I live and work in New Jersey but my employer paid taxes in Massachusetts

[rahulsingh414]

Hi, 

I work for a consulting firm.  For year of 2019  I lived and worked in New Jersey.  But my company somehow paid my state tax in Massachusetts from April-2019 to Dec 2019.  

Now my W2 will show that I worked in Massachusetts even tho I didn't work there.  

Will I be able to get back all the taxes paid in Massachusetts and pay that to New Jersey?  What are my options now?  My company basically said that there was mistake in their system and there is nothing they can do now.  

Please suggest. 

[xmasbaby0]

You will prepare two state tax returns--one for MA and one for NJ.  Prepare the non-resident tax return first, then the return for the state you actually live in.  

[TomD8]

You need to file a non-resident MA return, showing zero MA income, in order to have the incorrectly withheld MA taxes refunded to you.

I suggest you file the MA return on paper, and attach a letter of explanation.

For the coming year, if you keep the same job and your employer will not or cannot withhold NJ taxes, you may well want to start making quarterly estimated tax payments to NJ.

[rahulsingh414]

Thanks for the explanation!