In these days of working from home, many New York State resident taxpayers fortunate enough to have a vacation place are spending more time than ever before in their second home. There are also anecdotal reports of snowbird New Yorkers remaining south longer this year due to travel concerns. For some taxpayers, the question arises: why pay New York taxes when I’m living out of state? However, under NYS tax law, a resident taxpayer does not relinquish NYS residency simply by staying in another state. The taxpayer must meet NYS standards for changing domicile – and have the documentation to prove it if audited by New York State.
Let’s start with the basics. There are two ways for an individual to be taxed as a resident of New York: (1) when domiciled in New York; or (2) as a statutory resident of New York. A statutory resident is defined as an individual who is not domiciled in NYS, has a permanent place of abode in NYS and spends more than 183 days of the taxable year in NYS. Note that similar rules apply for determining New York City residency.
Many taxpayers who are domiciled in New York and spend vacations or winter in a second home erroneously believe that if they are out of New York for 6 months of the year, and make a few minor changes, such as obtaining a driver’s license in the new state, they will no longer be subject to tax as a NYS resident. They don’t realize that they may not have changed their domicile, and therefore the statutory resident test cannot be applied.
While a taxpayer may have multiple residences, there can be only one domicile. To change domicile, the taxpayer must have the intent to abandon the old domicile, and make the new place “home”, with all the feeling and sentiment associated with that word. The taxpayer can continue to maintain a residence in New York after changing domicile – but it won’t be “home”.
In considering a change of domicile, the State evaluates five primary factors: size, nature and use of the residence; active business involvement; time spent in each place; location of items near and dear; and family connections. The taxpayer must show, by clear and convincing evidence, that the ties to the new domicile out of New York are stronger and the connections to New York have become much weaker or been severed. While the State will place some value on minor factors such as obtaining a driver’s license or registering to vote, these do not carry as much weight as the primary factors.
Due to today’s COVID19 restrictions, taxpayers may have a better chance of demonstrating more time spent in the proposed new domicile than in the old place. It’s important to recognize that this is only one factor in showing a change of domicile, and no one factor is determinative. And if NYS starts an audit, often a year or two after the tax return is filed, the location where time was spent during the pandemic will be viewed in the context of prior and subsequent years. If the COVID19 time in the out-of-state residence is an outlier, and there have been no other changes, it may be difficult to show that the taxpayer’s home is no longer in New York.
To effectively prove a change of domicile, taxpayers should be mindful of New York State’s requirements and take steps contemporaneously to document all the supporting factors as much as possible. When New Yorkers are considering a change of domicile, they need to know that there’s more to be done than spending more time in their second home.
The information in this article is continuously changing and being updated. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or business advice. In no way is Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld LLP advising that it is appropriate to only follow the information listed here. If you or your business requires assistance, please contact Yvonne Cort, Esq. at ycort@cbmslaw.com
What to Know About Buy-Sell Agreements – Post Connelly