What Remote Workers Need To Know For Tax Season

Since the disruption, hybrid and remote-working models have become the norm more quickly than anyone envisioned pre-pandemic, for example, 78% of tax leaders say that they are here to stay1. One of the most appealing aspects of remote positions is working anywhere you’d like, as long as there’s reliable Wi-Fi. Many people who found themselves working remotely took the opportunity to relocate to low-tax states or areas that better suit their lifestyle, such as the beach or mountains. Tax preparation software can give you an affordable way to streamline your taxes.

Given the ever-changing tax landscape, this may not be the year to rely on free tax software. With so many workers going remote and staying that way, their approach to doing their taxes may be changing. Cannon Advisors’ Bryan Cannon shares some tips to assist remote workers in navigating their 2021 taxes. If you have a side hustle, freelance gig, business venture or are otherwise an independent contractor (i.e. you receive a 1099 form for your income), you can deduct business expenses.

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Klein warns that convoluted and varied state taxation laws mean the threat of double taxation is an all-too-real problem, given the increase in remote working. As you look beyond the pandemic, Deloitte can show how the tax function can play a bigger role to help protect and create how are remote jobs taxed value for your business. Our experienced tax and human capital professionals and innovative technology solutions can support you. Together, we can align your strategy, policy, and operations to address the potential talent and tax implications of hybrid and remote work.

Either way, U.S. citizens working overseas should still plan to file tax returns, even if they don’t owe anything. A reciprocal tax agreement is an arrangement between two states that allows workers to pay income taxes only in their state of residence. This means if you reside in one of these states, but work remotely for a company located in another state that has a reciprocal tax agreement with your home state, then you won’t owe taxes to the other. The Convenience of Employer Rule obligates employees to pay income tax to their employer’s state even when working from a remote location in another state. Remote work became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic and is here to stay.

How Do Taxes Work if You Work Remotely: A Guide to Navigating Your Taxes

All companies must withhold federal taxes from the salaries they pay to their employees. According to Upwork, one of the world’s largest freelancing platforms, the number of remote workers in the United States will reach 36.2 million by 2025. As companies and their workers tackle telecommuting’s evolving tax implications, Klein advocates an awareness of all relevant state rules on remote work. In the motion, New Hampshire sought an injunction against https://remotemode.net/ Massachusetts’s new regulation requiring workers who previously worked in Massachusetts to pay its income tax despite working in other states due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the global pandemic turned it from request to requirement almost overnight—and companies stepped up. Seventy-nine percent of respondents to a Deloitte survey1 reported that at least 75% of their workforce has been able to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Unfortunately, income tax laws and relevant exceptions, credits, and reciprocity agreements vary by state (and locality) and circumstance.
  • You must use the portion of your house, apartment, condo, or similar living space for your business on a regular basis.
  • While Telebright involved New Jersey law, the issue raised is not unique to New Jersey.
  • Remote work does not necessarily mean working from home or in your primary domicile.
  • However, they have a state unemployment insurance tax, meaning employers don’t have to withhold state income tax.

This can give you peace of mind knowing that you’re in compliance with local and state tax codes and won’t have issues at the end of the year or even years down the road. If you spent most of the year living out of a van or bouncing between Airbnbs, you probably want professional help with your taxes. Depending on where you lived, how long you were there and how much money you made, you could owe taxes in multiple states and cities, a problem athletes and entertainers have had to deal with for years. As the name suggests, the simplified option makes calculating your deduction amount easy. You can deduct $5 per square foot of office space for up to 300 square feet (or $1,500).

Remote worker taxes outside the United States

The vital thing to know is that remote workers can easily avoid double taxation if they live in one state and work in the other. In this guide, we’ll explain how taxes work if you work remotely and show you how to increase your tax refund. In 2020, employees are free from state taxes in Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. The state constitution of Texas outright forbids its government to create a state income tax. Remote workers in these states who do not perform work in other states only have to file federal tax returns.

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