Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday called for the elimination of the local personal property tax known as the car tax.
In a speech to lawmakers outlining his two-year budget, Youngkin challenged state and local leaders to do away with the car tax.
“I both invite and challenge my colleagues in the General Assembly to completely eliminate the hated car tax,” Youngkin said on X. “It belongs in your trash can, not your mail box.”
To make the phase-out achievable, Youngkin said local governments could raise sales taxes.
“All told, this bold tax reform plan allows Virginians to keep more of their hard-earned money with a major personal income tax reduction...and most importantly, gets Virginia moving to compete to win jobs, win people, and win opportunity,” he said.
In an interview with WRVA, former Gov. Jim Gilmore said he “applauds” Youngkin’s effort to reawaken this issue.
“When I was Governor, it was a main thing I was trying to do,” Gilmore said. “If I had not been blocked by the legislature, I would have gone to a complete 100% phase-out. I would have proposed a major tax overhaul and reform in order to do some revenue sharing and accommodate the concerns of the localities.”
In Virginia, vehicle owners pay a tax on the assessed value of their car to their local governments each year. Gilmore says the car tax “continues to be a burden on the people of Virginia.”
“The issues remain the same and I applaud the Governor for beginning to readdress this so that it can be completely eliminated,” Gilmore said.
Lawmakers will begin work on the budget during the General Assembly session beginning in January.
