Owe back taxes for state I never worked in

[taxhelp123]

For tax year 2014 I was living and working in Florida. However the address on my drivers license was my sisters place in Louisiana because I had lived with her for a bit, so I was receiving my mail there. But I never worked in Louisiana. I recently got a tax bill from the Louisiana Department of Revenue stating that I owe state income tax for the year of 2014 with some major interest charges and fees. I called them up and they said since my drivers licenses address was in Louisiana and I received mail in Louisiana that makes me a permanent resident in Louisiana. Am I still liable for owing state income tax in a state where I physical did not live nor earn any income? For tax year 2014 I used turbo tax to file my taxes.

 

[davew9128]

You'll need to prove you didn't live there.

 

[taxhelp123]

They said the only way they will accept proof is if there is a drivers record of me in Florida, but my drivers license was a Louisiana license. How else could I prove it?

 

[LdiJ]

They said the only way they will accept proof is if there is a drivers record of me in Florida, but my drivers license was a Louisiana license. How else could I prove it?

Unfortunately you cannot. Most states these days are taking the position that if you have a driver's license, car registration, homestead credit on property taxes or are registered to vote in their state, that you are a resident of their state for tax purposes, and they do NOT back down on the issue. I have been through this with quite a few clients in the last few years.

 

[Ohiogal]

They said the only way they will accept proof is if there is a drivers record of me in Florida, but my drivers license was a Louisiana license. How else could I prove it?

How did you have a driver's license in Louisiana if you did not live there?

 

[Zigner]

...the address on my drivers license was my sisters place in Louisiana because I had lived with her for a bit ...

... Am I still liable for owing state income tax in a state where I physical did not live ...

Why is it that you say both that you did and did not live with her?

If/when you moved to Florida you were required to obtain a Florida license within 10 days of establishing residency. Since you failed to do that, it's only logical that Louisiana assumed you were still a resident.