STOP STAFFORD'S NEW
BUSINESS TAX!

How this tax impacts Stafford County Residents:

Higher prices for families

Increased costs for local business

Reduced economic growth and investment

LEARN THE FACTS & MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

BEFORE SEPTEMBER!

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

What is the Business Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax?

It's a gross receipts tax which means businesses are taxed on all revenue generated even if the business lost money for the year. This puts a heavy burden on all businesses but especially restaurants and others with slim profit margins.

Highlights from the last BPOL meeting.

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WHY OPPOSE THE BPOL TAX?

Stafford Residents and Businesses Are Already Paying More

Over the past several years, Stafford County has significantly increased the cost of living and doing business through higher property taxes (already 11-23% above our neighbors), raising the meals tax, rising assessments, commercial impact fees, and the highest hotel occupancy tax among Virginia counties. Adding another business tax would increase those costs even more.

High business taxes discourage new business investment in the County. Look at the decades of delays with the Aquia Town Center & The Garrison developments.

Stafford County must stay affordable for businesses and residents!

Stafford's Tax Burden Has Already Increased

Recent Tax Increases Include:

Stafford's real-estate tax rate is already 11-23% higher than our neighbors (FXBG, PWC, Spotsy & Fauquier)
Property taxes have increased 56% over the last 5 years.
New commercial transportation impact fees add $10x thousands to development projects.
Stafford has the highest transient occupancy (hotel) tax among Virginia counties.
Sales tax is scheduled to increase by 1% in Nov
The 6% meals tax is one of the highest in the state

Residents & Businesses are already paying enough.

BPOL Is Different Than Most Business Taxes

BPOL is a gross receipts tax.

This means businesses pay tax on their total sales, not their actual profit.

A business may owe BPOL even if it:

Made very little profit
Had unusually high expenses
Lost money during the year

This can place a heavier burden on businesses with narrow profit margins.

Small Businesses Would Be Hit the Hardest

Businesses most likely to feel the impact include:

Restaurants
Retail stores
Family-owned businesses
Contractors
Professional service firms
Startups
Local entrepreneurs

Many of these businesses already face higher operating costs from inflation, wages, insurance, rent, and property taxes.

All Residents Ultimately Pay the Price

When business costs increase, those costs are often passed on through:

Higher prices
Higher rents
Increased service fees
Reduced hiring
Fewer employee raises
Delayed expansion

Higher business taxes don't stay with businesses. They affect everyone.

Stafford Needs More Businesses, Not More Barriers

Many residents want to see more:

Restaurants
Retail shopping
Entertainment
Professional services
Local employers

Higher business taxes may make it more difficult to attract and retain those investments.

More Taxes Can Make Stafford Less Competitive

Businesses compare counties before deciding where to invest.

When neighboring communities have lower costs, they may become more attractive locations for:

New businesses
Employers
Restaurants
Retail centers
Commercial development

This can result in less convenient shopping & higher local prices.

Did You Know?

Stafford's proposed BPOL tax will require two new full-time auditors with limited “police powers” to visit our local businesses and investigate violations.

Spotsylvania has steadily raised its BPOL threshold with the stated intent to compete better against Stafford?

$200k → $750k → $1 mil → and in 2023 to $2 mil.

Stafford’s lack of a BPOL has been our ONLY competitive advantage for attracting companies. All of our other tax rates are higher. Now Stafford supervisors are pushing to bring it here.