To modify the calculation of the taxable wage base.

HB 4401 Text

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Introduced Version

House Bill 4401 History

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Key:
Green
= existing Code.
Red
= new code to be enacted

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

FISCAL NOTE

2026
REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
House Bill 4401
By Delegates Riley, Maynor, McCormick, Heckert, and Fehrenbacher
[Introduced January 16, 2026; referred to the Committee on Finance]
A BILL to amend and reenact §21A-1A-28 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; referring to unemployment compensation; and modifying the calculation of the taxable wage base.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 1A. DEFINITIONS.

§21A-1A-28. Wages.

(a) "Wages" means all remuneration for personal service, including commissions, gratuities customarily received by an individual in the course of employment from persons other than the employing unit, as long as such gratuities equal or exceed an amount of not less than $20 each month and which are required to be reported to the employer by the employee, bonuses and the cash value of all remuneration in any medium other than cash except for agricultural labor and domestic service. The term "wages" includes remuneration for service rendered to the state as a member of the state National Guard or Air National Guard only when serving on a temporary basis pursuant to a call made by the Governor under §15-1D-1 and §15-1D-2 of this code.
(b) The term "wages" does not include:
(1) That part of the remuneration which, after remuneration equal to
$9,500

$8,500
is paid during a calendar year to an individual by an employer or his or her predecessor with respect to employment during any calendar year, is paid to such individual by such employer during such calendar year unless that part of the remuneration is subject to a tax under a federal law imposing a tax against which credit may be taken for contributions required to be paid into a state unemployment fund. For the purposes of this section, the term "employment" includes service constituting employment under any unemployment compensation law of another state; or which as a condition for full tax credit against the tax imposed by the federal Unemployment Tax Act is required to be covered under this chapter; and, except that for the purposes of §21A-6-1, §21A-6-10, §21A-6-11, and §21A-6-13 of this code, all remuneration earned by an individual in employment shall be credited to the individual and included in his or her computation of base period wages:
Provided
, That the remuneration paid to an individual by an employer with respect to employment in another state or other states upon which contributions were required of and paid by such employer under an unemployment compensation law of such other state or states shall be included as a part of the remuneration equal to the amounts of
$9,500

$8,500
. In applying such limitation on the amount of remuneration that is taxable, an employer shall be accorded the benefit of all or any portion of such amount which may have been paid by its predecessor or predecessors:
Provided, however
, That if the definition of the term "wages" as contained in Section 3306(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, is amended to include remuneration in excess of
$9,500

$8,500

paid to an individual by an employer under the federal Unemployment Tax Act during any calendar year, wages for the purposes of this definition shall include remuneration paid in a calendar year to an individual by an employer subject to this chapter or his or her predecessor with respect to employment during any calendar year up to an amount equal to the amount of remuneration taxable under the federal Unemployment Tax Act;
(2) The amount of any payment made (including any amount paid by an employer for insurance or annuities, or into a fund, to provide for any such payment) to, or on behalf of, an individual in its employ or any of his or her dependents, under a plan or system established by an employer which makes provision for individuals in its employ generally (or for such individuals and their dependents), or for a class or classes of such individuals (or for a class or classes of such individuals and their dependents) on account of: (A) Retirement; or (B) sickness or accident disability payments made to an employee under an approved state workers' compensation law; or (C) medical or hospitalization expenses in connection with sickness or accident disability; or (D) death;
(3) Any payment made by an employer to an individual in its employ (including any amount paid by an employer for insurance or annuities, or into a fund, to provide for any such payment) on account of retirement;
(4) Any payment made by an employer on account of sickness or accident disability, or medical or hospitalization expenses in connection with sickness or accident disability to, or on behalf of, an individual in its employ after the expiration of six calendar months following the last calendar month in which such individual worked for such employer;
(5) Any payment made by an employer to, or on behalf of, an individual in its employ or his or her beneficiary: (A) From or to a trust described in Section 401(a) which is exempt from tax under Section 501(a) of the federal Internal Revenue Code at the time of such payments unless such payment is made to such individual as an employee of the trust as remuneration for services rendered by such individual and not as a beneficiary of the trust; or (B) under or to an annuity plan which, at the time of such payment, is a plan described in Section 403(a) of the federal Internal Revenue Code;
(6) The payment by an employer of the tax imposed upon an employer under Section 3101 of the federal Internal Revenue Code with respect to remuneration paid to an employee for domestic service in a private home or the employer of agricultural labor;
(7) Remuneration paid by an employer in any medium other than cash to an individual in its employ for service not in the course of the employer's trade or business;
(8) Any payment (other than vacation or sick pay) made by an employer to an individual in its employ after the month in which he or she attains the age of 65 years if he or she did not work for the employer in the period for which such payment is made;
(9) Payments, not required under any contract of hire, made to an individual with respect to his or her period of training or service in the armed forces of the United States by an employer by which such individual was formerly employed; and
(10) Vacation pay, severance pay or savings plans received by an individual before or after becoming totally or partially unemployed but earned prior to becoming totally or partially unemployed:
Provided
, That the term totally or partially unemployed does not include: (A) Employees who are on vacation by reason of the request of the employees or their duly authorized agent, for a vacation at a specific time, and which request by the employees or their agent is acceded to by their employer; (B) employees who are on vacation by reason of the employer's request provided they are so informed at least 90 days prior to such vacation; or (C) employees who are on vacation by reason of the employer's request where such vacation is in addition to the regular vacation and the employer compensates such employee at a rate equal to or exceeding their regular daily rate of pay during the vacation period.
(c) The reasonable cash value of remuneration in any medium other than cash shall be estimated and determined in accordance with rules prescribed by the commissioner, except for remuneration other than cash for services performed in agricultural labor and domestic service.
(d)
The amendments made to this section during the
2024

2026
Regular Session shall become effective July 1,
2024

2026
.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to modify the calculation of the taxable wage base.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

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