22 Apr I moved. Was I supposed to file a N.J. tax return?

Q. My wife and I owned a house in New Jersey from May 2014 to July 2023. It was our primary residence until January 2023. We moved to Georgia then, but it took time to sell the New Jersey home. In 2023, no income tax was deducted for New Jersey and no W2 was received. Only Georgia income taxes were paid and only Georgia W2s were received. Was I supposed to file for New Jersey also because of the home sale?
— Taxes on my mind

A. When you move from state to state, what happens with your state taxes can be confusing.

From what you said, you were a full-year Georgia resident in 2023, so when you sold the New Jersey home, you were a full-year non-resident of New Jersey.

As a non-New Jersey resident during the home sale closing process, typically, NJ Form GIT/REP and an estimated tax payment is calculated and withheld as part of the closing process, said Michael Maye, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant with MJM Financial in Gillette.

He said you should take a close look at your closing documents and speak to your real estate agent and attorney to confirm whether any amount was withheld at closing, Maye said.

Likely, you will want to file a 2023 NJ non-resident tax return as estimated New Jersey taxes were probably withheld at the home sale closing, he said.

“Filing a NJ non-resident return does a true-up — actual New Jersey tax liability versus the withholding at the home sale closing,” Maye said. “Depending on whether there was any gain on the sale of the home, you might get a nice surprise in the form of a New Jersey tax refund.”

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This story was originally published in April 2024.

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