Married filing jointly with resident and nonresident status across NY and NJ

[Super_D]

My wife and I are filing jointly for the first time. She lives and works in New York while I live and work in New Jersey. As per previous advise that was provided to us, we are attempting to file the federal, New York, and New Jersey returns as follows:

• Federal: Married Filing Jointly including both incomes
• New Jersey: Married Filing Separately including only my income
• New York: Married Filing Jointly including only my wife's income

We are using TurboTax Online and have the following questions:

1. After filling out the federal return TurboTax automatically pulls in both wages into both New York and New Jersey state returns. Is there a way to prevent this?
2. For some reason TurboTax is give an error in the New York return when I try to list my wife as a resident and myself as a nonresident : . Is there something that I'm doing wrong?
3. Can all of this be properly done using TurboTax Online?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[BrittanyS]

I would like to take a deeper look at this. However, I need a diagnostic file which is a copy of your tax return that has all of your personal information removed. You can send one to us by following the directions below:

TurboTax Online:

1. Sign into your online account.
2. Locate the Tax Tools on the left-hand side of the screen.
3. A drop-down will appear. Select Tools
4. On the pop-up screen, click on “Share my file with agent.”
5. This will generate a message that a diagnostic file gets sanitized and transmitted to us.
6. Please provide the Token Number that was generated in the response.

TurboTax Desktop/Download Versions:

1. Open your return.
2. Click the Online tab in the black bar across the top of TurboTax and select “Send Tax File to Agent” *
3. This will generate a message that a diagnostic copy will be created.  Click on OK and the tax file will be sanitized and transmitted to us.
4. Please provide the Token Number (including the dash) that was generated in the response.

*(If using a MAC, go to the menu at the top of the screen, select Help, then, “Send Tax File to Agent”)

[Super_D]

Hi @BrittanyS ,

Here's the token number 1298579

[BrittanyS]

I was able to clear the error by changing the selection from non-resident to full-year resident.  Then I selected spouse and spouse resident for New York City.  See the screenshots below:

@Super_D 

[Super_D]

Hi @BrittanyS ,

Thanks for the info. The problem is gone, but now I'm concerned on whether or not our wages are being taxed properly for each state. As stated, all of my wages come from New Jersey and I live in New Jersey. As for my wife, she lives and works in New York. As it stands, TurboTax is saying that we owe taxes to New Jersey, but are receiving a refund from New York. How can I be sure that we're not being taxed twice for both of our wages across both states?

[BrittanyS]

If you are using TurboTax Desktop, you can switch to forms mode in the upper right corner and verify the income being taxed by each state.  

@Super_D 

[Super_D]

Is there a way to do this with the online free version?

[BrittanyS]

You can preview the return but it will not be as detailed as the desktop version.  From the left rail menu in TurboTax Online, select Tax Tools (You may have to scroll down on the left rail menu.)

1. Select Tax Tools 
   
2. On the drop-down select Tools 
3. On the pop-up menu titled “Tools Center”, select View Tax Summary 
4. On the left sidebar, select Preview my 1040 

@Super_D