Moving in, Out and then back into MA - how do you account for this?

[Kpeabody]

This is a new one for me. Have a client that lived in MA until July. Completely left the state with everything he had and went to  live in CT for a couple of months after losing his job. He left his Apt as well so his new tax home is definitely CT. After a few months, he gets a new job and eventually moved back to MA. (into a new apt). 

MA return doesn't seem to calculate the resident rate using both sets of dates. Has anyone found a way around this?

[dascpa]

I'm not an expert in those states, but to me this client never established residency in CT, they just lived there for a short while. I would treat them as a MA full-year resident with nonresident CT income.

[Kpeabody]

I went back and forth on that, since it would make life soooo much easier. but he gave up his Apt and has nothing in MA during this period. His tax home becomes CT at that point. 

[IRonMaN · Accepted solution]

Sometimes the software needs some massaging.  I would enter his CT dates as the first part of the year and MA the last part of the year.  The real dates aren't that critical as long as the proper income is being reported in each state.