West Virginia Code 11-13A-7 – Accounting periods and methods of accounting
(a) General rule. — For purposes of the taxes imposed by this article, a taxpayer's taxable year shall be the same as the taxpayer's taxable year for federal income tax purposes. If taxpayer has no taxable year for federal income tax purposes, then the calendar year shall be taxpayer's taxable year under this article.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 11-13A-7
- commissioner: means the Tax Commissioner of the State of West Virginia or his or her delegate. See West Virginia Code 11-13A-2
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by printing, engraving, writing, or otherwise. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
- Service: includes all activities engaged in by a person for a consideration which involve the rendering of a service as distinguished from the sale of tangible personal property: Provided, That "service" does not include: (A) Services rendered by an employee to his or her employer under a contract of employment. See West Virginia Code 11-13A-2
- Tax: means any tax imposed by this article and, for purposes of administration and collection of such tax, it includes any interest, additions to tax or penalties imposed with respect thereto under article ten of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 11-13A-2
- Taxable year: means the calendar year, or the fiscal year ending during such calendar year, upon the basis of which a tax liability is computed under this article. See West Virginia Code 11-13A-2
- Taxpayer: means any person subject to any tax imposed by this article. See West Virginia Code 11-13A-2
(b) Change of taxable year. — If a taxpayer's taxable year is changed for federal income tax purposes, taxpayer's taxable year for purposes of this article shall be similarly changed. The taxpayer shall provide a copy of the authorization for such change from the Internal Revenue Service, with taxpayer's annual return for the taxable year filed under this article.
(c) Methods of accounting same as federal. —
(1) Same as federal. — A taxpayer's method of accounting under this article shall be the same as the taxpayer's method of accounting for federal income tax purposes. In the absence of any method of accounting for federal income tax purposes, the accrual method of accounting shall be used, unless the Tax Commissioner, in writing, consents to the use of another method. Accrual basis taxpayers may deduct bad debts only in the year to which they relate, and accrual basis health care providers may not deduct bad debts attributable to services rendered before June 1, 1993.
(2) Change of accounting methods. — If a taxpayer's method of accounting is changed for federal income tax purposes, the taxpayer's method of accounting for purposes of this article shall similarly be changed. The taxpayer shall provide a copy of the authorization for such change from the Internal Revenue Service with its annual return for the taxable year filed under this article.
(d) Adjustments. — In computing a taxpayer's liability for tax for any taxable year under a method of accounting different from the method under which the taxpayer's liability for tax under this article for the previous year was computed, there shall be taken into account those adjustments which are determined, under regulations prescribed by the Tax Commissioner, to be necessary solely by reason of the change in order to prevent amounts from being duplicated or omitted.