Virginia Democrats seek dozens of new tax hikes, including on dog walking and dry cleaning

Virginia Democrats have introduced a host of new tax proposals that would tax a range of services, including dog walking and gym memberships despite running on a campaign to increase affordability. 

More than 50 proposals and new rules were introduced for the new legislative session, including additional local sales tax in all Virginia counties and cities, 7News reported.

The new proposed policies include:

• dog walking and grooming tax
• gun and ammunition tax
• new income tax brackets
• storage facility tax
• dry cleaning tax
• home repair tax
• new personal property tax on electric leaf blowers and electric landscaping equipment

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A delivery tax would apply to deliveries made by Amazon, Uber Eats, FedEx and UPS orders in northern Virginia. 

In 2025, Democrats picked up several seats in the House of Delegates, resulting in a large Democratic majority. The party also holds a majority in the state Senate. 

“Virginians should judge Democrats by their actions, not their campaign slogans,” Republican state Senator Tara Durant told Fox News Digital. “And their actions speak for themselves—pushing dozens of new tax proposals that raise costs on hardworking families. Virginians deserve leadership that actually makes life more affordable, not more expensive.“

Fox News Digital has reached out to House Speaker Don Scott and State Senator Majority Leader Scott Surovell about the potential tax increases, asking how they would make Virginia more affordable, as well as what the additional tax revenue would be spent on. 

Newly sworn-in Gov. Abigail Spanberger ran on a platform of making Virginia more affordable. 

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After taking office earlier this month, she said the state will rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which will add a fee to monthly electric bills. 

Americans For Tax Reform, a group that advocates for lower taxes, criticized the proposals, saying state Democrats were seeking to do the opposite of neighboring states, which are trying to lower taxes. 

“It’s always a bad time to raise taxes, but it would be particularly foolish for Governor Spanberger and the Democrats who now control Richmond to do so at this time of heightened state tax competition,” said ATR leader Grover Norquist. “Governors and lawmakers in other states aren’t just seeking to reduce income taxes and other levies, they’re pursuing full tax elimination in many state capitals.”

“For individuals, families, and employers who wish to avoid the hostile tax policies pursued by Democrats in Richmond, they have plenty of options close by,” he added. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Spanberger, the Virginia Republican Party, as well as Scott and Surovell.