W2 missing NJ(state) info

[vinay080]

Work in NY and live in NJ.. My W2 is missing NJ State information. Should I ask for correction?

[rjs]

Your W-2 is correct. If you worked only in New York you had no New Jersey source income. If no New Jersey tax was withheld from your pay, there should not be any New Jersey state information on your W-2.

[vinay080]

Thanks for the reply. But nj state income would be different right? NJ taxes some more things than NY. In the past I used to have both

[rjs]

The income you earned for working in New York is New York income, not New Jersey income. New Jersey taxes your New York income because you are a New Jersey resident (but you get a credit on your New Jersey tax return for part of the tax that you pay to New York). I think technically your W-2 should have a New Jersey line with only the additional amount that is taxed by New Jersey but not by New York. But employers practically never do this. They typically either do what your employer did, and report only New York income, or they report the full amount of your income on both the New York and New Jersey lines. The trouble with that second approach is that if you enter the W-2 that way in your tax software (any tax software) your New Jersey tax return ends up calculating tax on both the New York and New Jersey amounts. In other words, you get taxed by New Jersey on double your actual income.

It's a messy situation, and neither state has ever given employers clear instructions for how to fill out the W-2. I suggest that you just enter your W-2 in TurboTax the way it is, and don't worry about it.

[vinay080]

Yeah. Its messy. I will do that. thanks so much for the reply. Much appreciated. 

[em460]

Moved from NY to NJ but didn't change the address. W2 has NY address. How should I file, NY non resident. Do I need to correct W2 for NJ?

[rjs]

@em460 

When TurboTax asks for your mailing address, enter your current address. That's the address that goes on your tax return.

The address on your W-2 doesn't matter, but on the screen where you enter your W-2 in TurboTax there are boxes for the employee's address. TurboTax will automatically enter your current mailing address. Change it to the address that's on your W-2 form, even if it's wrong or you don't live there anymore.

If you moved in 2019 you will have to file part-year resident tax returns for both New York and New Jersey. When TurboTax asks for your current state of residence select New Jersey and click Yes where it asks if you lived in another state in 2019. Select New York as your previous state, and enter the date that you moved from NY to NJ.

You didn't say which state you worked in. If you worked in NJ while you were living in NY you will also have to file a part-year nonresident tax return for New Jersey.