1099 Contractor in District of Columbia with a North Dakota Client: Where Do You File?
Answer
The client's location does not decide this. Self-employment income from personal services is sourced to where the work happens, so working from District of Columbia keeps it District of Columbia-source and District of Columbia-taxed. Travel to North Dakota to work and that portion becomes North Dakota-source, needing a North Dakota nonresident return.
Last verified
Reciprocity agreements are the first thing contractors ask about and the first thing that does not apply to them. Every agreement in the country is a wage-withholding arrangement, and a 1099 has no withholding to switch off.
North Dakota publishes no de minimis day count or dollar floor for nonresidents. Any North Dakota-source wage income above the state's general filing threshold requires a nonresident return, and that threshold is reset each year — check the current figure on the North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner nonresident instructions before filing.
What you file
- 1Quarterly estimated payments · District of Columbia
Make quarterly estimated payments to District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue on your full self-employment income — nothing is withheld from a 1099.
- 2Nonresident return · North DakotaForm ND-1 with Schedule ND-1NR
File a North Dakota nonresident return only if you performed services inside North Dakota. North Dakota publishes no de minimis day count or dollar floor for nonresidents. Any North Dakota-source wage income above the state's general filing threshold requires a nonresident return, and that threshold is reset each year — check the current figure on the North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner nonresident instructions before filing.
- 3Resident return · District of ColumbiaSchedule U (Form D-40)
File the District of Columbia resident return last and claim the credit for any tax paid to North Dakota.
The two states, side by side
| District of Columbia | North Dakota | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes wages | Yes — graduated | Yes — graduated |
| Reciprocity partners | 2 (Form D-4A) | 2 (Form NDW-R) |
| Convenience rule | No | No |
| Nonresident return | None — nonresidents exempt | Form ND-1 with Schedule ND-1NR |
| Credit for other-state tax | Schedule U (Form D-40) | Schedule ND-1CR |
| Nonresident safe harbour | Not applicable | None published |
| Local income tax | No | No |
| Revenue department | District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue | North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner |
| Last verified |
The other direction
Reversing the commute does not always reverse the answer. Living in North Dakota and working in District of Columbia gives:Home state, plus the client state if you work there.
Same two states, different situation
The withholding answer turns on how you are paid and where the work happens, not only on which two states are involved.
- W-2 commuter: District of Columbia → North DakotaBoth states — credit offsets the double tax
- Remote worker: District of Columbia → North DakotaHome state only
- Moved mid-year: District of Columbia → North DakotaTwo part-year returns
Other District of Columbia pairs
Questions people actually ask
I live in District of Columbia and my client is in North Dakota. Do I have to file a North Dakota tax return?
The client's location does not decide this. Self-employment income from personal services is sourced to where the work happens, so working from District of Columbia keeps it District of Columbia-source and District of Columbia-taxed. Travel to North Dakota to work and that portion becomes North Dakota-source, needing a North Dakota nonresident return.
Do reciprocity agreements help a 1099 contractor?
No. Every state reciprocity agreement in the country is an arrangement about wage withholding between two revenue departments, and a 1099 has no withholding to switch off. Whether District of Columbia and North Dakota hold an agreement makes no difference to a self-employed filer — sourcing rules decide the answer instead.
How current is this?
The District of Columbia and North Dakota rules on this page were last checked against District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue and North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner on 2026-08-07. We re-check the full grid every December after state legislative sessions close, and re-check the convenience-of-the-employer states quarterly because that is where the rules move fastest.
Sources
Every fact above comes from the revenue department that publishes the rule. We do not cite secondary summaries, and we do not restate a figure we could not find at source.
- District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue — individual income taxaccessed 2026-08-07
- North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner — individual income taxaccessed 2026-08-07