• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

tax question

  • Thread starter Thread starter CU
  • Start date Start date

CU

Platinum Member
I work in NC and live in SC. I was looking at getting solar panels and using SC's tax credit. However, that doesn't appear possible as I work in NC and therefor have no SC tax liability for the credit to count towards. Does that make sense? Or does anyone have experience with this? Losing the SC tax credit really hurts the wallet. Thanks.
 
I work in NC and live in SC. I was looking at getting solar panels and using SC's tax credit. However, that doesn't appear possible as I work in NC and therefor have no SC tax liability for the credit to count towards. Does that make sense? Or does anyone have experience with this? Losing the SC tax credit really hurts the wallet. Thanks.

Sounds about right to me.

Edit: some states have credits that carry over, etc. And a credit is different than a deduction. I wonder if it is possible to claim a credit without earning income (you'd still have to file a return).
 
It sucks, but if you have no tax liability in the state, (you're not taxed on income earned out of state?) what can you take a credit for?
 
Do property taxes count? Can you defer the tax credit over several years to basically blank your prop taxes out? Not sure if that's a thing.

Can see if NC will let you carry over the tax credit from SC, some states let you do that.
 
The credit does carry over for 10 years though. Now if I could only predict where I would be working 5-10 years from now. These kind of credits really get people who live near their states border and are likely to work one state over. At least I find out before I put down a large chunk of cash thinking I would get it right back next year as a credit.

Not sure about property taxes helping, but I do own a house that I pay taxes on.

I can check if NC lets you carry over the tax credit from SC. I don't suppose anyone here knows do they.
 
I thought you paid income tax in the state that you lived. Meaning that whatever $$ you pay in NC gets transferred to SC for tax purposes. But it's been a long time since I did taxes at the office.
 
I thought you paid income tax in the state that you lived. Meaning that whatever $$ you pay in NC gets transferred to SC for tax purposes. But it's been a long time since I did taxes at the office.

It looks like you pay taxes in both states, but you file a tax credit in SC for the taxes you paid in NC. That effectively wipes out your tax liability in SC only leaving you paying NC taxes.
 
I thought you paid income tax in the state that you lived. Meaning that whatever $$ you pay in NC gets transferred to SC for tax purposes. But it's been a long time since I did taxes at the office.

When I worked out of state, I paid taxes in my home state and in whatever state where I worked. A couple of years, I had to file 6-8 different state returns.
 
It looks like you pay taxes in both states, but you file a tax credit in SC for the taxes you paid in NC. That effectively wipes out your tax liability in SC only leaving you paying NC taxes.
Got it.
When I worked out of state, I paid taxes in my home state and in whatever state where I worked. A couple of years, I had to file 6-8 different state returns.
Bet you loved tax season.🙂
 
If it's a credit, shouldn't you get that amount refunded to you?

I get if it was a deduction, and you had no taxable income to reduce with it, then that wouldn't work, but if it's a credit, I would think it just nets against what taxes you owe, $0 in this case, and you'd come out with the full credit amount.
 
But you still file a tax return in S.C. right? If so then the solar credit would earn you a refund in S.C. even though you paid no taxes. Just like the EITC. And I could still be wrong.😉

Edit: What Schfifty said.
 
If it's a credit, shouldn't you get that amount refunded to you?

I get if it was a deduction, and you had no taxable income to reduce with it, then that wouldn't work, but if it's a credit, I would think it just nets against what taxes you owe, $0 in this case, and you'd come out with the full credit amount.


There is a difference between non-refundable and refundable. One stops you at $0 and the other keeps going. I thought they were all the same also, but that would be too simple.
 
Where are our tax people?

Your tax liability is what you owe the state based on your income, right? Prior to the credit for N.C., you still have a liability to SC because of you income and you're a resident.

I give...
 
For what its worth my tax person also says I wouldn't get the credit. It just sounds strange when I say I cannot use a SC tax credit when I live in SC. That is why I started this post and started reading as much tax stuff as I could bear. Not really that fun to read.

Maybe it is not so much the lack of tax liability, but the fact that the credit for NC drops me to zero. So, there is nothing for the solar credit to apply to. Non-refundable vs refundable credit maybe.
 
For what its worth my tax person also says I wouldn't get the credit. It just sounds strange when I say I cannot use a SC tax credit when I live in SC.

Not weird at all. They want you to produce for the state economy as much as possible. Why would they be interested in giving you a freebie?
 
Not weird at all. They want you to produce for the state economy as much as possible. Why would they be interested in giving you a freebie?

To look "green" and cut the local power plant some slack. But, yeah I see your point.
 
-snip-
I can check if NC lets you carry over the tax credit from SC. I don't suppose anyone here knows do they.
No, you cannot "carry over the tax credit from SC" to offset NC income tax. NC currently offers no solar tax credit (expired in 2015 IIRC) and when they did have one it required the solar project to be located in the state of NC.

Fern
 
Back
Top