West Virginia Code 60-8-4 – Liter tax
There is hereby levied and imposed on all wine sold after July 1, 2007, by suppliers to distributors, and including all wine sold and sent to persons 21 years of age or older who reside in West Virginia from direct shippers, except wine sold to the commissioner, a tax of twenty-six and four hundred six-thousandths cents per liter. Effective July 1, 2021, hard cider is excepted from this per liter tax and is taxed pursuant to § 60-8A-3 of this code.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 60-8-4
- Distributor: means any person whose principal place of business is within the State of West Virginia who makes purchases from a supplier to sell or distribute wine to retailers, grocery stores, private wine bed and breakfasts, private wine restaurants, private wine spas, private clubs, or wine specialty shops and that sells or distributes nonfortified dessert wine, port, sherry and Madeira wines to wine specialty shops, private wine restaurants, private clubs, or retailers under authority of this article and maintains a warehouse in this state for the distribution of wine. See West Virginia Code 60-8-2
- Hard Cider: means a type of wine that is derived primarily from the fermentation of apples, pears, peaches, honey, or another fruit, or from apple, pear, peach, or another fruit juice concentrate and water. See West Virginia Code 60-8-2
- person: means and includes an individual, firm, trust, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, association, or corporation. See West Virginia Code 60-8-2
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
- Supplier: means any manufacturer, producer, processor, winery, farm winery, national distributor, or other supplier of wine who sells or offers to sell or solicits or negotiates the sale of wine to any licensed West Virginia distributor. See West Virginia Code 60-8-2
- Tax: includes within its meaning interest, additions to tax, and penalties. See West Virginia Code 60-8-2
- Wine: means any alcoholic beverage obtained by the natural fermentation of the natural content of grapes, other fruits, or honey or other agricultural products containing sugar to which no alcohol has been added and includes table wine, hard cider, nonfortified dessert wine, wine coolers, and other similar wine-based beverages. See West Virginia Code 60-8-2
Before the 16th day of each month thereafter, every supplier, distributor and direct shipper shall make a written report under oath to the Tax Commissioner and the commissioner showing the identity of the purchasing person, the quantity, label and alcoholic content of wine sold by the supplier to West Virginia distributors or the direct shipper to persons 21 years of age or older who reside in West Virginia during the preceding month and at the same time shall pay the tax imposed by this article on the wine sold to the distributor or to persons 21 years of age or older who reside in West Virginia during the preceding month to the Tax Commissioner.
The reports shall contain other information and be in the form required by the Tax Commissioner. For purposes of this article, the reports required by this section shall be considered tax returns covered by the provisions of §11-10-1 et seq. of this code. Failure to timely file the tax returns within five calendar days of the 16th day of each month also subjects a supplier, distributor, and direct shipper to penalties under § 60-8-18 of this code.
No wine imported, sold, or distributed in this state or sold and shipped to this state by a direct shipper shall be subject to more than one liter tax.