Can You Claim 100% of State Tax Withholding If You’re a Florida Resident or Nonresident?

mariadrg2021
Jul 30
2 min read

Updated: Aug 2

Posted by MDR Tax Filing | Expert Tax Services in New Jersey

If you live in Florida, you’re in one of the few U.S. states with no state income tax. But what if you earned income in another state that does tax your wages — and they withheld state taxes?

Let’s break down state residency types and when you may be eligible to recover 100% of the state tax withheld — even if you now live in Florida.

🔍 Types of State Residency That Affect Your Tax Obligations

✅ Resident

You are considered a resident of a state if:

You lived in the state for the entire tax year, or
You maintain a permanent home (domicile) there, even if you were temporarily elsewhere.

💡 In Florida: If you lived in Florida for the full year and earned income only here, you do not owe any state income tax.

✅ Part-Year Resident

Applies if you moved into or out of another state during the tax year and became a Florida resident afterward. You may have to file part-year returns in both states for the months you lived there.

✅ Nonresident

You’re considered a nonresident of a state if:

You don’t live there and
You don’t have a permanent home there, but
You earned income from that state (remote work, investment income, rentals, etc.).

💰 When Can a Nonresident (Now Living in Florida) Claim Back 100% of State Tax Withholding?

You might be able to recover all state tax withheld from another state if:

✅ You had no real tax obligation there, OR ✅ After applying credits, deductions, or adjustments, your state tax liability equals $0.

This is especially common when:

You moved to Florida mid-year, but your old employer continued withholding state tax.
You worked remotely for a company based in a state with income tax, but you were living in Florida.
You paid double tax on income taxed by both states.

📍 Important ReminderFlorida residents often forget to file for refunds from other states that withheld taxes. Don’t leave money behind!