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Old 01-10-2008, 12:25 PM
 
62 posts, read 291,069 times
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wow, thanks everyone. i know i'm late in replying here. i've lived in MA for over 30 years so i'm quite familiar with the state (we currently live in the south). there are a ton of things i love about MA, in particular, i am a social liberal (which makes me stand out here) but i consider myself somewhat fiscally conservative. so i do like some of the politics in MA but what i don't like about MA is the way it is being overdeveloped. i am into land conservation so i like large expanses of space, as another poster said being able to see the stars would be awesome, and i'd like to live in a state with a little less red-tape than MA. i think NH would offer us those things. of course i have to do further research.

but anyway my husband is a finalist for a job in northern central MA close to the NH border this is why i am asking. we want to move back to the northeast to be closer to family (and out of tornado valley [the tornado alarm has just sounded--imagine]) so we'll have to really consider the tax implications. i don't think we would buy right away anyway since i think we might have trouble selling our beautiful house here with the recession coming up.

ok, gotta go see if this is a real tornado alert or just bad weather coming our way.

thanks again!
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Old 01-10-2008, 12:55 PM
 
Location: Southern New Hampshire
4,643 posts, read 13,894,319 times
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A tornado siren, boy I don't miss those. Do you get them for tornado watches, or only for an actual warning? It's sure hard for a Yankee to be plonked down into areas where weather can be so severe! Never in my life did I see storms in New England that could equal mid-west storms! I took plenty of video while I lived there, and can watch them on TV anytime I get bored with NH's weather... Hopefully this one just goes right by and you all (y'all?) are safe

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your husband and this position, however you may want to very carefully consider what area would work best for you (MA or NH). So many people I talk with want to get away from the fiscal escapades in Massachusetts, so they move up here to buy a less-expensive home, and proceed to vote in every social program that comes down the path, which of course raises town taxes more and more... And if you do end up deciding on NH (where we can see the stars at night!) you may want to focus on towns that already have what you require, whether it's schools, shopping, etc. Renting for awhile is a great option, don't know how long you've lived away in the south, but things here may have changed since you've been a Yankee

Last edited by Valerie C; 01-10-2008 at 01:06 PM..
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Old 01-10-2008, 11:25 PM
 
Location: In a place with little freedom (aka USA)
712 posts, read 1,362,637 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by freckles888 View Post
is it unwise to live in NH and work in MA? i know a lot of people do it. property taxes are higher in NH correct? so is it a terrible financial decision to buy in NH? how does the income tax work? any info appreciated.
That is VERY common. Route 3 can be a bit congested as you approach 495 but overall it should be about 45 minutes to 1 hour to make to downtown Boston. Boston is alot easier to get to now that the double-decker is gone and they finished most of the Big Dig.

I would recommend living is Nashua near Exit 1. It is a very nice area, you have the Pheasant Lane Mall and many nice places to eat nearby. Also there are nice apartments and condos off of Exit 1.

There is no income tax in NH so you dont pay it if you only work in MA - the catch is Form 1 for non-residents NR/PY it gets you out. There are lots of jobs in the Boston area, Woburn, Chelmsford etc.

When it snows the plow SUPER-FAST so no worries there. Never a bad decision to buy a home - preferrably you will see newer construction in the Nashua area. Otherwise you have the Groton, Dunstable, Chelmsford you get your typical Colonial style. Groton, MA is a nice town by the way.
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Old 01-11-2008, 06:18 AM
 
Location: Londonderry, NH
41,478 posts, read 59,540,014 times
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When we first moved to New England from NYC we looked at a house in mass, near the NH border. i was not making enough to afford to buy it. Too bad because it was a very nice, if really ugly. house at a good price.

We eventually rented and the bought a condo in NH a few years later. More expensive and way less room but I had the income to support it. I still work in MA and put up with the commute because the job pays 50 % more in MA than the same in NH and I am treated with respect instead of disparaged as a "state employee" would be in NH. The real estate prices reflect the desirability of either place. These prices are still out of my range.

When I retire I expect to move, at least part time, to the southwest where prices are even lower.
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Old 01-11-2008, 07:50 AM
 
Location: S.E. US
13,163 posts, read 1,624,130 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by buck naked View Post
what Val said - you just file a mass tax form and pay at the llower 5.3% rate. unfortunately, your spouses income will also be taxed even if she/he did not work in MA.

MA looks at the total income per couple and then does a calculation to figure what percentage of the income will be taxed. It is not strictly MA income.
When did MA start taxing the spouse's income as well? One of us worked in MA for years and it was only the one income that was taxed. This must have started when we were no longer working in MA, and started very quietly since we never heard about it.

At the time we were filing MA returns, only the one earning in MA had to pay taxes IN MA - and not for vacations, sick days, travel, other days that one was not in the state. Wonder if that has changed as well.
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Old 01-11-2008, 09:12 AM
 
3,034 posts, read 9,103,221 times
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While Maine/VT/MA does not tax the earnings of a spouse who works outside Maine, it does figure what percentage to apply based on total family income.

For example, if a nonresident earns $25,000 in Maine and his wife earns $25,000 in New Hampshire, the couple would have paid $1,635 in 1987. (it's higher now, I'm only using this as an example.) If the wife's income was not considered, the tax would be $1,066. If the man filed as a single taxpayer, which Maine allows nonresidents to do, he would pay $1,642.
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Old 01-11-2008, 09:17 AM
 
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When did MA start taxing the spouse's income as well?

for at least the past 30 years.
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Old 01-11-2008, 09:47 AM
 
3,034 posts, read 9,103,221 times
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At the time we were filing MA returns, only the one earning in MA had to pay taxes IN MA - and not for vacations, sick days, travel, other days that one was not in the state. Wonder if that has changed as well.

tax is calculated on total income reported on your federal 1040 and adjusted by percentage
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Old 01-11-2008, 11:33 AM
 
Location: Londonderry, NH
41,478 posts, read 59,540,014 times
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Mass. does not tax any of my wife's earning made outside of Mass. and never has.
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Old 01-11-2008, 12:27 PM
 
3,034 posts, read 9,103,221 times
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you just haven't been caught yet.
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