I am looking for some advice about filing my state taxes. My question is essentially about whether I pay state taxes to NC or to PA for the first half of 2018.
I am currently a full-time university faculty member in NC, but I was previously a full-time faculty member at a PA university for four years. During that time, my husband lived in NC, and I commuted between the two (I had an apartment in PA; he had our house in NC).
In late December of 2017, I moved back to NC full time, but I was STILL employed by my PA university. I was on a semester-long paid research sabbatical in the spring 2018 semester, so I was still being paid by my PA university from January through mid-August, even though I was not physically present in PA (nor was I required to be). During that period I was given an unpaid visiting appointment at an NC institution (office & library access only). My PA institution did not have an "expectation of return" clause in my sabbatical contract, and I quit in the summer to take a job in NC.
When I returned to live in NC in late December 2017, I gave up my apartment in PA, moved back home to NC, and changed my driver's license and car registration back to NC in late December, so I was an NC resident for the entire 2018 year. I did not live or work in PA at all during the 2018 tax year, despite having PA taxes withheld from my paycheck.
While I know I will need to file state returns in both states (since I have had PA taxes withheld Jan-Aug and NC taxes withheld Aug-Dec), I am unsure about which state gets my state taxes for the first half of the year! On TurboTax it seems as though I can figure out a way to answer the questions on my PA state return to get a full refund of my taxes based on the fact that I was an NC resident and on leave from my job in PA during 2018. But I can also figure out a way to file my NC state tax return to get credit for paying PA state taxes. Obviously, I owe taxes to one of these states, but presumably I don't have to double up on the state taxes for the first part of the year. I am guessing that the taxes actually go to NC rather than to PA, since that is where I was living and doing my research, but I'm just not sure, and I want to do this right!
I would be EXTREMELY appreciative if anyone has any advice on this rather unusual issue. Thanks!
