OK, A question for Employed Pittsburghers... (Plum, Oliver: travel, income, work)

[Hemingway]

My husband LIVES in Allegheny county, but his home office is in New Orleans LA. Add to that, my husband had never worked a single day in Pittsburgh, he travels for work 100%. Now, on his paycheck, the typical deductions are there, including the $52.00 per year Occupation tax that we all pay. One deduction stands out, and his company's Human Resources are impossible to get a hold of. The deduction is listed as 'CITY', and it varies each paycheck, but NEVER ends, so it adds up to well over $1,000.00 a year. Does anyone have any idea WHAT this is? I've searched every website, to no avail. I went to the town and asked the question, they had NO idea what it was. Anybody??

[PApisces]

There is a City wage tax of 1% in addition to the $52 tax (which USED to be $10 when I last lived there)

Earned Income Tax

"Who is taxed? The tax is applied to people who earn income and net profits and are City and School District residents. Non-Pennsylvania residents who work within the City pay 1%. Mt.Oliver Borough residents pay the School Income Tax to the City which acts as the tax collector for the School District. Mt Oliver Borough residents pay the School Earned Income Tax to the City which acts as the tax collector for the School District. Mt. Oliver residents must also file directly with the Mt. Oliver Borough tax office to report the Borough Earned Income Tax. "

[jinxd_13]

Originally Posted by Hemingway

My husband LIVES in Allegheny county, but his home office is in New Orleans LA.

That is quite a commute. You think he can pick us up on his next trip so we can visit before we move?

[Hemingway]

Originally Posted by PApisces

There is a City wage tax of 1% in addition to the $52 tax (which USED to be $10 when I last lived there)

Earned Income Tax

"Who is taxed? The tax is applied to people who earn income and net profits and are City and School District residents. Non-Pennsylvania residents who work within the City pay 1%. Mt.Oliver Borough residents pay the School Income Tax to the City which acts as the tax collector for the School District. Mt Oliver Borough residents pay the School Earned Income Tax to the City which acts as the tax collector for the School District. Mt. Oliver residents must also file directly with the Mt. Oliver Borough tax office to report the Borough Earned Income Tax. "

We are residents of Plum Borough, and pay the 1% quarterly to the town by check. Are we paying the City of Pittsburgh for a RESIDENT tax that we shouldn't be?

[Hemingway]

Originally Posted by jinxd_13

That is quite a commute. You think he can pick us up on his next trip so we can visit before we move?

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Hemingway

We are residents of Plum Borough, and pay the 1% quarterly to the town by check. Are we paying the City of Pittsburgh for a RESIDENT tax that we shouldn't be?

You said that it just says "city" not "city of Pittsburgh." It's very likely that you're double paying your local tax for Plum. His company might already pay your local tax. If his employer is from out of state, they might be deducting the Pittsburgh city tax out of ignorance. I don't care how difficult your husband's human resource department is to reach. Do whatever it takes to reach someone. If you can't reach human resources, call the PAYROLLL department for goodness sake. If you can't reach anyone via phone, write a letter and send it certified mail.

[Hopes]

btw, where is his company located? Are the headquarters within the city of Pittsburgh?

[Maaz]

The City tax for Pittsburgh is 3% so if the amount equals 3% of the wage, then they are collecting it for the wrong city. If it is 1%, they are likely collecting it for Plum Boro. Now I assume that there is no office in Pittsburgh at all, and they are considering your house in Plum to be his home office and therefore collecting the $52 tax (which Plum also charges).

[Hemingway]

O.K. First THANK YOU for your replies, We appreciate the help. We have done the math, and it looks like they are deducting 3% under 'CITY'. There is only one home office in New Orleans. We pay 1% to plum quarterly, plus the $52.00 deduction by payroll. I am supposing that our home is his HOME OFFICE. But, if we aren't physically within city limits, we AREN'T responsible for the 3%...is that about the gist of it? Yes, we WILL be contacting human resources to correct this, I just wanted to get the native Pittsburghers take on it. Plus, did ya ever see the commercial about the monkeys running the office??...I know where they work

[Maaz]

This is correct. If you live in Plum Boro, they should NOT be taking out the 3% city tax under any circumstances. You will need to get a refund from the company and possibly Pittsburgh (hopefully HR can assist you in this). You should either have them deduct 1% for Plum Boro instead or not deduct anything and continue to pay Plum Boro quarterly as you have been.