Part year resident W2 state wages amount

[taxes_are_confusing]

Hi,

I moved from CA to NY last year and stayed with the same employer. I am filing a part year resident return with both states and put together a spreadsheet to list out my incomes and allocate by days worked according to each state's part year resident rules.

My calculations give me a CA allocation of wages that is about 4% higher than my employer's W2 CA state wages amount. I believe this is because my employer designated me as having moved to NY a bit sooner than I actually did.

Any recommendations on what the best thing to do here is? Should I stick directly with my employer's W2 CA state wages amount or should I go with my slightly higher, (but maybe more accurate?) spreadsheet amount?

My concern is that deviating from the employer's W2 state wage might be non-standard and a red flag (is it?) but at least if I go with my amount calculated from my approach I can fully explain how I arrived at my allocation. Should employer W2 state wages be treated as fact when filing returns?

Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

[BillM223]

"My concern is that deviating from the employer's W2 state wage might be non-standard and a red flag (is it?) but at least if I go with my amount calculated from my approach I can fully explain how I arrived at my allocation. Should employer W2 state wages be treated as fact when filing returns?"

A piece of data in the hand is worth two pieces of data in the cloud.

If the employer's allocation is at all plausible, I would go with that and not worry about it. It is unlikely that either state taxing authority will give it a second thought.