Virginia's income tax tops out at 5.75%, but here is the catch: that top rate starts at just $17,000 of taxable income, so almost every full-time worker pays it on most of their pay.
The brackets below $17,000 barely matter, which makes Virginia feel close to a flat 5.75% for typical earners. Here is how it works, and the deduction change to watch in 2026. See your exact take-home with the free Virginia paycheck calculator.
How Virginia's income tax works
Virginia uses four brackets: 2% up to $3,000, 3% to $5,000, 5% to $17,000, and 5.75% above that. Because the top band starts so low, a middle-income worker's marginal rate is 5.75% on nearly all income. Virginia has no local income tax, so the state rate is the whole picture.
Virginia's standard deduction was raised to $8,750 single / $17,500 married for 2025, shielding a meaningful slice of income. That higher deduction is scheduled to sunset after 2025 unless lawmakers extend it, so the 2026 figure could fall and nudge taxes up.
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $3,000 | 2% |
| $3,000 – $5,000 | 3% |
| $5,000 – $17,000 | 5% |
| Over $17,000 | 5.75% |
Your take-home on a $65,000 salary in Virginia
Here is how a $65,000 salary breaks down for a single filer, using 2025 federal and FICA figures alongside Virginia's four brackets from 2% to 5.75%.
| Item | Annual |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $5,246 |
| FICA (Social Security + Medicare) | $4,973 |
| Virginia income tax | $2,977 |
| Take-home pay | $51,805 |
| Percent of gross kept | 79.7% |
On a $65,000 salary a single Virginian keeps about $51,805, or 79.7% of gross, after roughly $2,977 of state income tax. In Northern Virginia (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax), where salaries and housing costs are among the nation's highest, that same percentage leaves far less spending room than it would in Richmond or Roanoke. Compare with North Carolina.
A low-starting top rate and the expiring deduction
Virginia's quirk is the opposite of a high-rate state: the rate is moderate (5.75%) but reaches you almost immediately, so there is little benefit from the lower brackets. The main swing factor is the standard deduction, which roughly doubled recently and is set to expire after 2025.
Virginia exempts Social Security and offers an age deduction for older taxpayers, so retirees often pay well below the 5.75% headline even though workers effectively pay it on most income.
How to keep more of your Virginia paycheck
Since Virginia taxes nearly all of your income at 5.75%, lowering taxable wages is the most effective move: max a traditional 401(k) and HSA, both of which cut your Virginia and federal taxable income (and the HSA escapes FICA).