Skip to main content
Level 3
March 21, 2023
Solved

MA Resident has MD and MA taxes withheld

  • March 21, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 22 views
The taxpayer is a MA resident, her duty station was in MD. She is an attorney for DOD.
The taxpayer has MD and MA taxes withheld. She said that she was teleworking. That means that she was living and working in MA, but her duty station was in MD. No other connection to MD. She never lived in MD. I understand why the employer withheld MD taxes since seems MD requires for employers to do so for nonresidents from the states Maryland has no reciprocal agreements with.
 
My question is, would the income considered to be MD sourced? We need to file MD Nonresident, but it makes a difference if we can claim a full refund of all MD taxes paid, or if we get a credit on MA resident return ( MA only gives a partial credit).
 
This MD tax announcement supposedly provides the answer. But this is confusing.
 
The announcement seems to explain that MD did not change it's business nexus rules due to COVID 19. Only employee income earned while physically present in MD is MD income.
 
But, I am attempting to reconcile two sections in the announcement.
 
"Maryland employer withholding requirements are not affected by the current shift from working on the employer’s premises to teleworking because taxability is determined by the employee’s physical presence. ... Income is deemed Maryland-sourced income when the income is compensation for services performed in Maryland. "
 
Ok, great, so taxability is determined by physical presence of the employee. But then it says as an example:
 
"...Unlike the aforementioned states, Delaware has not entered into a reciprocal agreement with the state of Maryland. Compensation paid to a Maryland nonresident who is teleworking in Maryland is Maryland-sourced income, and therefore, subject to withholding."
 
Maryland nonresident = Delaware resident, "teleworking in Maryland" This is ambiguous. How do you "telework" in Maryland if you are a nonresident working from Delaware? Why call this example out at all? If the point is to say any nonresident that is working remotely and physically not in Maryland is not Maryland-sourced income, then this example is not very good.
 
So is that not MD sourced income then? 
This topic has been closed for replies.
Best answer by rbynaker

My understanding (from the wrong side of the Potomac):

On days when she goes to the MD office, she has MD source income and reports it on her MD NR tax return.  If that's 0 days, then it's all MA source.

But let's see if my MD peeps agree:

@sjrcpa @dascpa 

I agree, the announcement makes no sense.  How can someone live in DE but telework from MD?  Panera Bread maybe? 🙂

2 replies

Intuit Community Champion
March 25, 2023

IT seems your client will be taxed on all her MA sourced income. See link issued 1/6/23 By MA.

https://www.mass.gov/regulations/830-CMR-625a3-massachusetts-source-income-of-non-residents-telecommuting-due-to-the-covid-19-pandemic.

rbynaker
rbynakerAnswer
Level 13
March 25, 2023

My understanding (from the wrong side of the Potomac):

On days when she goes to the MD office, she has MD source income and reports it on her MD NR tax return.  If that's 0 days, then it's all MA source.

But let's see if my MD peeps agree:

@sjrcpa @dascpa 

I agree, the announcement makes no sense.  How can someone live in DE but telework from MD?  Panera Bread maybe? 🙂

sjrcpa
Level 15
March 25, 2023

I agree.

The more I know the more I don’t know.