WHEELING – It’s no joke, but West Virginia residents must pay their vehicle property tax in full by April 1 if they want to see that money credited in 2025.

A change in state tax law approved by the West Virginia Legislature last year requires vehicle owners to pay their tax bill to their respective counties by the stated deadlines. Then next year, the taxpayer can be credited dollar for dollar for that tax payment on their 2024 West Virginia income tax return.

Lisa Tyler, chief tax deputy in Ohio County, explained if the taxpayer doesn’t have a copy of their bill it can be looked up at their county tax office.

Bills can also be paid at WVPropertyTaxes.com. Also at this site, the taxpayer can view their any past property tax payments and print out receipts for those payments.

Paying online with an e-check incurs a $1 charge, she added. If the taxpayer uses a credit or debit card, the charge is $1 plus a fee equal to 2.2% of the bill amount.

To receive their refund next year, the taxpayer must not have been delinquent in paying their vehicle property tax.

To be eligible, they were required to have paid the first half of their taxes before Oct. 1, 2023, and the second half before April 1.

“I want everybody to get their money back from the state,” Sheriff Tom Howard said. “It will come straight off the taxes next year.”

The West Virginia Legislature amended the legislation to allow taxpayers to pay all of their tax bill in 2023 and still be permitted to receive a credit in full on their 2024 tax return filed in 2025.

It was in 2022 that voters defeated a proposed constitutional amendment that would have required the Legislature to pass legislation eliminating the vehicle property tax – as well as other taxes on machinery and equipment and inventory.

The amendment was defeated largely due to a strong opposition campaign waged by Gov. Jim Justice. If passed, it would have also required lawmakers to develop a plan to keep counties whole if the taxes were eliminated, and he believed that gave too much power and discretion to state lawmakers.

After the amendment failed, the Legislature passed a measure establishing the process of rebating money paid to counties for vehicle property taxes.