Facts & Figures 2024: How Does Your State Compare?
Facts & Figures serves as a one-stop state tax data resource that compares all 50 states on over 40 measures of tax rates, collections, burdens, and more.
2 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?
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SubscribeFacts & Figures serves as a one-stop state tax data resource that compares all 50 states on over 40 measures of tax rates, collections, burdens, and more.
2 min readIn recognition of the fact that there are better and worse ways to raise revenue, our Index focuses on how state tax revenue is raised, not how much. The rankings, therefore, reflect how well states structure their tax systems.
111 min readTax burdens rose across the country as pandemic-era economic changes caused taxable income, activities, and property values to rise faster than net national product. Tax burdens in 2020, 2021, and 2022 are all higher than in any other year since 1978.
24 min readIndividual income taxes are a major source of state government revenue, accounting for more than a third of state tax collections. How do income taxes compare in your state?
8 min readGraduated corporate rates are inequitable—that is, the size of a corporation bears no necessary relation to the income levels of the owners.
7 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).
9 min readThe latest IRS and Census data show that people and businesses favor states with low and structurally sound tax systems, which can impact the state’s economic growth and governmental coffers.
8 min readWhile many factors influence business location and investment decisions, sales taxes are something within policymakers’ control that can have immediate impacts—especially as a large number of major cities have combined rates of 9 percent or more.
6 min readProperty taxes are the primary tool for financing local governments and generate a significant share of state and local revenues.
6 min readThough gas taxes are intended to serve as user fees and pollution deterrents, they vary widely across states. How does your state’s burden compare?
4 min readNext 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 read