Live in West Virginia, Work in Rhode Island: Which State Taxes Your Paycheck?
Answer
You file twice: Rhode Island first, then West Virginia. There is no reciprocity agreement between these two states, so Rhode Island taxes the income where it was earned and West Virginia taxes it again as resident income — with the resident credit removing the double charge rather than an exemption form preventing it.
Last verified
Two states can lawfully tax the same wages: Rhode Island because the work happened there, West Virginia because you live there. Nothing prevents the overlap in advance — it is unwound afterwards, on the West Virginia return, through the credit for taxes paid to another state.
A West Virginia resident taxed by another state on the same income claims the credit for taxes paid to other states on Schedule E (Form IT-140). The credit is capped at the West Virginia tax on that income, so it removes the double tax but never refunds the excess when the other state charges more.
What you file
- 1Nonresident return · Rhode IslandForm RI-1040NR
File the Rhode Island nonresident return FIRST — you need the Rhode Island tax figure before you can complete West Virginia.
- 2Resident return · West VirginiaSchedule E (Form IT-140)
File a West Virginia resident return reporting all income, then claim the credit for tax paid to Rhode Island. The credit is capped at what West Virginia would have charged on that same income, so if Rhode Island taxes it at a higher rate the difference is not refunded.
The two states, side by side
| West Virginia | Rhode Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes wages | Yes — graduated | Yes — graduated |
| Reciprocity partners | 5 (Form WV/IT-104) | None |
| Convenience rule | No | No |
| Nonresident return | Form IT-140 with Schedule A | Form RI-1040NR |
| Credit for other-state tax | Schedule E (Form IT-140) | Form RI-1040NR Schedule II |
| Nonresident safe harbour | None published | None published |
| Local income tax | Yes | No |
| Revenue department | West Virginia Tax Division | Rhode Island Division of Taxation |
| Last verified |
The other direction
Reversing the commute does not always reverse the answer. Living in Rhode Island and working in West Virginia gives:Both states — credit offsets the double tax.
Same two states, different situation
The withholding answer turns on how you are paid and where the work happens, not only on which two states are involved.
- Remote worker: West Virginia → Rhode IslandHome state only
- 1099 contractor: West Virginia → Rhode IslandHome state, plus the client state if you work there
- Moved mid-year: West Virginia → Rhode IslandTwo part-year returns
Other West Virginia pairs
Questions people actually ask
I live in West Virginia and work in Rhode Island. Which state takes the tax out of my paycheck?
You file twice: Rhode Island first, then West Virginia. There is no reciprocity agreement between these two states, so Rhode Island taxes the income where it was earned and West Virginia taxes it again as resident income — with the resident credit removing the double charge rather than an exemption form preventing it.
Which state should my employer be withholding for?
Rhode Island. The wages are sourced to Rhode Island, so Rhode Island withholding is correct and there is no West Virginia withholding to set up.
Will I end up paying tax twice on the same income?
Not twice over, but you will pay the higher of the two rates. West Virginia gives residents a credit for tax paid to Rhode Island on the same income, claimed on Schedule E (Form IT-140). The credit is capped at the West Virginia tax on that income, so if Rhode Island taxes it more heavily the excess is not refunded by either state.
How current is this?
The West Virginia and Rhode Island rules on this page were last checked against West Virginia Tax Division and Rhode Island Division of Taxation on 2026-08-07. We re-check the full grid every December after state legislative sessions close, and re-check the convenience-of-the-employer states quarterly because that is where the rules move fastest.
Sources
Every fact above comes from the revenue department that publishes the rule. We do not cite secondary summaries, and we do not restate a figure we could not find at source.
- West Virginia Tax Division — individual income taxaccessed 2026-08-07
- Rhode Island Division of Taxation — individual income taxaccessed 2026-08-07