dear community,
live in nj, work in ny. for the resident nj state portion of the taxes, there is a page that asks to remove one of the state wage amounts that is listed in box 16. in my case, the nj state wage amount in box 16 is slightly higher than the ny state wage amount in box 16. (as a side note, the ny state wage amount in box 16 is exactly the same as the federal wage amount in box 1). which amount from box 16 should i remove, the nj state wage amount or the ny wage amount? Thank you so kindly for all of your help, time, and attention.
Yes. Remove the NY state wage amount so that the NJ is amount is used in your resident NJ return.
As for the different wage amounts, typically, the difference is because New Jersey does not allow you to exclude from NJ wages, amounts you contribute to deferred compensation and retirement plans, other than 401(k) Plans. Whereas the IRS and NY do exclude those amounts from taxable wages in box 1 and the NY box 16.