Virginians have noticed that they no longer have lower gas prices than their neighboring states. That’s because they’re gas taxes have gone up five years in a row and are about to go up for the sixth on July 1.
Today’s tax of over 30 cents per gallon is the result of another automatic tax increase that goes into effect July 1st. In 2020 the statewide gas tax was only 16.2 cents but was raised by the legislature to 21.2 cents.
Since then, a series of incremental tax increases have caused the number to creep up. Effective July 1, 2022, statewide taxes on both gasoline and diesel fuel were set to rise annually based on the consumer price index.
In total, the Virginia Gas Tax has nearly doubled since January 2020.
Governor Ralph Northram signed the legislation
In 2022 Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed a three-month tax holiday, but his proposal was rejected by the Virginia Senate. The proposal would have saved Virginia taxpayers $437 million. (RELATED: High Risk Roads Surrounding Roanoke Undergo Evaluation).
Virginia motorists must also pay regional gas taxes such a 9 cent regional tax imposed by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. Various federal taxes also contribute to the price paid at the pump. (RELATED: Lt. Gov. Sears Pushes to End Car Tax, Gains Rare Support from Spanberger).Drivers who use alternative fuels such as liquefied natural gas, propane, and other green energy options must pay a “gasoline gallon equivalent” tax.