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Arlington County, Virginia · Tax exemption

Arlington County Solar Exemption Tax Credit Program

Run by Arlington County Department of Real Estate Assessments

Arlington County credits the assessed value of certified solar equipment against your real estate tax bill every year for five years, starting January 1 after approval.

Open Checked Oct 21, 2026

Amounts

How much you get

The Assessor sets the equipment's value (no less than the normal cost of buying and installing it). That value times the year's real estate tax rate is deducted from the bill for five consecutive years; the value stays the same, the rate is applied fresh each year. Example from the County: $30,000 at $1.033 per $100 is a $309.90 credit.

Eligibility

Do I qualify?

You need to meet all 4 of these.

  • Your home is in Arlington County, Virginia.

  • Owner of the Arlington property where the solar equipment is installed.

  • Certified solar energy equipment, facilities or devices designed and used primarily to collect, generate, transfer or store thermal or electric energy.

  • The equipment must be properly permitted and installed under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, then certified by the County Building Official.

    What to doMake sure your installer gets the building and electrical permits; list both permit numbers on the application.

Applying

How to apply

You apply online. Apply any time; an approved application takes effect January 1 of the following year.

  1. Install the system with the required permits.
  2. Email the application to the County Building Official.

    solartaxexemption@arlingtonva.us, with plans/specs/drawings, a short description of the system, and documentation of installed cost (materials and labor).

  3. Building Official certifies or denies.

    Certified applications go to the Assessor, who may do an exterior inspection.

  4. Receive the Assessor's written determination of value.

    The credit starts January 1 of the following year and lasts five consecutive years.

What you'll need

  • Application and certificate

  • Plans

  • specifications and drawings

  • Narrative description of function

  • Cost documentation (materials and labor)

Forms and instructions, including for applying by mailSolar Energy Equipment, Facilities, or Devices Taxation Exemption Application and Certificate · Discover Incentives, Rebates and Financing (Arlington Home Energy Hub)

Questions about applying703-228-3920 or solartaxexemption@arlingtonva.us

Your address

Next steps

Check that it covers your address. Then, if you want, ask for a contractor quote.

FAQ

Questions

How much does Arlington County Solar Exemption Tax Credit Program pay?

The Assessor sets the equipment's value (no less than the normal cost of buying and installing it). That value times the year's real estate tax rate is deducted from the bill for five consecutive years; the value stays the same, the rate is applied fresh each year. Example from the County: $30,000 at $1.033 per $100 is a $309.90 credit.

Do renters qualify?

Owner of the Arlington property where the solar equipment is installed.

Do I need approval before I buy?

The equipment must be properly permitted and installed under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, then certified by the County Building Official. Make sure your installer gets the building and electrical permits; list both permit numbers on the application.

What’s the deadline?

No fixed deadline. Apply any time while it’s open.

Is it still available?

Yes. It was open when we last checked, on October 21, 2026.

References

Sources

This page is built from these official pages, run by the program itself.

  1. Tax Relief and Exemptions (Real Estate Assessments)arlingtonva.us · Read Oct 20, 2026 · Re-checked weekly
  2. Solar Energy Equipment, Facilities, or Devices Taxation Exemption Application and Certificatearlingtonva.us · Read Oct 20, 2026 · Re-checked monthly
  3. Discover Incentives, Rebates and Financing (Arlington Home Energy Hub)arlingtonva.us · Read Oct 20, 2026 · Re-checked monthly

When one of these pages changes, we re-check this page against it.

Report a problem with this page

Nearby

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