Credit card processing and merchant services in Norfolk, VA
Norfolk restaurants and bars collect a 6.5% city meals tax as well as the 6% Hampton Roads sales tax, and each month's meals tax goes to the Commissioner of the Revenue by the 20th of the next.
A taxable restaurant check in Norfolk carries two taxes. The sales tax is 6%, because Norfolk is in Virginia Tax's Hampton Roads region, and hot prepared food served for immediate consumption doesn't get Virginia's 1% grocery rate. The City's meals tax adds 6.5% of the charge on meals bought from food establishments. An $80 check picks up $4.80 in sales tax and $5.20 in meals tax, $10.00 in all.
Unlike sales tax, the meals tax is paid to the City. Norfolk's city code has sellers hold what they collect in trust for the City, then report and remit each calendar month's collections to the Commissioner of the Revenue on or before the 20th of the following month. Have your POS track the meals tax as its own line, so the monthly total comes straight from your sales report.
Fees on the check need the same care. Since July 1, 2025, Virginia has required any advertised or displayed price to include all mandatory fees or surcharges. Our Richmond page works through what that means for a restaurant service charge, and the Virginia page has the statute along with the card network rules that limit an optional credit card surcharge.
Opening a second spot in Virginia Beach? It's in the same Hampton Roads region at 6%, but its local taxes are set by that city, so check them separately. Our Virginia Beach page has its details.
Norfolk had 231,013 residents in the Census Bureau's July 1, 2025 estimate. Clearo sets up restaurant and bar accounts on interchange-plus pricing, with POS terminals that take chip, tap and swipe. A free statement review shows what your card fees add to every check.
Rules that matter in Norfolk
Norfolk's 6.5% food and beverage (meals) tax
Article VII of Chapter 24 of the Norfolk City Code taxes meals bought from food establishments. On charges over $3.84, the tax is 6.5% of the charge, and smaller charges follow a bracket schedule in the code. Sellers hold the tax in trust for the City until they remit it, and each calendar month's collections must be reported and remitted to the Commissioner of the Revenue on or before the 20th day of the following month.
Sales tax applies as well. Virginia's 1% grocery rate doesn't cover hot prepared food sold for immediate consumption or alcoholic beverages, so those sales also carry the 6% Hampton Roads rate.
Sources: Norfolk City Code, Chapter 24, Article VII: Tax on purchase of 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 in Norfolk, Virginia?
6.5% of the charge on meals bought from food establishments, under Article VII of Chapter 24 of the Norfolk City Code. Checks of $3.84 or less follow the code's bracket schedule instead. On a $40 dinner check, the meals tax comes to $2.60, and the 6% Hampton Roads sales tax adds another $2.40.
When is Norfolk's meals tax due?
By the 20th of the following month. Norfolk's city code says the tax collected during each calendar month must be reported and remitted to the Commissioner of the Revenue on or before the 20th day of the next month. Until you remit it, the code treats that money as held in trust for the City.
What sales tax rate applies in Norfolk?
6%. Virginia Tax lists Norfolk in the Hampton Roads region, where a 0.7% regional tax is added to the 5.3% general rate. Hot prepared food doesn't qualify for Virginia's 1% grocery rate, so a hot restaurant meal carries the full 6% plus the City's 6.5% meals tax, 12.5% in all.
Can a Norfolk bar add a credit card surcharge?
Yes. We haven't found a Virginia statute that caps surcharges, so the card networks set the limits: up to 3% on Visa and 4% on Mastercard credit, never on debit. If guests can avoid the fee by paying another way, it's optional. If every guest pays it, Virginia's total-price rule says it belongs in the displayed price.
More Virginia cities besides Norfolk
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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