Doing Tax Policy at the Ballot Is Not for the Faint of Heart
Some tax ballot initiatives will be straightforward, some will be complex, and—let’s be honest—some will be a drafting nightmare.
5 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?
Some tax ballot initiatives will be straightforward, some will be complex, and—let’s be honest—some will be a drafting nightmare.
5 min readProperty taxes are the primary tool for financing local government and generating state-level revenue in some states as well.
5 min readThe mix of tax sources states choose can have important implications for both revenue stability and economic growth, and the many variations across states are indicative of the different ways states weigh competing policy goals.
29 min readThe FDA’s proposal to ban flavored cigars would carry significant revenue implications for many state governments.
7 min readHowever well-intended they may be, sales tax holidays remain the same as they always have been—ineffective and inefficient.
43 min readWhile many factors influence business location and investment decisions, sales taxes are something within policymakers’ control that can have immediate impacts.
12 min readIf the policy goal of taxing cigarettes is to encourage cessation, vapor taxation must be considered a part of that policy design.
4 min readEliminating state gross receipts taxes would be a pro-growth change to make the tax code better for businesses and consumers. How does your state compare?
4 min readThe Kansas experience is so infamous that “what about Kansas?” is almost guaranteed to be a question—sometimes as a retort, but often a genuine expression of concern—any time any state explores tax relief. But what about the other two dozen states that have cut their income taxes since then?
6 min readWhich states have the highest property taxes in 2022? See how your state compares in property taxes across the United States
3 min read