Virginia sales tax for salons
Are haircuts and salon services taxable in Virginia?
No. Haircuts, nail services and skin care are not taxed when charged as services, because Virginia regulation says charges for services are generally exempt, but products sold to clients are taxable. Below: each kind of service, the products you sell, the rate and the permit a salon needs, each answered from the Virginia Tax's own publications, rules or statutes, read on October 25, 2026.
- Haircuts
- Not taxable
- Nails
- Not taxable
- Products you sell
- Taxable
- State rate
- 4.3%
Administered by Virginia Tax (Virginia Department of Taxation).The agency's page The state's own words
Services
Which salon services are taxable in Virginia?
No. Haircuts, nail services and skin care are not taxed when charged as services, because Virginia regulation says charges for services are generally exempt, but products sold to clients are taxable.
- Hair services
- Not taxable
- Nail services
- Not taxable
- Skin care and waxing
- Not taxable
Hair services: haircuts, color, styling, perms and shaves. Nail services: manicures, pedicures and enhancements. Skin care: facials, waxing and other hair removal, and makeup.
Products
Do salons charge sales tax on products in Virginia?
Yes. Products a salon sells to clients (shampoo, styling products and similar) are taxable retail sales, so the salon must register as a dealer, collect the tax and remit it. The state rate is 4.3% plus local tax.
The rate
What is the sales tax rate in Virginia?
- Statewide tax
- Sales and Use Tax
- State rate
- 4.3%
- Local sales taxes
- Yes, added by cities, counties or districts
The rate a client pays depends on the salon's address: look it up with the Virginia Tax.
The permit
Does a salon need a sales tax permit in Virginia?
Sales Tax Certificate of Registration. Register your salon as a sales tax dealer online with Virginia Tax before you sell retail products; you receive a 15-digit sales tax account number and the Sales Tax Certificate of Registration (Form ST-4), which must be displayed at your location.
- Registration
- Sales Tax Certificate of Registration
- State fee
- Not stated
Good to know
What else Virginia says about salons and sales tax
- A salon pays use tax on supplies it buys and uses up in services (shampoo, color, wax), because it is the taxable user of those supplies.
- A single charge that combines a service with products is taxed as one: the full amount is taxable or exempt, depending on the true object of the transaction.
- Cities and counties may add their own local sales tax of one percent on top of the state rate.
Sources
What Virginia's official pages say
Each answer above, in the words of the Virginia Tax's own publications, rules or statutes, read on October 25, 2026. This is not tax advice: rules and rates change, so confirm with the Virginia Tax or an accountant.
- Hair services
“Charges for services generally are exempt from the retail sales and use tax.”
law.lis.virginia.gov - Products you sell
“Any service provider who also makes retail sales of tangible personal property must register as a dealer with the department and collect and remit the tax on its sales.”
law.lis.virginia.gov - The tax and its rate
“in the amount of 4.3 percent:”
law.lis.virginia.gov “Such tax shall be added to the rate of the state sales tax imposed by §§ 58.1-603 and 58.1-604”
law.lis.virginia.gov - The permit
“Sales Tax Certificate of Registration (Form ST-4)”
tax.virginia.gov - The agency
“Generally speaking, dealers collect the sales tax from their customers when they make a sale, lease, or rental.”
tax.virginia.gov - Also good to know
“A service provider is the taxable user and consumer of all tangible personal property purchased for use in providing exempt services.”
law.lis.virginia.gov - Also good to know
“Transactions involving both the sale of tangible personal property and the provision of services, generally are either taxable or exempt on the full amount charged, regardless of whether the charges for the service and property components are separately stated.”
law.lis.virginia.gov - Also good to know
“The council of any city and the governing body of any county may levy a general retail sales tax at the rate of one percent”
law.lis.virginia.gov
Questions
Virginia salon sales tax, answered
Are haircuts taxable in Virginia?
Do nail salons charge sales tax in Virginia?
Are facials and waxing taxable in Virginia?
Do salons charge sales tax on products in Virginia?
Does a salon need a sales tax permit in Virginia?
What is the sales tax rate in Virginia?
Plan the rest
Opening or running a salon in Virginia
- Every step to opening a salon in Virginia, as a checklist
- What Virginia requires to license a salon
- What Virginia inspectors check in a salon
- Salon point of sale systems compared, with card fees
Salon sales tax in other states
Ready when you are
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