West Virginia passes sales tax exemption for aircraft parts, labor
A bill exempting parts and labor used in aircraft maintenance from West Virginia’s consumer sales and service tax beginning September 1 has been passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice.
The AOPA-backed measure will result in savings for aircraft owners of 6 percent on maintenance services and eliminates a regional competitive disadvantage faced by aviation maintenance shops in the state since Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia approved similar exemptions, said Sean Collins, AOPA eastern regional manager.
The exemption is expected to save owners of single-engine aircraft an estimated $150 per year based on average annual maintenance costs of $2,500. Owners of twin-engine aircraft may save $240, assuming average annual maintenance expenses of $4,000.
The bill’s passage gained momentum from the active engagement of AOPA members in West Virginia—and Collins noted that nonresidents who have purchased aircraft in the Mountain State will also find new incentives to have their aircraft serviced there: In 2020, West Virginia passed a measure that gave out-of-state aircraft operators a 60-day window to fly their aircraft out of the state before being slapped with a 6-percent sales tax, he said.
