General Revenue Fund collections in West Virginia for January 2026 showed continued growth, according to an announcement from Governor Patrick Morrisey. The state collected $490.8 million during the month, a 2.7% increase compared to January of the previous year. Although this amount was $19.3 million below the monthly estimate of $510.1 million, cumulative collections so far have reached more than $3.233 billion, surpassing the year-to-date estimate by $108.8 million and exceeding last year’s collections by 2.5%.
Severance Tax collections for January were lower than expected at $17.6 million, but officials noted that payments due at the end of each month can vary based on timing and expect higher receipts in February to balance out the shortfall. Despite being below estimates, coal and natural gas sales remain strong compared to last year, with natural gas prices averaging over 50% higher than before. As a result, Severance Tax collections increased by 57.8% over last January, with year-to-date totals at $204.2 million—38.4% ahead of last year’s pace.
“These results reflect a resilient economy and responsible fiscal management,” Governor Morrisey said. “Even with monthly fluctuations, West Virginia continues to outperform expectations, and we are well-positioned to finish the fiscal year with a meaningful surplus. That puts us in a strong position to protect taxpayers, invest in priorities, and keep our state moving in the right direction.”
Personal Income Tax brought in $225.4 million for January and has contributed more than $1.295 billion since July 2025—$42.1 million above projections for this point in the fiscal year but just slightly (.2%) under prior-year receipts due to tax rate reductions and new credits like the refundable motor vehicle tax credit.
Consumer Sales Tax revenue reached $167 million for January—a rise of 2.1% from last year’s numbers—and beat estimates by $1 million for the month as well as nearly $29 million cumulatively so far this fiscal year (totaling $1.146 billion). This figure includes about $39 million linked to changes from a recently enacted law that removed certain payment acceleration requirements; when adjusted for this change, collections are still up by more than five percent compared to last year.
Corporation Net Income Tax yielded $17.8 million during January and has generated a total of $173 million so far this fiscal year—exceeding estimates both for the month ($1.3 million above) and cumulatively ($8.3 million above).
Tobacco Excise Tax revenue came in at $9.7 million for January and stands at $79.3 million so far this fiscal period—falling short of expectations by $4.4 million and down 5.8% from last year’s levels as consumers continue shifting away from cigarettes toward other tobacco products or vaping alternatives.
