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HB188 • 2026

Income tax, state; establishes a new income tax bracket beginning in taxable year 2026.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 58.1-320 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 58.1-320.1, relating to imposition of income tax.</p>

Children Education Housing Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Convirs-Fowler
Last action
2026-02-11
Official status
Incorporated
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify exact percentages or allocations beyond what is provided in the bill text.

Income Tax, State; Establishes a New Income Tax Bracket

This bill establishes a new income tax bracket that taxes income over $1 million at 10% starting in 2026 and allocates the additional revenue to public school funding, child care subsidies, and housing programs.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a new tax rate of 10% for income above $1 million starting from January 1, 2026.
  • Allocates 50 percent of the additional revenue generated by this higher tax rate to provide additional basic aid funding for public schools.
  • Dedicates 30 percent of the extra money to help pay for child care subsidies through the Child Care Subsidy Program.
  • Sets aside 20 percent of the new income to support housing programs via the Virginia Housing Trust Fund.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who earn more than $1 million a year will have to pay this higher tax rate starting in 2026.

Terms To Know

Income Tax Bracket
A range of income levels that are taxed at the same percentage rate.
Taxable Year
The period for which a tax is calculated, usually one calendar year.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It's not clear how many people will be affected by this new tax bracket.
  • The bill does not specify what happens if the additional revenue generated is less than expected.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-11 Finance

    Incorporated by Finance (HB979-Watts) (Voice Vote)

  2. 2026-02-09 Subcommittee #3

    Subcommittee recommends incorporating (Voice Vote)

  3. 2026-02-05 Subcommittee #3

    Assigned HFIN sub: Subcommittee #3

  4. 2026-01-30 House

    Fiscal Impact statement From TAX (1/30/2026 1:24 pm)

  5. 2026-01-07 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101862D

  6. 2026-01-07 Finance

    Referred to Committee on Finance

Official Summary Text

Imposition of income tax.
Establishes a new income tax bracket beginning in taxable year 2026, that taxes income in excess of $1 million at a rate of 10 percent. Currently, all income in excess of $17,000 is taxed at the rate of 5.75 percent. The bill provides that, from the additional revenue generated from such increased tax rate upon income in excess of $1 million, 50 percent will be dedicated to providing additional basic aid funding for public schools, 30 percent will be dedicated to the Child Care Subsidy Program, and 20 percent will be dedicated to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. The bill contains technical amendments.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
A BILL to amend and reenact §
58.1-320
of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
58.1-320.1
, relating to imposition of income tax.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §
58.1-320
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
58.1-320.1
as follows:

§
58.1-320
. Imposition of tax.

A tax is hereby annually imposed on the Virginia taxable income for each taxable year of every individual as follows:

Two

1. For taxable years beginning before January 1
, 2026, two

percent on income not exceeding $3,000;
Three

three
percent on income in excess of $3,000, but not in excess of $5,000;

Five percent on income in excess of $5,000, but not in excess of $12,000 for taxable years beginning before January 1, 1987;

Five percent on income in excess of $5,000 but not in excess of $14,000 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1987;

Five percent on income in excess of $5,000 but not in excess of $15,000 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1988, through December 31, 1988;

Five percent on income in excess of $5,000 but not in excess of $16,000 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1989, through December 31, 1989;

Five

five

percent on income in excess of $5,000 but not in excess of $17,000
for taxable years beginning January 1, 1990
;

Five and three-quarters percent on income in excess of $12,000 for taxable years beginning before January 1, 1987;

Five and three-quarters percent on income in excess of $14,000 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1987;

Five and three-quarters percent on income in excess of $15,000 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1988, through December 31, 1988;

Five and three-quarters percent on income in excess of $16,000 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1989, through December 31, 1989;
and

Five

five

and three-quarters percent on income in excess of $17,000
for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1990
.

2. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2026, two percent on income not exceeding $3,000; three percent on income in excess of $3,000 but not in excess of $5,000; five percent on income in excess of $5,000 but not in excess of $17,000; five and three-quarters percent on income in excess of $17,000 but not in excess of $1
million
; and 10 percent on income in excess of $1
million
.

§
58.1-320.1
.
Distri
bution of revenue
.

A.
From the
revenue collected on income
in excess of $1 million
taxed at the rate of
10
percent pursuant to
subdivision 2 of

§
58.1-320
,
four and one-quarter
percent
of such revenue
shall be apportioned as follows:

1.
Fifty percent of
such
revenue shall be used to provide additional basic aid funding for public sch
ools, which shall be apportioned to local school boards pursuant to Article 1 (§
22.1-88
et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 22.1.

2. Thirty
percent of such revenue shall be dedicated to
the Child Care Subsidy Program administered by the Department of Social Services

and overseen by the Virginia Department of Education
pursuant to
the partnership entered into on July 1, 2021
,
in accordance with the powers prescribed under §

22.1-289.03
.

3
. Twenty
percent of such revenue shall be dedicated to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund established pursuant to §
36-142
.

B
.
Any funds distributed p
ursuant to
this section
shall not be used to supplant any funds
otherwise
provided by the Commonwealth

but shall be used to increase the total amount of funds available to such programs.