Multi state part year nonresident single to married

[Catherine]

Young couple. She lived and worked part-year in NJ. He lived in NY part-year but worked in NJ while finishing school. They married and moved to MA where they now both work.

MA is a straight part-year resident return.

But how would you folks approach the NY and NJ returns? I can't file her as a single part-year NJ resident; she's now married. I can't file him as single NY part-year resident and NJ non-resident; he's now married. Filing them as part-year or non-residents of both states (NY/NJ) doesn't accurately reflect the year, either - she never lived or worked in NY; he didn't live in NJ.

Thoughts?

[Lion EA]

You may have to do MFS for one or more states. (CT requires it if both spouses did not reside in the state substantially the same length of time, as happens when couples marry and move to join the other - even with federal MFJ.) I think she's PY NJ and PY MA. He's PY NY, nonresident NJ, and PY MA. I remember the funky NJ forms requiring two different returns for the same person who moved out of state, the NR and PY returns were separate instead of like NY's NRPY form. So, in your case with two separate people, one NJ PY and the other NJ NR, I don't know how that will work on the NJ forms. My NJ commuters retired to FL, so I don't have current clients with NJ issues. Hope we get NJ preparers to weigh in or a NY with lots of commuters!

[kcjenkins]

For the mechanics of it, I'd do the federal MFJ return, then duplicate it twice. On copy 1, delete her and all her W-2's, then change status to MFS, go to the state return and make sure all his info is there, and all hers is gone, and rename this one "his name, MFS State'. On copy two, delete his W-2s, remove his name and put her name on the top line with her SSN, change her W-2s etc to remove the spouse check, then change the status to MFS. And rename this one "her name, MFS State'.

Be sure you double check these 'state' versions carefully to make sure each one only contains that persons income, of course. It's easy to end up counting some savings account twice, for example. But it's still faster than any other way I know. And don't feel bad about having to charge them for all this extra work. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. It was their choices that put them in this situation, it's a one-time deal, but it's perfectly fair for you to be paid for getting them properly filed, even tho they made it hard.

[Catherine]

For the mechanics of it, I'd do the federal MFJ return, then duplicate it twice. On copy 1, delete her and all her W-2's, then change status to MFS, go to the state return and make sure all his info is there, and all hers is gone, and rename this one "his name, MFS State'. On copy two, delete his W-2s, remove his name and put her name on the top line with her SSN, change her W-2s etc to remove the spouse check, then change the status to MFS. And rename this one "her name, MFS State'.

Be sure you double check these 'state' versions carefully to make sure each one only contains that persons income, of course. It's easy to end up counting some savings account twice, for example. But it's still faster than any other way I know. And don't feel bad about having to charge them for all this extra work. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. It was their choices that put them in this situation, it's a one-time deal, but it's perfectly fair for you to be paid for getting them properly filed, even tho they made it hard.

Many thanks to Lion and KC!

I think the Mass return I can do without the duplication of returns -- but had determined that the other two would need to start by duplicating the original. I very much appreciate the duplicate-it-twice idea; I hadn't thought of that twist.

And, yes, I'll charge them for the extra work. My husband keeps telling me I undercharge, and now you guys are ganging up on me, too, so he must be right.

Catherine