Help! How do I determine which state I was a resident of?

[JR108]

I worked in Missouri for 7 months in 2022. Since I was laid off, I moved in with my Parents in Arizona for the remaining 5 months as I looked for a new job. I don't know which state my new job will be in. For income tax purposes, how do I determine my state of residence? Missouri makes sense as I worked there and I am in Arizona only temporarily. Arizona may make sense because my driver's license is from Arizona; however, I have never worked in or gone to school in Arizona. 

Help!

[xmasbaby0]

You do not need to file an AZ return since you did not work or earn income in AZ.  File a part year return for MO.

[JR108]

Thanks! However my W2 shows my AZ income to be the same as all of my income for 2022 and shows no MO income. I called my company, and they say they are sending me another W2 which will show my AZ income = my MO income = all my income for 2022. When I asked them to explain that apparently illogical statement, they said they are escalating the issue to explain their logic. 

[xmasbaby0]

Wait---now the story changes.  You said you were laid off and did not work in AZ and just lived with your parents while you looked for a job.  Now you say you have a W-2 with AZ wages on it.    smh

[JR108]

All that is true. Never worked in Arizona. Worked only in MO in 2022. W2 shows income in AZ, maybe because when the company sent me the W2, I was with my parents in AZ. 

[xmasbaby0]

You could request an extension while you wait for a corrected W-2 from the employer.  If you owe tax, pay the estimated tax due now.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/internal-revenue-service/file-irs-extens...

[JR108]

Thanks again! If I don't receive a revised W2 later today as promised, I think I will file my Federal return as I will get a hefty refund on it, then file an amended return later on. Over the phone, my company told me that the corrected W2 shows AZ income = MO income = Federal income!! When I asked them to explain it, they said they are escalating the matter within the company. 

[JR108]

I received the corrected W2, which shows AZ income = MO income = Federal income, and withholding of state taxes both in MO and AZ. While I have asked the company to explain why AZ is on my W2 at all, I think I will file MO taxes as a resident (worked for 7 months there before moving to AZ to stay with my parents temporarily as I look for a new job), and file AZ taxes as a non-resident. Does that make sense? 

[MaryK4]

By chance were you a remote worker?

[JR108]

Thanks, MaryK4. No, I was not a remote worker. 

I decided to file as a part-year resident of MO and a non-resident of AZ. Since I had no AZ-sourced income, TurboTax concluded that I owe zero tax in AZ and that I should get my entire AZ tax holding back as refund. My tax holding in MO was short, so I will pay the balance today. Overall, this combination gets me the highest overall refund, and it seems logical to me. 

[MaryK4]

Yes, that sounds correct since you did not work in Arizona.