{"id":377237,"date":"2016-03-31T21:37:16","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/west-virginia-law\/west-virginia-personal-income-tax-laws.html"},"modified":"2017-10-26T23:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-10-27T04:00:00","slug":"west-virginia-personal-income-tax-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/west-virginia-law\/west-virginia-personal-income-tax-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"West Virginia Personal Income Tax Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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West Virginia Personal Income Tax Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

No matter who you are, or what you do, you\u2019re probably paying taxes. There\u2019s all the consumer taxes<\/a> from sales tax to liquor tax, and then there\u2019s income taxes. In West Virginia, you have to pay both a federal income tax<\/a> and a state personal income tax. Even if you only lived in the state for part of the year or you only have income from the state, but live across the border in Pennsylvania or Ohio, you pay the state income tax.<\/p>\r\n

Why Do I Pay Taxes?<\/h2>\r\n

No one loves to hand over their hard-earned money for taxes, but taxes do cover many essential government functions. For example, taxes pay for schools, highway maintenance, and police officers.<\/p>\r\n

Another reason to pay taxes is that if you intentionally don\u2019t pay any state or federal taxes, there can be serious penalties. Sometimes you just owe a late fee for non-timely payment. Other times, you can be taken to court and possibly do prison time. This crime is called tax fraud or tax evasion<\/a>. In 2013, a West Virginia attorney was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison<\/a> for tax evasion.<\/p>\r\n

State Income Tax Laws in West Virginia<\/h2>\r\n

The following table outlines the main parts about personal income tax laws in West Virginia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Code Section<\/b><\/td>\r\nWest Virginia Code Chapter 11: Taxation, Article 21: Personal Income Tax<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
Who is Required to File?<\/b><\/td>\r\nEvery resident individual, estate, and trust must file state income taxes. Non-residents, including estates and trusts, with West Virginia income must also pay taxes for that income<\/a>.
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\r\nPartnerships, however, are not taxed<\/a> because the individuals in the partnership pay taxes on their income from the partnership.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
Tax Rate<\/b><\/td>\r\nThe tax rate in West Virginia varies based on most individuals, including married couples, and married individuals filing separate returns. The rate<\/a> for individuals, heads of households, estates, and trusts is:
Federal Income Tax Deductible<\/b><\/td>\r\nNo<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
Federal Income Used as Basis<\/b><\/td>\r\nYes<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\r\n

If you have questions or run into problems related to your federal or state income taxes, you should talk to an experienced West Virginia tax lawyer<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Note:<\/i><\/b> State laws are revised frequently. Please consult with a knowledgeable attorney or conduct your own legal research to confirm these state tax laws.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\r\n

Research the Law<\/h2>\r\n