Hey all...

anyone live in RI and work in MA?  I'm starting to play with my taxes.  I understand I'd have to pay something to MA since I work here, but not only am I not getting ANYTHING back from MA, but I owe money??? Can't be right.

And I haven't paid a dime to RI, and haven't even started on that return yet (it's not available online until the end of January).

This sucks...anyone else have experience with this?  Am I doing something wrong?

Hi Daisy!

Yup, what you are doing wrong is working in MA while living in RI!! You get to be screwed by both states!

Many, many years ago we lived in CT and my Wife worked in RI. We got royally screwed on taxes and once we moved back to MA, I swore off looking for any work across that state line.

The way that RI tax system worked back in the early 1970s, we ended up paying income tax on MY earnings in CT to RI even though I never worked/livef in RI. [It was a percentage of Fed Tax x percentage of total family income in RI! So, as your Fed income bracket increased, you paid a disproportional amount to RI as a NR.] At least MA screws you at a flat rate of 5.x%.

Quoted: Hi Daisy! Yup, what you are doing wrong is working in MA while living in RI!! You get to be screwed by both states! Many, many years ago we lived in CT and my Wife worked in RI. We got royally screwed on taxes and once we moved back to MA, I swore off looking for any work across that state line. The way that RI tax system worked back in the early 1970s, we ended up paying income tax on MY earnings in CT to RI even though I never worked/livef in RI. [It was a percentage of Fed Tax x percentage of total family income in RI! So, as your Fed income bracket increased, you paid a disproportional amount to RI as a NR.] At least MA screws you at a flat rate of 5.x%.

Gee, thanks, Len.  Well, I wouldn't make nearly as much money in RI as I make in Mass, so I guess it's going to work out ok.  I just learned the amount I pay to MASS will be a credit to the tax I owe to RI.  And I get a refund from federal (they don't seem to mind that I cross a state line for my career).

How are ya?

not sure what your issue is.
MA NON RESIDENT has you allocate your income between MA and the out of State work.
IF you worked only in MA while living in RI then you owe tax on 100%.
RI gives you a credit for taxes paid other jurisdictions use form RI1040MU.
hope that helps.

ps. not getting money back is a good thing provided you don't owe a penalty. It was your money they didn't have.

Quoted: not sure what your issue is. MA NON RESIDENT has you allocate your income between MA and the out of State work. IF you worked only in MA while living in RI then you owe tax on 100%. RI gives you a credit for taxes paid other jurisdictions use form RI1040MU. hope that helps. ps. not getting money back is a good thing provided you don't owe a penalty. It was your money they didn't have.

My "issue" is that I don't live in Mass...paid all Mass state taxes, and I still owe 75.00.  I understand it's my money that I'm getting back.

I just can't believe that MASS wants 2K, and I don't even live there.
Is that for the pleasure of driving on their pothole infested highways???

Unless something MAJOR has changed you should get money back from MA. I used to live in NH and work in MA and got plenty back. You need to approtion your income and claim only those days you worked in MA. I think there were other deductions too which I cant recall right now. I DO recall getting significant money back though.

MA essentially has no tax deductions for NRs, so unless you worked from home some proportion of the time, you do indeed get taxed on 100% of your income with no deductions. [As a NR, you only have to pay tax on earnings for the days you are physically in MA working, so keep track of business trips, working from home, vacation time, holiday time, etc. That's your only hope to reduce the bill.] There isn't much that we can deduct as a Resident of PRM either, for that matter.

It's good that you can deduct the MA paid amount against your RI tax liability.

I understand that MA is the "high rent" district and thus tends to pay better than RI. Cost of living is much higher here too, although the crooks in politics compete well between RI and MA to see how much of our money they can steal each year.

When we lived in CT, CT didn't have an income tax, so we got royally screwed by RI.

We're well, drop by my real home (NES), that's where I spend a good deal of my time.

Quoted: Quoted: not sure what your issue is. MA NON RESIDENT has you allocate your income between MA and the out of State work. IF you worked only in MA while living in RI then you owe tax on 100%. RI gives you a credit for taxes paid other jurisdictions use form RI1040MU. hope that helps. ps. not getting money back is a good thing provided you don't owe a penalty. It was your money they didn't have. My "issue" is that I don't live in Mass...paid all Mass state taxes, and I still owe 75.00.  I understand it's my money that I'm getting back. I just can't believe that MASS wants 2K, and I don't even live there. Is that for the pleasure of driving on their pothole infested highways???

Reverse boat here: hubby works primarily in RI and we pay in both states...You get our pot holes and we get your lousy drivers.


<---knows she is gonna PAAAAAAYYYYYY for that!

Wow..I suppose it has changed a lot then. I recall not paying that much and did get money back. Its not so bad...you can get a library card too. As for the potholes I think the state views them as features. Certainly they test the soundness of your suspension and weed out those that are deficient.