Part-year resident of two states?

[dmccarther]

We moved to our second home in AZ in late Jan 2015 but our permanent residence is in DC. We traveled back and forth between residences during the year. Our state of residence on 31 December 2015 was DC; however, the next Turbo Tax question is "Previous state of residence." AZ is not our previous state of residence. I then need to indicate the date I became a resident of DC when AZ is the new state. How do I handle this situation?

[ToddL]

From your description of the situation, you were a resident of DC for all of 2015. Having and living at a second home in another state does not mean you changed your state of residence. In the Personal Info interview, list DC as your state of residence and do not select "Lived in another state in 2015". That question only applies when you changed your state of residence. What makes you a resident of a state (or country)?  Generally, you're a resident of a state (or country) if you intend to either stay there permanently, or return there after a temporary absence. It's where home is – where you come back to after being away on vacation, business trip, overseas or out-of-state employment, or school. Many factors are considered, not the least of which are where you are registered to vote, own homestead property and are licensed to drive.

[ToddL]

The date you choose as the first day of residency can coincide with one of the following events:

You or your spouse arrived in the state or country

Your belongings arrived

You or your spouse started work

You started renting your new place

You purchased your new home

You or a family member enrolled in school

You or your spouse registered to vote

You or your spouse applied for a state driver's license

Residency rules vary from state to state. For example, if you spend more than a certain number of days in some states, you're considered a resident whether it makes sense to you or not. If you have any concerns, check with your  State Department of Revenue  for specific residency rules, especially as they apply to your particular situation. 

[dmah32]

Thanks, Todd! Your answers have been very helpful. If we opt to use part-year residency for both DC and AZ, this gets back to my original question of how to input part-year residency information in TurboTax?

[ToddL]

In the Personal Info interview, your "State of Residence" (as of 12/31/2015) would appear to be AZ and you would indicate you lived in another state in 2015 (DC). Going forward, you would need to prepare a return for AZ and DC (any order); the program will prompt you (recommend) a part-year resident filing status for both.

[ToddL]

Glad I was able to help!