Fairfax County May Round Cash Tax Payments Amid Penny Shortage

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County residents who pay taxes or fees with cash could soon see their totals rounded to the nearest nickel under a proposed ordinance prompted by the nationwide shortage of pennies.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to authorize a public hearing on July 14, allowing the county to round cash payments up or down to the nearest five cents when making change.

County officials say the change has become necessary as pennies have become harder to obtain. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Mint to halt production of new pennies, although the coins remain legal tender.

Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) said the proposal is intended to modernize county operations while adapting to the shrinking supply of pennies.

"We're modernizing our systems, and we are moving away from this thing," Alcorn said, while holding up a penny in a video released by his office on Wednesday. "The federal government, as of last December, is no longer going to be producing these little things."

If approved, the ordinance would apply only to cash transactions. Payments made by check, credit card or electronic methods would not be affected.

How The Rounding Would Work

• Cash payments ending in 1, 2, 6 or 7 cents would be rounded down to the nearest nickel.
• Payments ending in 3, 4, 8 or 9 cents would be rounded up to the nearest nickel.
• Amounts already ending in 0 or 5 cents would remain unchanged.
• For example, a cash payment totaling $10.77 would be rounded down to $10.75, while a payment of $9.99 would round up to $10.

The proposal also would allow the county to adjust bills associated with cash transactions, such as real estate and personal property tax accounts, to reflect the rounded amount.

County staff told supervisors the change would have virtually no financial impact because each transaction would change by no more than 2 cents.

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If adopted following the July 14 hearing, the ordinance would take effect immediately and remain in place until July 1, 2027.

The public meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m., as part of the board's July 14 meeting at the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax.

The proposal follows legislation approved by the Virginia General Assembly that temporarily allows local governments to round cash payments while the state studies a permanent solution. The Virginia Department of Taxation has been directed to make recommendations to lawmakers before next July.

Alcorn encouraged residents with opinions on the proposal to participate in next month's public hearing.

"We are going to have a public hearing in July, and we're going to look and see and listen to folks on whether or not we should, for cash transactions only, round up or round down to the nearest five cents," Alcorn said. "If you have a strong opinion on this, let us know."