West Virginia Sales Tax on Groceries Explained

Does West Virginia have sales tax on groceries?
The Sales Tax and Use Tax on the sales, purchases and uses of food and food ingredients intended for human consumption has ceased. However, the cessation of tax does not apply to sales, purchases and uses by consumers of prepared food, food sold through vending machines and soft drinks.
Read more on tax.wv.gov

One of the five states without a sales tax exemption for food is West Virginia. at other words, all food and beverages sold at grocery stores are subject to sales tax. West Virginia levies a 6% state sales tax on top of an additional 1% local sales tax in most counties, for a total of 7%. Therefore, buyers should prepare to pay an additional 7% in sales tax on top of the item’s retail price when buying food in West Virginia.

Calculating the price of a supermarket item after 7% sales tax is simple. Simply double the retail price by 0.07 to get this. For instance, if a gallon of milk costs $3.00 and the sales tax is $0.21, the final price would be $3.21. The retail price is not increased by sales tax; rather, it is added to it.

A West Virginia resale certificate, sometimes called a West Virginia Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption, is a legal document that permits a company to buy goods tax-free if they will be resold. A business must complete an application, which is available on the West Virginia State Tax Department website, in order to get a WV resale certificate. Only businesses in West Virginia with a sales tax permit who are acquiring things to be resold may use this certificate.

Out-of-state resale certificates are accepted in West Virginia, but only if the seller is also authorized to collect sales tax there. Depending on the seller’s nexus status, companies that are not based in West Virginia but sell goods to residents of the state may need to collect and pay West Virginia sales tax. Therefore, it is crucial for out-of-state enterprises to comprehend their responsibilities with regard to West Virginia sales tax.

In conclusion, West Virginia does not exempt foods from sales tax, thus customers can anticipate paying a 7% sales tax on any food and drinks purchased in grocery stores. It is straightforward to calculate the cost of a supermarket item after adding the 7% sales tax, which is added to the retail price rather than being multiplied by it. Resell-related purchases can be made tax-free by businesses with WV resale certificates, and West Virginia will accept out-of-state resale certificates if the vendor is likewise authorized to collect sales tax in the state.

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