About Us

Our Mission

Striving to act with integrity and fairness in the administration of the tax laws of West Virginia, the Tax Division’s primary mission is to diligently collect and accurately assess taxes due to the State of West Virginia in support of State services and programs.

Overview

The Tax Division is headquartered in Charleston, with regional offices across the state in Beckley, Clarksburg, Martinsburg, Parkersburg and Wheeling. Utilizing the skills of our employees, the Tax Division provides customer service to both individual and business taxpayers as well as professionals who prepare taxes on behalf of their clients.

Our agency‐wide goal is to provide guidance to taxpayers that will foster compliance and continually improve the quality of service our employees provide. More than 95 percent of the taxes collected in the Mountain State are remitted voluntarily by taxpayers. The remaining 5 percent is a result of the Tax Division's enforcement programs – audit, collections and criminal investigations.

The Tax Division administers more than 25 state and local taxes and fees, including more than $25 million in local coal severance taxes, more than $20 million in local general sales tax and more than $10 million in local liquor sales tax. With regard to property taxes, the Tax Division oversees the administration of more than $1.6 billion annually and works directly with 55 local county assessors.

The agency:

  • Collects tax revenue that will allow the State of West Virginia to finance government operations;
  • Appraises industrial, public utility, and natural resource properties;
  • Provides services to assist taxpayers in understanding their obligations to the State;
  • Compiles statutory, required and ad hoc statistical reports and listings of tax information;
  • Evaluates programs and procedures to ensure continued effectiveness and to preserve or enhance the efficiency and integrity of the agency;
  • Recommends improvements to West Virginia’s tax code; and,
  • Provides training and assistance to county assessors in the administration of local property tax by providing training as well as assisting in matters of a technical nature.

At the Tax Division, we are committed to protecting private taxpayer information and providing the highest level of customer service possible. You may review our privacy policy under the privacy menu item.

Core Values

Fairness and Accountability

Taxpayers are responsible for paying — and we are charged with collecting — the correct amount of State taxes due under the law. It is also our obligation to credit any overpayment promptly (when no other debt is owed) and issue refunds expeditiously.

Professional and Courteous Service

We endeavor to treat everyone with respect. Our goal is to respond to taxpayer questions, concerns and complaints as quickly and accurately as possible. It is also to maintain constant professionalism in all that we endeavor to accomplish.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Security and trust are extremely important to us. Personal information provided to us on a tax return form, in correspondence or through an examination is confidential and legally protected against unauthorized disclosure. The department will remain vigilant in these protections.

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