Living in NH, working in MA

[KBCraig]

What's the tax situation if you live in NH but work in MA? Do you still pay MA income tax?

As an alternate plan to Co?s County, we're looking at south-central NH. I can work at FMC Devens (Ayer, MA), and Mary could transfer to the Nashua PetsMart. Depending on where we find affordable housing that meets our needs, one of us would probably be commuting up to an hour. At the very least, I'd probably have a commute of 40 minutes or more.

I know things are pricey near the border, but we've found some decent-looking doublewides on landscaped quarter-acre lots for under $80k, with water access, park pool, etc.

If Berlin doesn't work out, this is might be the way we go. I wouldn't have to wait another 7 years (along with suffering the financial penalty of retiring at 50).

Thoughts?

Kevin

[JonM]

5.3% non-resident income tax, or taxation without representation.  You could pay 5.85% if you wanted as well . . . A little gift for those who opposed the income tax roll back that few seem to take advantage of.

[KBCraig]

5.3% non-resident income tax, or taxation without representation.  You could pay 5.85% if you wanted as well . . . A little gift for those who opposed the income tax roll back that few seem to take advantage of.

yeowch.

What's the resident rate?

Kevin

[JonM]

5.3% plus short term capital gains tax of like 12% and long term capital gains tax that was repealed then reinstated . . . interest and dividend tax of 5.3% unless it exceeds some number and then it's at 12% . . .

[KBCraig]

God bless Massachussetts. They need it. 

Kevin

[Dave Ridley]

KB, I live in NH and work in Mass..it is not too bad actually; mass is not as bad as I expected

[Dreepa]

Dada having grown up there it is bad.... but I guess it depends on how bad you expected.

Kevin if it gets you here quicker.... do it.? Then you could move to Berlin.

[cathleeninnh]

We found it a small price to pay for being here.

Cathleen

[FTL_Ian]

Dada having grown up there it is bad.... but I guess it depends on how bad you expected.

Kevin if it gets you hear quicker.... do it.  Then you could move to Berlin.

That's my plan, just get the hell up there, then figure our where to put the roots.

[KBCraig]

Kevin if it gets you hear quicker.... do it.  Then you could move to Berlin.

It probably won't get us there quicker, because either way we're going to be looking at 1-2 years minimum.

If we try the Devens/Nashua move, we have to pay for the move ourselves. No assistance selling the current house, so we'd have to time selling and transferring pretty carefully. We have some pretty big house repairs to pay for before the house is marketable (new roof, and repairs to water-damaged soffit, fascia, and eves, plus painting), but we should get that done in 2006.

If it looks like Berlin will work out, it's worth it to me to wait another year (probably early 2007). It would put us in the region we prefer, the move would be paid (saving us about $10k), we'd get a paid house-hunting trip, housing is cheaper, I'd probably get a promotion instead of just a lateral transfer, and the relocation service would buy our house if we didn't sell it before leaving. Mary couldn't transfer with PetsMart, but she can make a good living as a groomer anywhere.

If that's not going to work out, then we'll definitely pay our own way and go to Devens/Nashua. We're updating our schedule: our earliest move without winning the lottery will be Fall '06. Worst scenario, Spring '08.

But we're coming.

Kevin

[Dreepa]

Kevin if it gets you hear quicker.... do it.? Then you could move to Berlin.

It probably won't get us there quicker, because either way we're going to be looking at 1-2 years minimum.

If we try the Devens/Nashua move, we have to pay for the move ourselves. No assistance selling the current house, so we'd have to time selling and transferring pretty carefully. We have some pretty big house repairs to pay for before the house is marketable (new roof, and repairs to water-damaged soffit, fascia, and eves, plus painting), but we should get that done in 2006.

If it looks like Berlin will work out, it's worth it to me to wait another year (probably early 2007). It would put us in the region we prefer, the move would be paid (saving us about $10k), we'd get a paid house-hunting trip, housing is cheaper, I'd probably get a promotion instead of just a lateral transfer, and the relocation service would buy our house if we didn't sell it before leaving. Mary couldn't transfer with PetsMart, but she can make a good living as a groomer anywhere.

If that's not going to work out, then we'll definitely pay our own way and go to Devens/Nashua. We're updating our schedule: our earliest move without winning the lottery will be Fall '06. Worst scenario, Spring '08.

But we're coming.

Kevin

A man with a plan  I like it!!!

[BaRbArIaN]

Commuting to Mass blows, I did it for a while.   Now especially with the price of gas on top of the taxation w/o representation of their income tax, you really really have to love your job and/or be making a lot more than you ever would in NH.  They also don't recognize your carry permit there, so you can't even store your property in your car as you drive or you get a year in jail.   Models of socialist bureacracy mixed with rampant cronyism down there.

[KBCraig]

They also don't recognize your carry permit there, so you can't even store your property in your car as you drive or you get a year in jail.

I'm the beneficiary of an unconstitutional law, which says they don't have any say over whether I carry or not. Same for NYC, DC, Chicago, Puerto Rico, Honolulu, San Francisco, or any other anti-gun jurisdiction -- I can carry with impunity in all of them.

I support the right for everyone to enjoy the same freedom, but I won't stop carrying just out of solidarity.

Kevin

[BaRbArIaN]

Its hard to do a year in jail for asserting your rights, but good luck with it.  Lets hope the police state doesn't get too efficient.

[toowm]

I was talking to a tax expert from Salem, NH yesterday who deals with Mass income tax all the time. He says you are not required to pay Mass tax for the days you are not in Mass. For me, this includes travel to other states, and probably vacation and days I've worked from home. The key is to have your employer split your W-2 wages into Mass wages and NH wages. I have kept a record of my days and will be working with HR to get this right - I save 5.8%.