The answer to your question is that legally you need to file
a Pennsylvania state personal income tax return only if you have total gross taxable income from Pennsylvania
sources greater than $33, in 2016. This is true
whether you are a full-year resident, part-year resident, or a nonresident
of Pennsylvania.
Please see the following Pennysylvania Department of Revenue webpage for confirmation of this:
https://revenue-pa.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/281/~/who-must-file-a-personal-income-tax-re...Additionally, as you may know, there is an interstate "tax reciprocity" agreement in force between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It was set to end during 2016, but both states have since agreed to continue it. Thus, it remains valid. If this affects you, and your own employment situation, then you can read more about it at the following New Jersey Division of Taxation Webpage:
http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/njit25.shtmlThat may or may not have an impact on your requirement to file a state tax return for Pennsylvania; but we include it nevertheless as something of which you should be aware.
If you determine that you don't have to file in Pennsylvania, then you can simply file a full-year New Jersey state return. Otherwise, you would need to file two part-year state resident returns, one each in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Thank you for asking this important question.
