Income Tax Question

[Trogdor]

I have a quick question about filing taxes and would like to hear some opinions from people who have been in the same situation before.

I live in state A. I commuted to a job in state B for about half the year, then got a job based in state A. Each paycheck I received from the job in B, state income tax to state B was taken out. I was never officially a resident of state B. Confusing enough?

Now, my question is do I have to file state income tax in state B as a partial year resident? If not, am I going to get hit with extra income tax from state A because I only paid income tax for the second half of the year?

I hope this makes sense. Thanks for the help.

 

[AeroBoy]

You pay state income tax in the state in which you reside (State A). That is unless the other state (State B) has some kind of commuter tax for non-residents. Assuming no commuter tax, you should get a full refund of what you paid to State B, though you'll need to fill out a non-resident income tax form to get the money back. You might or might not face penalties for not having taxes taken out for State A, depending on how much was taken out in the six months you worked in State A and how much tax you still owe. You should have made voluntary quarterly tax payments, but that is water under the bridge now.

But don't take my word for it--be sure to consult with a tax professional. Many states offer free tax help by phone.