IRS letter on your desk?We take over contact with the IRS.IRS Audit RepresentationExams, appeals, collections, penalty reliefBusiness TaxPlanning and compliance for mid-size companiesIndividual & Family TaxHigh-net-worth, multi-state and cross-borderOffshore Disclosure & SDOPFBAR, PFIC and Streamlined filingsTaxpayer Rights in an IRS AuditYour rights, step by stepAudit & AssuranceAudits, reviews, 401(k) plan auditsGovernment Contracting8(a), DCAA, incurred cost submissionsMergers & AcquisitionsDue diligence, QoE, valuations
Government contractorsDCAA, rates and incurred costGovernment Contractors & TechnologyIT, professional services, federal primes and subsReal Estate & ConstructionOwners, developers, contractorsHealthcare & DentalPhysician, dental and specialty practicesRestaurants, Retail & HospitalityFranchises, multi-unit, hotels, e-commerce
Virginia local tax · BPOL & business personal property audits
Virginia counties, cities and towns audit local business license (BPOL) and business personal property filings, often looking back several years. Our Ashburn advisors review the assessment, fix what is wrong and appeal what is not, in Loudoun, Fairfax and anywhere in Virginia.
Serving Virginia, Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Northern Virginia.
What we handle
Most Virginia localities charge a yearly business license tax on gross receipts, and the rate depends on how your business is classified. In Fairfax County, professional services pay $0.31 per $100 while business services pay $0.19; in Loudoun County the same categories pay $0.33 and $0.17. A reclassification alone can nearly double the bill, and auditors often go back three prior years.
Many assessments can be reduced. Receipts earned in other states, receipts belonging to another Virginia locality, and amounts that are not gross receipts at all are common errors. Virginia law gives you a local appeal and then an appeal to the State Tax Commissioner, and collection of the disputed amount is generally suspended while the appeal is pending.
Speak with an advisorWhere we help
Under $10,000 no fee; $10,001–$50,000 $30; $50,001–$100,000 $50; above that, rates per $100 such as professional $0.31, business service $0.19, retail $0.17, contractors $0.11.
$30 when gross receipts are $200,000 or less; above that, rates per $100 such as professional $0.33, business service $0.17, retail $0.17, contractors $0.13.
Annual license filings and payment are due March 1; late filing or payment generally adds a 10% penalty.
Leesburg, Herndon, Vienna and other towns, and independent cities, license businesses themselves, with their own rates.
Our approach
We confirm the years, the locality, the deadline and what the auditor is asking for.
Gross receipts by year, location and activity, reconciled to your federal returns.
A written response with support for classification, deductions and exclusions.
Local appeal, then the State Tax Commissioner within 90 days of the local final decision.
Questions
If your question isn't here, call (703) 880-8412 and you'll reach a person.
BPOL stands for Business, Professional and Occupational License tax. Most Virginia counties, cities and towns charge it each year based on the prior year's gross receipts, with rates that vary by type of business. Fairfax County and Loudoun County both require filing and payment by March 1.
Localities compare license filings with state and federal data, business registrations and property records. Common triggers are a business that never registered, receipts that don't match income tax returns, a change of address, or a classification the locality thinks is wrong.
Generally up to three prior years for taxes that were omitted, plus the current year. Penalties and interest are usually added, which is why early review matters.
Often, yes. Virginia allows a deduction for receipts attributable to business conducted in another state where you are liable for an income or similar tax. Consultants, federal contractors and professionals working across state lines frequently overpay because they don't claim it.
File a local administrative appeal with the assessing official, generally within one year of the assessment or the end of the tax year. After the local final determination, you can appeal to the Virginia Tax Commissioner within 90 days. Collection of the disputed amount is generally suspended while those appeals are pending.
No. We represent businesses before counties, cities and towns across Virginia, including Arlington, Prince William, Alexandria, Leesburg and Herndon, as well as Loudoun and Fairfax.
Latest updates
Authorized representatives can now make balance-due, amended return, extension, proposed assessment and federal tax deposit payments for business clients online. Appropriate authorization for the client and tax matter is required.
Source: IRS (IR-2026-134)
For 2027 the joint-return standard deduction rises to $33,200, the estate tax basic exclusion to $15,480,000, the annual gift exclusion to $20,000 and the Section 179 expensing limit to $2,640,000. Our advisors recommend revisiting year-end gifting and equipment purchase plans with these figures in mind.
Source: IRS (IR-2026-133)
All 6,576 nominated census tracts, including 2,594 rural tracts eligible for enhanced benefits, become Opportunity Zones on January 1, 2027 for ten years. Investors with capital gains should review the new map before committing funds.
Source: IRS (IR-2026-132)
Related
CPA representation for IRS and state tax audits, appeals, collections and penalty abatement.
Learn moreHeadquartersAddress, local tax issues and the full range of services in Northern Virginia.
Learn moreIRS and DC Office of Tax and Revenue audit representation for businesses and individuals in Washington, DC.
Learn moreNew YorkIRS audit, New York State and New York City residency audit, and sales tax audit representation for businesses and individuals in Manhattan and across New York.
Learn moreNorthern VirginiaIRS and Virginia Department of Taxation audit representation for businesses, federal contractors and families in Ashburn, Loudoun, Fairfax and across Virginia.
Learn moreEmployment taxIndependent contractor or employee? IRS common-law test, Section 530 relief, the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program, Virginia misclassification penalties, the 2026 DOL proposal, and recent Tax Court cases, with audit defense for businesses.
Learn moreStart a conversation
Tell us what you're facing. A senior advisor will reply within one business day with a clear next step.
