State guide · West Virginia · 2026 rules

S corporation in West Virginia: what the election changes

West Virginia exempts an S corporation from its corporation net income tax. The main state change is unemployment tax on your salary.

Updated October 24, 20267 official sources

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You’ll need: last year’s Schedule C (line 31) and the W-2 from any job you also hold. Everything else starts at a typical value you can change.

State where the business is Each state treats the election differently. The check shows only the questions that matter there.

Net profit for the year, before paying yourself Your business's profit after expenses. Money you take out for yourself does not lower it.

Where do I find this?

Schedule C, line 31 (“Net profit or (loss)”) on last year’s return.

For this year: sales minus business expenses so far, scaled to a full year. Owner draws are not an expense.

Salary you would pay yourself as an S corporation What you would pay yourself through payroll. The IRS expects a reasonable salary for the work you do.

Where do I find this?

No form shows this yet: you choose it. It should be about what you would pay someone else to do your work.

The salary finder just below shows what employees in your job earn in your state or metro area. What the IRS looks at.

Salary finder: what people in your job earn (BLS)

Your job Pick the job closest to what you do most of the week.

Area Pick your metro area if it is listed. Pay varies by area.

Another job I also earn W-2 wages from a job outside this business

Typical values: change them if you know yours

Payroll service, per year typical value Published one-person prices: $492 to $684 a year (October 2026).

Where do I find this?

Your payroll provider’s price page or quote, for one employee: you. Published prices compared.

Extra tax-prep cost for the S-corp return typical value A survey average: the fee for Form 1120-S minus the fee for Schedule C (2020 fees).

Where do I find this?

Ask your preparer what a Form 1120-S (the S corporation’s own return) would cost, then subtract what you pay now for Schedule C.

Your top federal income tax rate Not sure? Keep 22%. It changes line 5 only.

Where do I find this?

Your taxable income is on Form 1040, line 15. Find the rate for that income and your filing status in the IRS rates and brackets table.

Filing status Changes the result only above $200,000 of earnings ($250,000 if married filing jointly, $125,000 if married filing separately).

Where do I find this?

The box checked under Filing Status at the top of your Form 1040.

Choose a state and enter your profit and salary to see the comparison.

The state

West Virginia follows the federal S election with no separate state form. The S corporation is exempt from the corporation net income tax and files an information return. The income passes to you, as it does today.

Every corporation and LLC pays the same $25 annual report fee ($50 for a two-year report where allowed). An LLC that elects pays the same fee. A sole proprietor who forms an LLC to elect starts paying it.

Unemployment tax on your salary

Unemployment insurance: 2.7% for a new employer on the first $9,500 of wages. A sole proprietor owes no unemployment tax on their own earnings. After the election the S corporation pays it on your salary, because corporate officers are covered.

A 2026 law cuts contribution rates by 7% from July 1, 2026, and adds an annual automation and administration fee. The state has not published how either applies to a new employer, so the calculator uses the 2.7% rate.

The optional pass-through entity tax

A one-owner S corporation can elect to pay West Virginia’s pass-through entity tax at the top individual rate, 4.58% for 2026. Filing Form EPT-100 is the election; the Tax Department says it is due March 15 for a calendar year. You get a credit for the tax, but it is not refundable: any excess carries forward. The calculator leaves it out.

Worked examples

A single-member LLC owner, single filer, 22% federal bracket, default payroll and return costs. The figure is total tax and added costs as an S corporation compared with staying as you are.

Profit / salary	Statewide
$80,000 / $45,000	$724 lower
$120,000 / $60,000	$3,125 lower
$200,000 / $90,000	$7,905 lower

Starting payroll in West Virginia

Register for state withholding with the State Tax Department and for unemployment insurance with WorkForce West Virginia, both through the WV One Stop Business Center.

New hire paperwork for West Virginia

Other states

All state guides and the map

Sources

Federal figures: IRS Publication 15 (2026), Schedule SE and Form 2553 instructions. Every figure was read on an official page and checked a second time. Checked October 24, 2026. How we check facts.

An estimate from public rules, not tax advice.

Ready to elect? See the Form 2553 steps.

Electing S corp status