Which state do I request my W4 for when working remotely?

The W4 form is actually a federal form used by your employer to determine federal income tax withholding, not state taxes. You'll fill out just one W4 for federal purposes regardless of where you or your employer are located. For state taxes, you typically pay taxes where you physically perform the work (your residence state), not where your employer is based. So in your case, you'd need to complete a Michigan state withholding form (MI-W4). Some states have reciprocity agreements that can affect where you pay taxes, but the general rule is that you pay taxes to the state where you physically work. Your employer should provide you with the appropriate state withholding forms based on your location.

I had the same issue last year when I started remote work for a company in California while living in Texas. I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out all my multi-state tax situations. Their tax specialist explained that I needed to fill out withholding forms for my resident state, not the company's state. They reviewed my employment contract and helped me figure out exactly which forms I needed. The whole process was super smooth and they even checked if there were any special agreements between the states that might affect my situation. Saved me hours of research and stress!

Just wanted to update everyone - I decided to try taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. My situation with living in Washington (no state income tax) but working for a New York company was super confusing. They reviewed my employment contract and explained I only needed to worry about New York taxes if I physically worked in NY during the year (like during business trips). They even provided a letter I could give to my HR department explaining the correct withholding situation for remote workers. Totally worth it and gave me confidence that I'm handling everything correctly!

If you're having trouble getting answers from your HR department about the right tax forms, I recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last year with multi-state tax questions, and waiting on hold with the state tax departments was impossible. Claimyr got me connected to an actual Michigan Department of Treasury agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. The agent confirmed exactly which forms I needed as a remote worker and cleared up my confusion. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They basically wait on hold with the tax agency for you and call you when an agent is on the line. Super helpful when you need to speak directly to a state tax department rep!

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my remote work situation, so I gave it a try. Honestly, I was shocked when my phone rang and there was an actual IRS agent on the line! I explained my remote work situation (living in one state, company in another) and got clear guidance about which withholding forms I needed. The agent even sent me links to the correct forms. Saved me at least 2-3 hours of hold time and the frustration of being disconnected. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong!

Just a heads up - if your company has offices in multiple states or if you ever travel to the company's home state for work meetings, the tax situation can get more complicated. You might need to file partial-year returns or non-resident returns in multiple states. I work remotely from Florida for a New York company, but I spend about 3 weeks a year at headquarters. Had to file in both states last year. Worth checking if your specific situation has any special requirements!

Does anyone know if these rules are different for independent contractors vs employees? I'm about to start freelancing for companies in multiple states and I'm wondering if I need to worry about all these different state forms.

This is such a common confusion for remote workers! I went through the same thing when I started working from home for a company in a different state. Just to add to what others have said - make sure you also check if your employer's payroll system is set up to handle remote workers correctly. Some companies automatically withhold taxes for their headquarters state until you specifically tell them otherwise. I had to contact HR to make sure they switched my withholding to my home state. Also, keep good records of where you're physically working from each day, especially if you ever work while traveling or visiting family in other states - it can matter come tax time! The good news is that once you get it set up correctly the first time, it's pretty straightforward going forward. Welcome to remote work - it's awesome once you get past the initial paperwork hurdles!

Welcome to the remote work club! Just wanted to chime in with a quick tip that might save you some headaches - when you contact your HR department about setting up Michigan withholding, ask them to confirm in writing (email) exactly which state they're withholding taxes for. I learned this the hard way when my company's payroll system kept defaulting back to their headquarters state even after I thought I had it corrected. Having that email confirmation helped me catch the error quickly during my first pay stub review. Also, since Nevada has no state income tax, you're actually in a pretty good spot compared to remote workers who have to navigate between two states that both have income taxes. Michigan will be your only state tax concern, which simplifies things quite a bit!