Eating out in Fairfax County is about to get more expensive. Effective January 1, 2026, the county will levy an additional 4 percent tax on the purchase of all prepared food and beverages sold as a meal.
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors approved the meal tax in May as part of the FY 2026 budget. The tax will be levied on the total cost of food and beverages. It will be added to the existing 6 percent sales tax, for a total of 10 percent.
In addition to restaurants, the new tax affects food and drink served at bars, coffee shops, convenience stores, movie theaters, food trucks, and sporting venues. Non-taxable items include groceries, pre-packaged dessert and snack foods, and sealed beverages sold alone.
Industry Opposition
When delivering the budget, County Executive Bryan Hill said the 4 percent increase could generate $65 million and potentially offset real estate taxes.
But many local restaurants have been critical of the food tax. For example, on April 22, a coalition of Fairfax restaurateurs and members of the Virginia Restaurant Lodging and Travel Association (VRLTA) spoke in opposition to the tax at a public hearing. “We were proud to support the efforts to advocate against this tax, which we see as dangerous to the restaurant industry and costly for consumers,” Eric Terry, VRLTA president said in a statement.
Gary Cohen, Glory Days Grill executive vice president, also opposed the meals tax. He told WUSA9 that he’s concerned it will adversely affect business. “We have struggled to find employees and we have battled the storms of tariffs, food and labor price increases, government shutdown, and generally uncertain times. The industry has had to raise prices to uncomfortable levels in order to survive, and every time we do, we lose guests,” he said.
Feature image courtesy Mediteraneo/stock.adobe.com
