Visory
US
Book a discovery call Book a call

Bookkeeping and payroll in Virginia

Bookkeeping and payroll for Virginia businesses.

Visory provides bookkeeping and payroll services for growing Virginia businesses, from professional firms and consultancies to nonprofits. A dedicated team you know by name works inside your own QuickBooks or Xero file, with Delphi AI taking the repetitive parts under that team’s oversight, and keeps your books and pay runs to Virginia’s withholding, sales tax, and local business license tax rules. One flat monthly fee covers the agreed scope.

  • A dedicated team you know by name
  • Virginia rules in every pay run and close
  • One flat monthly fee for the agreed scope
Book a discovery call
Downtown Richmond’s skyline on a clear summer day above the rocks of the James River and a row of old stone bridge piers.
Photo: Dominic Chasse, Unsplash License

Who we work with in Virginia

Growing businesses across Virginia.

Health care and social assistance is Virginia’s largest private industry, with about 515,000 jobs, and professional, scientific, and technical services employ about 465,000 people, 1.6 times their share of jobs nationally (BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages). Across the state, private employers averaged 3.4 million jobs in 2025.

  • Services businesses with revenue of roughly $750k to $20m, led by a CEO, president, or founder.
  • Nonprofits with grants, programs, and a board to report to.
  • Franchise networks and payroll-heavy operations, with many sites and many pay runs.

All the industries we work with

Virginia rules

The Virginia rules your finance function runs on.

Seven rules set by Virginia, each with the law that sets it and what it does to your month. Your team works to them every pay run and every close.

The payment calendar follows the monthly total.

Once withholding averages $1,000 a month, the tax is paid within days of each payroll, so every payment is matched to the pay run it came from and the quarterly reconciliation agrees with them.

Set by Virginia Employer Withholding Tables for wages paid after July 1, 2025; Income Tax Withholding Guide for Employers (Rev. 10/26)

Employers withhold Virginia income tax by subtracting an $8,750 standard deduction and $930 for each personal exemption from annualized pay, then applying rates from 2% to 5.75% on taxable income over $17,000. The higher standard deduction is scheduled to end after Taxable Year 2026. Under $100 a month of withholding, returns are quarterly; up to $1,000, monthly by the 25th; at $1,000 or more, semi-weekly, paid on Form VA-15 within 3 banking days whenever withholding passes $500.

Virginia Employer Withholding Tables for wages paid after July 1, 2025; Income Tax Withholding Guide for Employers (Rev. 10/26); withholding tables for wages paid after July 1, 2025.

Sources Virginia Tax: Withholding tax, filing requirements Virginia Tax: Employer Withholding Tables for wages paid after July 1, 2025 Virginia Tax: Income Tax Withholding Guide for Employers (Rev. 10/26)

The cost lands early in the year.

Taxes stop once an employee’s wages pass $8,000, so for most salaried staff the year’s whole cost falls in the first quarter, and a budget that spreads it evenly understates January to March.

Set by Code of Virginia, §§ 60.2-229 and 60.2-526; 16VAC5-32-20

Employers pay unemployment taxes on the first $8,000 of each employee’s wages in a calendar year. An employer newly subject to the law pays 2.5% until its own experience-rated rate can be computed, and experience rates in January 2026 run from 0.10% to 6.20%, before any surcharges. Reports of each worker’s wages are due quarterly, by the last day of the month after the quarter ends.

Code of Virginia, §§ 60.2-229 and 60.2-526; 16VAC5-32-20; wage base and rate range in effect as of January 1, 2026.

Sources Code of Virginia: § 60.2-229, wages (taxable wage base) Code of Virginia: § 60.2-526, tax rate of new employers Virginia Administrative Code: 16VAC5-32-20, required quarterly reports US Department of Labor: Significant Provisions of State Unemployment Insurance Laws, January 2026

Two raises are already law.

Pay rates near the floor rise on January 1, 2027, and again on January 1, 2028, so pay bands and the payroll budget are reset before each date, not after the first payroll that misses it.

Set by Code of Virginia, § 40.1-28.10 (Virginia Minimum Wage Act)

The Virginia minimum wage is $12.77 an hour from January 1, 2026, rising to $13.75 on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 on January 1, 2028. From 2029, the Commissioner of Labor and Industry adjusts it each January by the rise in the consumer price index. Tipped employees, who customarily receive more than $30 a month in tips, may be paid a cash wage of $2.13, with a tip credit of up to $10.64.

Code of Virginia, § 40.1-28.10 (Virginia Minimum Wage Act); $12.77 from January 1, 2026; later rates enacted by 2026 Acts, chapters 350 and 351.

Sources Code of Virginia: § 40.1-28.10, minimum wages US Department of Labor: Minimum wages for tipped employees by state

Most service invoices carry no sales tax.

A firm selling advice or design time charges none, but goods resold to customers are taxed at the rate where they are received, so invoices keep the two apart and the tax collected is held for the return.

Set by Code of Virginia, §§ 58.1-603 and 58.1-609.5

Virginia sales tax applies to goods, accommodations, and certain taxable services. Professional and personal services that include goods only as an inconsequential part, separately charged repair labor, and software, data, and information services delivered over the internet are exempt. The state rate is 4.3%; with local taxes, the general rate is 5.3%, or 6% in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Central Virginia, 6.3% in eight other localities, and 7% in James City County, Williamsburg, and York County. Returns are monthly or quarterly, due the 20th.

Code of Virginia, §§ 58.1-603 and 58.1-609.5.

Sources Virginia Tax: Retail sales and use tax Code of Virginia: § 58.1-603, imposition of sales tax Code of Virginia: § 58.1-609.5, service exemptions

Headcount sets the start date.

A business with 50 employees is covered from July 1, 2027, and one with 25 from January 1, 2028, so accrual is running in the payroll file before the date that applies, with balances carried into each new year.

Set by Code of Virginia, §§ 40.1-33.6:1 and 40.1-33.6:2 (2026 Acts, chapters 1128 and 1129)

Virginia’s new paid sick leave law covers employers of at least 50 employees from July 1, 2027, those with 25 or more from January 1, 2028, and every employer from January 1, 2029. Employees accrue at least one hour for every 30 hours worked from their first day, carry unused leave into the next year, and may accrue or use up to 40 hours a year. Until then, the existing law covers only home health workers.

Code of Virginia, §§ 40.1-33.6:1 and 40.1-33.6:2 (2026 Acts, chapters 1128 and 1129); from July 1, 2027, for employers of 50 or more; 25 or more from January 1, 2028; every employer from January 1, 2029.

Sources Code of Virginia (2026 updates): § 40.1-33.6:1, paid sick leave definitions Code of Virginia (2026 updates): § 40.1-33.6:2, accrual of paid sick leave Code of Virginia: § 40.1-33.3, paid sick leave for home health workers

Hourly and salaried staff can run on two cycles.

Salaried staff may be paid monthly while hourly staff need at least two paydays a month, and a leaver’s final pay runs on the next regular payday, so the pay calendar holds both cycles.

Set by Code of Virginia, § 40.1-29

Employers set regular pay periods and pay salaried employees at least once a month and hourly employees at least every two weeks or twice a month; employees earning more than 150% of the state average weekly wage may agree to monthly pay. When employment ends, final wages are due by the date they would have been paid. Each payday, employees receive a paystub or online statement showing the pay rate, gross wages, and each deduction.

Code of Virginia, § 40.1-29.

Source Code of Virginia (2026 updates): § 40.1-29, time and medium of payment

Contractors count as hires here.

A new contractor is reported the same way as a new employee, so the onboarding checklist covers both, and the report is filed the day someone is added to the payroll or the vendor file.

Set by Code of Virginia, § 63.2-1946

Each employer reports every newly hired employee to the Virginia New Hire Reporting Center within 20 days of the start of employment, and someone rehired after at least 60 consecutive days away counts as a new hire. Virginia also requires a report on each new independent contractor within 20 days of the start of the contract.

Code of Virginia, § 63.2-1946.

Source Code of Virginia: § 63.2-1946, Virginia New Hire Reporting Center

Rules last checked October 9, 2026 against the sources at the foot of this page. General information only. It does not take your circumstances into account.

Local rules

Where the rules change across Virginia.

Your team applies the local rules as well as the Virginia ones. These are the places where a local tax, a wage rate, or a leave law differs from the rest of the state.

Fairfax County

Fairfax County adds a business license tax on the prior year’s gross receipts, with its own registration deadline and annual renewal.

  • Businesses with gross receipts over $100,000 pay the BPOL tax per $100 of receipts by classification: $0.31 for professional occupations and consultants, $0.19 for business service occupations, and $0.17 for retail merchants.
  • Below that, the fee is flat: nothing up to $10,000 of receipts, $30 from $10,001 to $50,000, and $50 from $50,001 to $100,000. New businesses register within 75 days of starting, and renewals are due by March 1.
  • The county is in the Northern Virginia sales tax region, where the general rate is 6%. Businesses in the cities of Fairfax, Falls Church, and Alexandria, and the towns of Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna, follow those localities’ own license tax rules instead.

How it works from anywhere

Can a team outside Virginia run a Virginia business?

Yes. Visory’s US leadership team is in New York, and its teams work with businesses across the United States remotely, inside your own accounting file, so nothing about the work depends on where your office is.

Your own file

Your books stay in your own QuickBooks or Xero file. Your team works inside it, so you see the same numbers they do, whenever you look.

A team you know by name

A dedicated team runs the work, led by a Business Performance Partner. You meet them by video call, and you always know who to ask.

Virginia rules, built in

Visory runs the finance function for growing businesses across the United States, with its US leadership team in New York. Your books stay in your own QuickBooks or Xero file, and your team works inside it with you. Every pay run and every close is checked against the rules on this page.

Business hours, and the platform after them

Your team works 9am to 5pm Eastern Time on business days, all year round, and the Visory platform is open to you around the clock for documents, approvals, and your numbers.

What we run for Virginia businesses

The whole finance function, actually handled.

Bookkeeping, payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable, run end to end by a dedicated team with Delphi AI working under their oversight. Flat monthly fee. No hourly billing.

Bookkeeping

Every transaction coded and reconciled, month-end closed on schedule.

Explore bookkeeping

Payroll

Pay runs prepared, checked, and paid on time, every cycle.

See how payroll runs

Accounts payable

Bills captured, checked against what's already paid, and paid when you say so.

See accounts payable

Accounts receivable

Invoices out on schedule, overdue accounts followed up in your name.

See accounts receivable

Visory Insights

Once a month: what changed, what it means, and what to do next.

See how Insights works

Business Performance Partner

A named partner who walks you through the numbers and the next move.

How your partner works

Visory Insights

What your numbers should show in Virginia.

Clean books are the start. Every month, Insights turns them into a plain-English report, and a named Business Performance Partner walks your leadership team through what they mean for the year ahead.

Paid sick leave arrives with headcount

Under the new law, an employee accrues one hour for every 30 worked, so someone on 40-hour weeks reaches the 40-hour annual cap after 30 weeks. Insights shows the date your headcount brings you under the law and the leave balance that builds from it.

Fairfax County license tax is due March 1

A Fairfax County consultancy with $1 million of gross receipts last year owes $3,100 of business license tax at $0.31 per $100, due with the renewal by March 1. Insights sets it aside through the year, so the payment is in the cash flow forecast before the bill arrives.

Unemployment costs land in the first quarter

At the 2.5% new-employer rate, each employee costs up to $200 a year on the $8,000 wage base, and for anyone paid $32,000 a year or more, all of it falls between January and March. Insights puts that into the cash flow forecast, so the first quarter is not a surprise.

Looking for a fractional CFO in Virginia? Visory has no standalone CFO offer. That work sits inside Visory Insights and your sessions with a Business Performance Partner. See Visory Insights

What customers say

In a customer’s words.

“Visory ensures we have a clear view of who we need to pay and how that impacts cash flow so that there are no surprises.”

Rachelle Harper Co-founder and COO, BrandBossHQ

Common questions

Questions Virginia businesses ask.

Straight answers about bookkeeping and payroll for a Virginia business, from a team that works remotely.

Does Visory have an office in Virginia?

Visory’s US leadership team is in New York, and its teams work with growing businesses across the United States remotely, so we support businesses in Virginia as we do everywhere else. A Virginia business gets a dedicated team you know by name, who keep the books and run payroll inside your own QuickBooks or Xero file and meet you by video call. Your records stay in your file, which you can open at any time.

What hours does my Visory team work?

Your team works 9am to 5pm Eastern Time on business days, all year round. Outside those hours, the Visory platform is your 24/7 access point, so your financial information is there whenever you need it.

Can a bookkeeper outside my office look after a Virginia business?

Yes. What matters is that the team knows Virginia’s rules and works inside your own accounting file. Visory connects to your bank feeds and software, codes and reconciles transactions through the month with Delphi AI working under an expert team, and meets you by video call. Nothing about the work depends on where your office is.

How much does a bookkeeper cost in Virginia?

Visory charges one flat monthly fee for the scope we agree, with no hourly billing and no timesheets. The fee reflects the services you take, from bookkeeping and payroll to accounts payable, accounts receivable, and Insights, and the volume of work in your business. After a discovery call, you get a clear proposal, so you know the monthly cost before you start.

See how pricing works

Do you work in QuickBooks and Xero?

Yes. Visory works inside the systems you already use: QuickBooks and Xero for the ledger, Gusto and Rippling for pay runs, and Bill, Ramp, and Stripe for payments, along with your bank feeds. Your books stay in your own accounting file, which you own and can open at any time. Any change to your setup is agreed with you first.

Do Virginia businesses charge sales tax on services?

Mostly not. Virginia exempts professional and personal services, separately charged repair labor, and software, data, and information services delivered over the internet, though accommodations and certain other services are taxable. Goods are taxed at 5.3% to 7%, depending on the locality. This is general information; Virginia Tax sets the rules for your business.

Does Fairfax County tax my business’s gross receipts?

Yes, through its business, professional, and occupational license tax. Businesses with more than $100,000 of gross receipts pay a rate per $100 of the prior year’s receipts, $0.31 for professional occupations and consultants, and smaller businesses pay a flat fee of up to $50. Renewals are due by March 1. This is general information; the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration sets the rules.

Can you look after staff in more than one state?

Yes. Each state sets its own income tax withholding, unemployment insurance, minimum wage, and leave rules, and under reciprocity agreements, qualifying residents of Kentucky, the District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania who work in Virginia are exempt from Virginia withholding. Visory keeps one set of books and runs payroll with each state’s rules applied, so every state’s cost shows in one monthly report.

Do you offer a fractional CFO in Virginia?

A fractional CFO advises on numbers someone else produces. Visory runs the books, payroll, and payments, then delivers the insight from the same team: Visory Insights is a plain-English monthly report and a session with a named Business Performance Partner. There is no handover between the doing and the advising, and it comes on one flat monthly fee.

See how Visory Insights works
More questions, longer answers. Every question has its own link. See all common questions

Getting started

Start with clarity, not a contract.

Three steps, in whatever rhythm suits you. Each one is useful on its own.

  1. Two people shake hands across a desk beside a laptop

    Book a discovery call

    An obligation-free conversation about your goals and what you want the numbers to tell you.

    Obligation-free
  2. A woman takes notes beside a laptop showing a financial report

    Get your free financial health check

    A senior member of the Visory team analyzes your financials and shows you where your finance function can improve. It is free, and it is your own numbers.

    Free · your own numbers
  3. Top-down view of hands on a laptop showing the Visory accounts receivable workflow

    Receive a clear proposal

    A clear commercial proposal for the scope we agree, on one flat monthly fee. No hourly billing. You decide whether to go ahead.

    Flat monthly fee

Get started

The best is ahead for your business.

Start with a discovery call. We will listen first, then show you what your own numbers have been trying to tell you.

Book a discovery call
Sources (20) · rules last checked October 9, 2026

A different Visory region may suit you

You’re viewing Visory US. Would you like to visit Visory AU?