles, not business or farm use vehicles. Please call our
office for a more thorough explanation.
Do I have the right to appeal my personal
property assessment?
You do have the right to appeal your personal property assessment.
Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Commissioner. Appeals
submitted by email are considered a written appeal.
What is considered Business Personal Property?
Virginia State Code Section 58.1-3503(17) defines business personal
property as all tangible personal property employed in a trade
or a business. Businesses are assessed on, but not limited
to, office furniture, fixtures, equipment, machinery and tools,
merchant's capital and computer equipment.
What is the tax rate for business personal
property?
The tax rate is $3.57 per $100 of value.
How do I file a business property return?
What is the deadline?
Business personal property forms may be downloaded from this
web site or may be obtained by calling (804) 365-6129. The deadline
for filing business personal property forms is May 1 of each
year.
I work out of my home, do I still have
to file?
Yes. The business personal property tax must be paid on all business
equipment.
I depreciate the value of my business personal
property each year for tax purposes. How does that impact the
way my return is filed with Hanover County?
For our purposes, the tax is based on the original cost of the
equipment. Each year we utilize a declining value scale, based
on the year of acquisition, to adjust the value for taxation.
Is computer equipment valued the same way
as other business equipment?
No. The useful life span of computers and related equipment is
less than other business equipment. We use an acclerated business
depreciation schedule in determining value.
Do I have to file a new business property
return each year?
Yes. In order to keep our records accurate, the information needs
to be updated each year to reflect any changes.
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