Good Policy Leads to More Tax Cuts for West Virginia
Next year, West Virginians will see an income tax cut thanks to revenue triggers in a 2023 law. The Mountain State joins 14 other states that have cut income taxes this year.
4 min readHow does West Virginia’s tax code compare? West Virginia has a graduated state individual income tax, with rates ranging from 2.36 percent to 5.12 percent. There are also jurisdictions that collect local income taxes. West Virginia has a 6.5 percent corporate income tax rate. West Virginia also has a 6.00 percent state sales tax rate and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 6.57 percent. West Virginia has a 0.55 percent effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing value.
West Virginia does not have an estate tax or inheritance tax. West Virginia has a 35.7 cents per gallon gas tax rate and a $1.20 cigarette excise tax rate. The State of West Virginia collects $4,712 in state and local tax collections per capita. West Virginia has $9,574 in state and local debt per capita and has a 93 percent funded ratio of public pension plans. Overall, West Virginia’s tax system ranks 22nd on our 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index.
Each state’s tax code is a multifaceted system with many moving parts, and West Virginia is no exception. The first step towards understanding West Virginia’s tax code is knowing the basics. How does West Virginia collect tax revenue? Click the tabs below to learn more! You can also explore our state tax maps, which are compiled from our annual publication, Facts & Figures 2024: How Does Your State Compare?
Next year, West Virginians will see an income tax cut thanks to revenue triggers in a 2023 law. The Mountain State joins 14 other states that have cut income taxes this year.
4 min readAs much as 98 percent of vaping products sold in the US are illicit. Most states levy an excise tax on vaping products, but these tax systems vary substantially. The result is a messy tax system covering largely illicit products, and no one knows whether taxes are being collected and remitted on most products sold nationwide.
7 min readHowever well-intended they may be, sales tax holidays remain the same as they always have been—ineffective and inefficient.
11 min readAn ideal sales tax is imposed on all final consumption, both goods and services, but excludes intermediate transactions to avoid tax pyramiding.
15 min readRetail sales taxes are an essential part of most states’ revenue toolkits, responsible for 32 percent of state tax collections and 13 percent of local tax collections (24 percent of combined collections).
8 min readSummer has arrived and states are beginning to implement policy changes that were enacted during the legislative session (or are being phased in over time).
13 min readThe vaping industry has grown rapidly in recent decades, becoming a well-established product category and a viable alternative to cigarettes for those trying to quit smoking. US states levy a variety of tax structures on vaping products.
4 min readDifferent layers of taxation on production and distribution combine to make up about 40 percent of the retail price of beer.
3 min readNewer products like spirits-based hard seltzers and ready-to-drink cocktails have fueled growth, while also blurring the lines of a categorical tax system. The result has been a spirited competition throughout the alcohol industry for market share, including calls to reform tax policy.
3 min readGross receipts taxes impose costs on consumers, workers, and shareholders alike. Shifting from these economically damaging taxes can thus be a part of states’ plans for improving their tax codes in an increasingly competitive tax landscape.
7 min read