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Virginia

Too hard to stomach? Fairfax County chews on a ‘meals tax’ for dining out.

Lawmakers directed the county executive to study the pros and cons of a tax of up to 6 percent on food and beverages prepared in restaurants, grocery and convenience stores.

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May 21, 2024 at 3:03 p.m. EDT
Fairfax County lawmakers are considering a meals tax to raise revenue. (iStock/Getty Images/iStockphoto)
3 min

That restaurant pasta or gas station burrito in Fairfax County could be facing a price increase after lawmakers in search of revenue began considering an option that has been rejected twice amid heated opposition: a meals tax.

On Tuesday, county supervisors directed County Executive Bryan J. Hill to study the pros and cons of imposing a tax of between 1 and 6 percent on food and beverages prepared in restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores — a response to the board’s passage this month of an austere budget that increased the annual tax bill for homeowners by an average of $450.