How do I file state taxes when my spouse and I live in different states?

This is actually a common situation! When spouses live in different states, you'll typically need to file: 1) A joint federal return 2) Separate state returns for each state where either of you have residency or income Since you're a part-year resident of Colorado and part-year resident of Arizona, while your wife is a full-year Colorado resident, you'll need to file: - A Colorado part-year return for yourself - A Colorado full-year return for your wife - An Arizona part-year return for yourself With FreeTaxUSA, you may need to start separate returns for each state situation. The software isn't always intuitive for multi-state situations like yours. You might need to create separate "profiles" within the software for each state return. When allocating income, each state will typically want you to report all income earned while a resident of that state, plus income from sources within that state even when you weren't a resident.

I went through this exact nightmare last year when I moved to Texas but my husband stayed in California for his job. I struggled with the same software limitations until I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). Their system actually handled my multi-state situation perfectly. What I liked was that I could just upload our W-2s and previous returns, and their AI figured out the proper allocation between states based on our specific situation. Their system knew exactly how to handle the partial-year residency for me while keeping my husband as a full-year California resident. The software properly allocated our income based on residency periods and income sources, which was exactly what I needed. It saved me hours of frustration compared to the standard tax software that kept treating us as if we both moved.

Just wanted to follow up and say I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here. My situation with split state residency (Washington/Oregon) that I mentioned earlier was handled perfectly! The system immediately recognized that Washington has no state income tax but that I needed to file in Oregon for my wife. The interface asked specific questions about our move dates and employment situations that my previous tax software never bothered with. It correctly allocated our joint investment income based on residence periods and even flagged that my wife qualified for some Oregon-specific credits I would have missed. Definitely the easiest multi-state tax situation I've ever filed. Thanks for pointing me to this service!

When I had a similar situation (husband in NY, me in NJ), I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at the state tax departments to confirm how to handle it. The NY tax department kept me on hold for literally 3+ hours before disconnecting. Finally found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and used their service to skip the hold times. They called the NY tax department for me, waited through all the holds, and then connected me directly to a tax agent when someone finally answered. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The NY tax agent confirmed exactly what I needed to do: file a joint federal return, a part-year resident return for me in NY, and separate returns for both states. Saved me days of frustration and confusion, and I got direct confirmation from the tax authority instead of just hoping I was doing it right.

I'm eating my words right now. After expressing skepticism about Claimyr in my earlier reply, I decided to try it anyway for my California tax questions. I've been trying for WEEKS to speak to someone at the California FTB about my multi-state filing situation. Claimyr had me connected to a real California tax representative in about 90 minutes. I didn't have to do anything - just got a call when they reached someone! The agent walked me through exactly how to handle my specific situation with partial-year residency in two states. My mind is blown that this actually worked. I was convinced nothing could get through to California's tax department. Guess I was wrong, and I'm very happy about it!

Have you considered just hiring a CPA who specializes in multi-state taxation? I was in a similar situation (wife in Michigan, me in Illinois) and tried to DIY with software. Ended up with a notice from Michigan claiming I owed an additional $2,100. Found a CPA who fixed everything for about $350 and actually saved us money overall compared to what the software had calculated. Sometimes the complexity justifies bringing in a professional, especially for the first year in this situation.

Just wanted to mention that different states have completely different rules about this situation! Colorado and Arizona follow different approaches: Colorado is what's called a "federal conformity" state, meaning they start with your federal AGI and make state-specific adjustments. Arizona has its own calculation method. I'd strongly recommend AGAINST trying to do this yourself with basic tax software. Either use a specialized service that handles multi-state situations or hire a professional. The few hundred dollars you might spend will save you from potential audits and incorrect filings.

I went through this exact situation two years ago when I moved from Texas to California mid-year while my husband stayed in Texas for his job. The key thing I learned is that you absolutely need to be precise about your residency dates and income allocation. For your Colorado/Arizona situation, here's what worked for me with a similar setup: 1) Keep detailed records of your move date and when you started working in Arizona 2) Colorado will want income earned while you were a Colorado resident, plus any Colorado-source income earned after you moved 3) Arizona will want income earned while you were an Arizona resident, plus any Arizona-source income The tricky part is joint income like investment gains, interest, etc. Most states use a "source" rule - if the investment account was opened while you were a resident, that state may claim the income. But this varies by state. I ended up using a CPA for the first year to make sure I got the allocation right, then used that as a template for subsequent years. The peace of mind was worth the extra cost, especially since I discovered I was eligible for some part-year resident credits I would have missed otherwise. Don't stress too much about the software limitations - most aren't designed for complex multi-state situations like yours. Either go with a specialized service or get professional help for this year at least!

I actually work as a tax professional and see multi-state situations like yours frequently. Here's what I'd recommend for your Colorado/Arizona situation: **Immediate steps:** 1. Gather your exact move date and employment start date in Arizona 2. Calculate what percentage of the year you were a resident of each state 3. Collect all income documents (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) and note which state each income was earned in **Filing approach:** - File jointly for federal (as you planned) - File a Colorado part-year resident return for yourself - File an Arizona part-year return for yourself - Your wife files a Colorado full-year resident return **Software limitations:** FreeTaxUSA and most consumer software struggle with these scenarios. You'll likely need to either: - Use a specialized multi-state tax service - Work with a CPA who handles multi-state taxation - File each state return separately using different software sessions **Key gotcha:** Don't forget about potential reciprocity agreements or credits for taxes paid to other states. Both Colorado and Arizona may give you credits for taxes paid to the other state, but you need to claim them properly. The good news is this gets much easier in subsequent years once you establish the pattern. But for your first year in this situation, getting professional guidance can save you from costly mistakes and ensure you're taking advantage of all available credits and deductions.