New Virginia laws of 2023

New Virginia laws of 2023

New laws went into effect in Virginia on Sunday, January 1, 2023. Here are highlights of some of the new laws.

Increase the minimum wage

Virginia's minimum wage rose one dollar from $11 to $12 an hour. The next minimum wage increase will be $13.50 per hour on January 1, 2025 and $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2026.

Cut the grocery tax

The grocery tax fell to 1% on January 1st. The lower tax applies to most foods and some personal hygiene products. Shoppers in the Commonwealth of Nations will pay a 2.5% tax on alcohol, cigarettes and hot prepared food.

Single-use plastic bags tax

The city of Fairfax joins several other Virginia counties in taxing five cents on each single-use plastic bag customers use at retail establishments. Charlottesville and Albemarle County also have a plastic bag tax.

Change the vote

On the books as of January 1, 2023, Arlington County will be able to use ranked-choice voting as an electoral method for its primary county council in June 2023.

Consumer data

Virginia's Consumer Data Protection Act went into effect on January 1st. The law regulates companies that control, process or sell large amounts of consumer data. This new law gives consumers the right to see their data, correct it, get a copy of it, and opt out of businesses using their data for advertising.

Major tax cuts

This year's state budget made some big changes to Virginia's tax code over the summer. However, taxpayers will see the impact first when they file their 2022 individual tax returns in 2023. The state's standard income tax deduction is now double what it used to be. Low-income earners can get a refund if the earned income tax credit from the state exceeds the amount they paid in taxes. Increased deductions from military retirement income.

New laws for the unemployment system in Virginia

The Virginia Employment Commission has had a lot of problems in the past. The organization has had to deal with a backlog of unemployment claims during the pandemic, identity theft cases, and a class action lawsuit.

The agency is now required to perform a number of recommended and federally mandated procedures, review claims that may be fraudulent, and recover interest overpayments.