About this programme
The Economic Opportunity Tax Credit is a West Virginia state incentive administered through the West Virginia Department of Economic Development and the West Virginia State Tax Division. It rewards qualified businesses for creating new jobs by offsetting corporate net income tax and personal income tax owed on the related investment.
The programme has two tracks based on how many jobs a business creates. Companies creating at least 10 new jobs (the main track, under W. Va. Code §11-13Q) can offset up to 80% of the corporate net income tax and personal income tax (on flow-through income only) attributable to the qualified investment, rising to 100% if median annual wages exceed the statewide average non-farm payroll wage ($55,800 for 2020). The credit percentage itself also scales with jobs created: 10% of qualified investment at 10 new jobs, 20% at 20 jobs, 25% at 280 jobs, and 30% at 520 jobs, with a further 5-point bump for large projects (at least $20 million invested, built with 75 or more construction workers at a West Virginia site). The credit is claimed over 10 years, at 10% of the total credit per year.
This guide covers the small-business track, called the Economic Opportunity Tax Credit for Jobs Creation under W. Va. Code §11-13Q-22, for companies creating fewer than 10 new jobs. It gives a flat $3,000 credit per new full-time job, claimed for five years, provided the jobs meet minimum pay and benefits standards.
How it works
For the small-business track, the credit is $3,000 per year, for five years, for each qualifying new job. There is no carryforward or carryback: unused credit in a given year is simply lost rather than applied to a past or future year. If the number of new jobs later decreases, the corresponding tax credit is forfeited.
The credit is claimed on Form WV/EOTC-A. The main (10+ job) track uses the same base form along with Schedule EOTC-1 and Schedule EOTC-PIT.
Who can apply
The business must be a qualified West Virginia business engaged in manufacturing, information processing, warehousing, nonretail goods distribution, qualified research and development, corporate headquarters relocation, or destination-oriented recreation and tourism.
For the small-business track, the company must create fewer than 10 new jobs, and each new position must be full-time, pay at least $37,950 a year (a 2020 figure, adjusted yearly), and come with employer-provided health insurance.
Frequently asked
How much is the small-business credit worth?
$3,000 per new full-time job, claimed for five years.
What wage does a new job need to pay to qualify?
At least $37,950 a year (2020 figure, adjusted yearly), and the job must come with employer-provided health insurance.
What's the difference between the small-business track and the main Economic Opportunity Tax Credit?
The main track, for businesses creating 10 or more new jobs, offsets up to 80% (or 100% for high-wage jobs) of corporate net income tax and personal income tax attributable to the investment, at a percentage of qualified investment that rises from 10% to 30% as job creation scales up, claimed over 10 years. The small-business track instead pays a flat $3,000 credit per new job for five years, for businesses creating fewer than 10 jobs, with no carryforward or carryback.
What kinds of businesses qualify?
Manufacturing, information processing, warehousing, nonretail goods distribution, qualified research and development, businesses relocating a corporate headquarters to West Virginia, or destination-oriented recreation and tourism businesses.
What happens if I later cut the jobs I created?
The tax credit is forfeited for jobs that no longer exist; there is no carryforward or carryback to smooth this out, so the credit is tied directly to keeping the jobs in place.
What form do I file to claim this credit?
Form WV/EOTC-A, per the West Virginia Tax Division's credit guide.
More funding in West Virginia
Business Accelerator Program (BAP) at the Downtown Innovation Hub
University of Charleston · West Virginia
A free accelerator for established West Virginia small businesses with over $250,000 in revenue and at least one employee.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund: Phase 0 Award
West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WV SBDC), In-Tech Program · West Virginia
A $2,500 state grant for West Virginia businesses that submit a federal SBIR or STTR Phase I proposal.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund: Phase I/II Matching Award
West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WV SBDC), In-Tech Program · West Virginia
State matching funds for West Virginia businesses that win a federal SBIR or STTR Phase I or II award.
FASTER WV Revolving Loan Fund
Advantage Valley, Inc. · West Virginia
Loans of $5,000 to $50,000 for startups in the Charleston-Huntington region who cannot get a bank loan.
FASTER WV Technical Assistance Grants
Advantage Valley, Inc. · West Virginia
Covers marketing, website, legal, financial and business-planning services for entrepreneurs in the Charleston-Huntington region.
gBETA at Marshall's iCenter
gener8tor, in partnership with Marshall University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (iCenter) · West Virginia
A free seven-week mentorship accelerator for early-stage West Virginia founders at Marshall University, taking no equity.
All 9 programmes in West Virginia →
Reviewed 2026-09-25. Programmes change, so check eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private firm and is not part of any government body.