<p>Done forever with FAFSAs and CSS Profiles but stuck this year on state tax returns for 24 yr old grad student son. Next year, I will surely leave this all to him to sort out.
I have been and will continue to study the appropriate websites but would appreciate imput of anyone with info to share.</p>
<p>Son is 24, resident of NJ, studying in CT.
First year we cannot claim him as dependent due to his age and income. Sad for us, since we are still supporting him in school with housing, etc.</p>
<p>So, he will claim himself. As NJ resident, he earned about $400 in NJ.
He earned about $5800 while a student in CT.</p>
<p>Does he file both NJ and CT returns?
Or do I look for some magic income amount under which he does not need to file in either state?</p>
<p>Any tips are appreciated.
Edited: should I have instead posted this in cafe?</p>
<p>When our son was in grad school, he was still our dependent (full time student, earned less than the threshold, and also we provided far more than 1/2 of his support). Because of this, his state of residency was our home state (which is where he had his drivers license, was registered to vote etc). He also paid OOS tuition at his grad school.</p>
<p>For him, he filed as a resident of OUR state and as a non-resident filer for the state where he attended college. He used one of the tax prep software programs (he actually was able to Free File for one state but not the other which doesn’t do free filing). It was MUCH easier to do it this way than to try to figure out the paper forms!</p>
<p>I would assume your son would be a non-resident for CT income tax. It appears he did not make enough to require filing a CT income tax return. However if he had state tax withheld that he would like returned then he would have to file a return to get a refund. If you are supporting your son for >50% of his living expenses (which it sounds like you are) why can’t you claim him? Even if you claimed him he would likely still have a $5700 limit prior to incurring any Fed income tax?</p>
<p>Son was in NJ and from campus jobs used to make about $1,500. They used to withhold about $25 and his tax liability was about $20. I had inquired that if he let go the refund, would he still need to file. They said YES. So for a $5 refund, I used to spend about an hour. Of course I was so mad that I would not round up or down - claim even few cents.</p>
<p>NJ tax form is not bad though. You have to report total income then take a fraction of out-of-state and in-state income blah blah blah.</p>
<p>thumper-
Yes, sounds like what I was heading toward…instate for NJ and non-resident for CT.
Any filing for any state will definetely be done online if at all possible.
It seems that he might not OWE any taxes but would have to file to get any money back that he had deducted from pay. </p>
<p>NEMom- we Turbotax our returns and I’ve been playing around TRYING to get DS as a legitimate dependent on our return. From what it’s telling me so far, he is too old (24 by end of 2010) to be a possible qualifying child. And he grossed more then $3650 which disallows him being our qualifying relative! So, our contributions in his support don’t matter apparently. IRS 501 is the source of all this stuff…
THANK YOU for the link for nonresident CT filing.</p>
<p>Anyone that can help me (and Turbotax!) see the light that son IS able to be claimed as dependent by us would be welcomed…</p>
<p>simba- thanks, so file NJ with gross income and account for CT income on the nj filing…maybe no CT neeeded at all…need to study more.</p>
<p>I agree with above posters … there’s not enough CT income for there to be CT Income Tax. But he will have to file in order to get withholding $$$ returned. I’m sure there’s some way to file online, but it’s a REALLY simple form. He could fill it in by hand in five minutes. CT post offices and libraries generally have the forms and envelopes.</p>
<p>She can’t claim him because he earned more than the amount needed if he’s aleady 24.</p>
<p>I don’t know the amount needed to file in CT, but if he had withholding he should file anyway. I also don’t know the amount to file in NJ, but as a NJ resident he files as a resident with ALL income earned in the year. IF he has a tax liability to CT, he would get a credit for those taxes on his NJ return. There will be no double taxation.</p>
<p>Think I’m winning this battle of multiple state returns for son at school.
We use TurboTax for our returns, with NJ state included. Efile, all good.</p>
<p>Then I can add separate return for son for federal (gotta love the $400 “making work pay” credit he can claim there) BUT each state costs $40ish!!!
So I bailed out of there and found a freefile provider online through the IRS.gov site that will let son file federal and two states for just the $4.95 X2 for the NJ and CT returns he needs.
Wasted a bunch of time today but learned alot!</p>
<p>Hope everyone else’s tax stuff is less annoying then I’m making our family’s into.</p>