I work for a state tax department and can confirm that this is a very common situation that we see all the time. The key thing to understand is that your employer's lack of a state ID in your resident state doesn't affect your tax filing obligations at all. Here's what you need to know: 1) You're still required to report all your income to your resident state regardless of where your employer is located, 2) Most tax software will let you leave the employer state ID field blank or you can enter "N/A" or "NONE", 3) Your state return will process normally without this information. The real issue you should be focusing on is whether your employer withheld the correct amount of state taxes for your resident state. If they didn't withhold any state taxes because they're not registered in your state, you might owe a significant amount when you file. I'd recommend checking your paystubs to see what state taxes (if any) were withheld throughout the year. If you need to speak with someone at your state tax department about this, most states have dedicated helplines for wage and withholding questions. They can give you the exact guidance for your specific state's requirements.

This is a great thread with lots of helpful information! As someone who's dealt with multi-state tax issues, I wanted to add that if you're working remotely and your employer isn't withholding state taxes for your resident state, you should also check if your state has any reciprocity agreements with your employer's state. Some states have agreements where if you work in one state but live in another, you might only need to file in your resident state. This could potentially save you from having to file returns in multiple states. Also, if you're planning to stay with this remote employer long-term, it might be worth asking them to register in your state so they can properly withhold state taxes going forward - it would make your tax situation much simpler next year. The tools mentioned here like taxr.ai sound really helpful for navigating these complex multi-state situations. It's frustrating that tax software doesn't always handle these edge cases well, especially with remote work becoming so common.

I'm so sorry you're going through this stress - it's incredibly frustrating when you're counting on that money and the IRS just leaves you in the dark! I went through something very similar last year when my bank rejected my direct deposit due to a closed account. From my experience, the 2-4 week timeline everyone mentioned is pretty accurate, but it felt like an eternity when I was behind on rent. A few things that helped me: First, if you can't get through on the main IRS line, try calling early in the morning right at 7 AM - that's when I finally got through after days of busy signals. Second, keep checking your informed delivery from USPS if you're signed up for it, because you'll see the Treasury check coming before it actually arrives in your mailbox. The check will have "U.S. Treasury" on it, not "IRS." Also, don't panic if WMR doesn't update - mine never changed from "being processed" until after I actually received the check. The whole system is just poorly designed for communication. Hang in there - I know it's scary when bills are due, but the check will come. You're definitely not alone in this struggle!

I completely understand your frustration - being stuck in IRS limbo while bills pile up is absolutely nerve-wracking! I'm actually new to this community but wanted to share what I've learned from similar situations. Based on everyone's experiences here, it seems like you're probably looking at about 3-4 weeks total from when your bank rejected the deposit on 2/24. The IRS has to process the rejection internally first (which can take 1-2 weeks), then print and mail the check (another 1-2 weeks). Since it's now been about 2 weeks, you're likely getting close to when they'll start the paper check process if they haven't already. One thing that might help with the anxiety is signing up for USPS Informed Delivery if you haven't already - you'll get a preview of your mail each morning, so you'll know the day your Treasury check is coming before it actually arrives. The waiting is absolutely the worst part, especially when the WMR tool gives you basically no useful information. Hang in there - your money is coming, even though the system makes it feel like you're shouting into the void!

I've been following this thread with great interest since I'm in a nearly identical situation! My husband works for a state university in what sounds like your "High Tax State" while we live in Nevada. We've been maxing out his 403(b) and 457(b) plans for years. After reading all these responses, I decided to do some digging into our specific state's tax code, and I found some concerning language about "retirement income derived from state employment" that seems to suggest they might try to tax distributions even after we're no longer residents. The language is pretty vague though, which makes it hard to know for sure. What really caught my attention was @Ruby Blake's comment about "source rules" - I think this might be the key issue we all need to research for our specific states. It sounds like some states are trying to claim that government employment creates a permanent "source" connection that survives even after rollover to an IRA. Has anyone actually spoken directly to their state tax department about this? I'm tempted to call and ask hypothetical questions, but I'm also worried about putting myself on their radar unnecessarily. The tools mentioned in this thread (taxr.ai and Claimyr) are starting to look more appealing as ways to get concrete answers without directly engaging with the tax authorities myself. This is definitely one of those situations where the peace of mind from professional advice seems worth the cost!

This is such a timely thread for me! I'm a federal employee with a TSP account and we're considering relocating from Maryland to Texas in the next few years. While TSP is federal rather than state-level like your wife's 457, I've been wondering about similar residency issues. One thing I wanted to add based on my research - it might be worth checking if your High Tax State has any reciprocity agreements with your no-income-tax state. Sometimes these agreements can affect how retirement income is treated, even after rollover. Also, I noticed several people mentioned keeping detailed records of residency. My tax preparer recommended creating what he calls a "residency file" - basically a folder with copies of everything that proves your connection to your new state (utility bills, bank statements showing local address, voter registration, etc.) dated from the time you establish residency. He said it's much easier to compile this documentation as you go rather than trying to reconstruct it later if questions arise. The tools mentioned here (taxr.ai and Claimyr) sound really helpful for getting specific guidance. I think I'm going to try the document analysis route first to understand the federal TSP implications, then maybe use the calling service if I need to speak with someone at Maryland's tax office about any state-specific issues. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this kind of real-world insight is exactly what you can't get from generic tax advice online!

Something else to consider - if your wife truly has zero income, filing jointly with the injured spouse form is almost always better than filing separately. When my wife wasn't working last year, I ran the numbers both ways and filing separately would have cost us about $4,200 more in taxes!

Based on your situation with your wife's child support debt, you definitely need Injured Spouse Relief (Form 8379), not Innocent Spouse Relief. The key difference is that Injured Spouse protects your portion of a joint refund from being taken for your spouse's pre-marital debts, while Innocent Spouse protects you from tax liability when your spouse did something wrong on the tax return itself. Since your wife has no income, filing jointly with the Injured Spouse form will almost certainly save you money compared to filing separately. You'll keep beneficial tax rates, standard deduction amounts, and credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit that you'd lose filing separately. The Injured Spouse form basically tells the IRS "hey, part of this refund belongs to me and shouldn't go toward my spouse's debt." They'll calculate what portion of the refund comes from your income, withholdings, and credits, and release that amount to you while sending the rest toward the child support. Just remember to file Form 8379 WITH your original return if possible - it processes much faster than submitting it separately later. Most tax software can handle this electronically now.

Same issue here! Filed about a month ago and WMR just keeps saying "information doesn't match" even though I've triple-checked everything. Called the IRS helpline and they said returns are taking 6-8 weeks this year due to increased volume. Hang in there - it's frustrating but totally normal right now. The system updates once daily (usually overnight) so checking multiple times a day won't help.

I feel your pain! Same exact thing happened to me last year - WMR kept giving me errors for weeks even though I knew I entered everything correctly. Turns out my return was just stuck in manual review for some random reason (nothing was actually wrong with it). Eventually it processed and I got my refund, but it took about 6 weeks total. The waiting is the worst part because you have no idea what's going on! Try not to stress too much - the fact that your return was accepted is a good sign.