11 Oct Do we need to tell N.J. that we’re moving to Florida?

Q. My wife will be moving to Florida at the end of this year . I will be staying in New Jersey until at least 2028. She will become a Florida resident as of 2027. My question is that we will file a joint New Jersey and federal tax return for 2026 — and this will be the last time she will have to file in New Jersey as a resident. Does she need to inform the state of New Jersey that this will be her final tax return here? Going forward, we will file separate returns until I become a resident of Florida.
— Retiring soon

A. Congrats on your moves.

But the Garden State is sorry to see you go.

When you file both of your 2026 income tax returns you will file as married filing jointly, said Bernie Kiely, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant with Kiely Capital Management in Morristown.

He said this is because your wife was a New Jersey resident for all of 2026. There is no need for your wife to inform New Jersey of her moving, he said.

But you are incorrect in your plan for filing 2027 taxes, Kiely said.

“For 2027, the both of you can file a joint federal income tax return because you are married to each other and both of you reside in the US of A,” he said. “You will file New Jersey tax return a s married filing separately. Since Florida has no personal income tax, your wife will not have to file a state tax return.”

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This story was originally published in October 2026. 

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