Credit card processing and merchant services in Newport News, VA
A taxable restaurant meal in Newport News carries 13.5% in tax: the city's 7.5% food and beverage tax plus the 6% Hampton Roads sales tax, more than in Norfolk or Chesapeake.
Newport News taxes a restaurant meal more heavily than Norfolk or Chesapeake. Article XI of Chapter 40 of the city code taxes food and beverages bought in the city from a food establishment at 7.5% of the total the seller charges. Sales tax comes on top. Virginia Tax lists Newport News in its Hampton Roads group at 6%, and hot prepared food doesn't get Virginia's 1% grocery rate, so a $60 dinner check picks up $4.50 in meals tax and $3.60 in sales tax. That's $8.10 before the tip.
Newport News is an independent city, which in Virginia means it belongs to no county, so the meals tax is the city's alone. Give it a tax line of its own in your POS, apart from the sales tax you file with Virginia Tax. One combined 13.5% rate looks tidy on a receipt, but you'll end up splitting the totals by hand every time a return is due.
A restaurant group working across the region needs a separate setting in each city. Our Norfolk page covers a 6.5% meals tax and our Chesapeake page a 6% one, while all three cities share the 6% sales tax.
Then there's the menu. Virginia's total-price rule, Section 59.1-608, has applied since July 1, 2025: an advertised or displayed price has to include every mandatory fee or surcharge. We read that to mean a service charge every diner pays belongs in the menu price. A credit card surcharge that diners can avoid by paying cash or debit is a separate question. Virginia doesn't cap it by statute, so Visa's 3% and Mastercard's 4% limits apply. The Virginia page has the sources.
The Census Bureau estimated 183,230 Newport News residents on July 1, 2025, 1.6% below the April 2020 base. We set up restaurants and other local businesses on interchange-plus pricing, and a free statement review breaks down what each card type costs you now.
Rules that matter in Newport News
The 7.5% Newport News food and beverage tax
Chapter 40, Article XI of the Newport News City Code levies a tax on food and beverages purchased in the city from a food establishment, equal to 7.5% of the total amount the seller charges. The code exempts some sales, including those made through the food stamp and WIC programs.
Virginia sales tax is charged on the same sales. Hot prepared food and alcoholic beverages fall outside Virginia's 1% grocery rate, so a restaurant meal in Newport News also carries the 6% Hampton Roads rate.
Sources: Newport News City Code, Chapter 40, Article XI: Tax on food and beverages (Municode); Virginia Tax, Grocery tax; Virginia Tax, Retail sales and use tax
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Common questions
What is the meals tax rate in Newport News?
7.5% of the total the seller charges, on food and beverages bought in the city from a food establishment, under Chapter 40, Article XI of the city code. Sales tax is charged separately at the 6% Hampton Roads rate, so a taxable restaurant meal carries 13.5% in all.
How much tax is on a $60 restaurant check in Newport News?
$8.10. The city's 7.5% food and beverage tax adds $4.50, and the 6% Hampton Roads sales tax adds $3.60, because hot prepared food doesn't qualify for Virginia's 1% grocery rate. Keep the two taxes on separate lines so each total is easy to pull when it's due.
Is Newport News in a county for sales tax purposes?
No. Newport News is an independent city, which in Virginia means it isn't part of any county. Virginia Tax lists the city itself in its Hampton Roads group at 6%, and the 7.5% food and beverage tax comes from the city's own code, with no county meals tax on top.
Do my Newport News and Norfolk restaurants need different tax settings?
For the meals tax, yes. Newport News charges 7.5% and Norfolk 6.5%, while both carry the same 6% Hampton Roads sales tax. One tax table pushed to every store would undercharge in Newport News or overcharge in Norfolk. Our Norfolk page has that city's rules.
Can a Newport News restaurant leave its service charge out of menu prices?
Not if every diner has to pay it, in our reading. Virginia's total-price statute, Section 59.1-608, makes any advertised or displayed price include the mandatory fees, and that rule has applied since July 1, 2025. An optional credit card surcharge that diners can skip by paying another way is treated differently. Run your menus and ordering site past your attorney.
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Disclaimer: general information, not professional advice
This page is general educational information, not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Rules and rates vary by place and change, so confirm them with the official source and a qualified professional before you act. Full terms are in our Terms of Service.
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