All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

West Virginia governor proposes tax changes for upcoming legislative session

Gov. Patrick Morrisey unveiled a tax relief package ahead of the legislative session, including personal income tax cuts and expanded credits for historic rehab and tourism.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey (Photo courtesy W.Va. Governor's Office)

Governor Patrick Morrisey announced a tax relief package proposal for the upcoming legislative session today. The package includes a cut to personal income taxes, a reform of the historic rehab tax credit, an expansion of the Tourism Development Action tax credit and plans to conform with provisions from the Trump Administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill to provide meaningful tax relief to every working West Virginian.

“We did the hard work first,” Morrisey said. “Strong revenues did not happen by accident, and they allow us to deliver meaningful tax relief without sacrificing essential services. West Virginians are spending more and contributing to a stronger state budget. That gives us the ability and the responsibility to return more money to the people who earned it.”

Through the first six months of the fiscal year, West Virginia’s general revenue collections were five percent above estimate, totaling $128 million more than projected. At the same point last year, revenues were $40 million above estimate.

The proposed cuts are the latest in a series of pro-growth reforms put in place by the Morrisey Administration. Over the past year, the administration has cut red tape, reformed permitting and launched the economic “Backyard Brawl,” helping attract more than $4.2 billion in private sector investment and projected to create more than 4,200 jobs. The administration also invested in long-term growth through water and sewer projects, $546 million from the Trump Administration for broadband expansion in all 55 counties and a Rural Health Transformation Fund plan that has already secured $199 million in federal dollars from the Trump Administration for 2026.

“Kentucky and Ohio already cut their income tax rates, and I don’t want to see West Virginia get left behind,” Morrisey said.

Under the provisions of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, the administration plans to conform with tax relief measures to support families and encourage business investment. These include enhancements to the Child and Dependent Care Credit, an increase in the annual limit for childcare flexible spending accounts, restoration of full bonus depreciation for qualified property, expanded immediate expensing of domestic research and experimental expenditures and a more generous treatment of business interest deductions.

“The Trump tax cuts provide significant savings for West Virginia and will allow for further economic growth,” Morrisey said.

As the legislative session approaches, the governor looks forward to working with lawmakers to simplify the tax code that will build on this growth and put people first.

“When we let West Virginians keep more of what they earn, all of West Virginia wins.”

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