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1099 Contractor in Maryland with a District of Columbia Client: Where Do You File?

Home state, plus the client state if you work thereNo withholding — 1099

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 Maryland keeps it Maryland-source and Maryland-taxed. Travel to District of Columbia to work and that portion becomes District of Columbia-source, needing a District of Columbia 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.

Nonresidents have no District filing obligation on wages, whatever the amount or the number of days worked. Form D-40B exists only to recover District tax that an employer withheld in error.

What you file

  1. 1Quarterly estimated payments · Maryland

    Make quarterly estimated payments to Comptroller of Maryland on your full self-employment income — nothing is withheld from a 1099.

  2. 2Nonresident return · District of ColumbiaForm D-40B (Nonresident Request for Refund)

    File a District of Columbia nonresident return only if you performed services inside District of Columbia. Nonresidents have no District filing obligation on wages, whatever the amount or the number of days worked. Form D-40B exists only to recover District tax that an employer withheld in error.

  3. 3Resident return · MarylandForm 502CR

    File the Maryland resident return last and claim the credit for any tax paid to District of Columbia.

The two states, side by side

 MarylandDistrict of Columbia
Taxes wagesYes — graduatedYes — graduated
Reciprocity partners4 (Form MW507)2 (Form D-4A)
Convenience ruleNoNo
Nonresident returnForm 505 with Form 505NRNone — nonresidents exempt
Credit for other-state taxForm 502CRSchedule U (Form D-40)
Nonresident safe harbourNone publishedNot applicable
Local income taxYesNo
Revenue departmentComptroller of MarylandDistrict of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue
Last verified

The other direction

Reversing the commute does not always reverse the answer. Living in District of Columbia and working in Maryland gives:Home state, plus the client state if you work there.

District of Columbia to Maryland →

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.

Other Maryland pairs

Questions people actually ask

I live in Maryland and my client is in District of Columbia. Do I have to file a District of Columbia 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 Maryland keeps it Maryland-source and Maryland-taxed. Travel to District of Columbia to work and that portion becomes District of Columbia-source, needing a District of Columbia 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 Maryland and District of Columbia hold an agreement makes no difference to a self-employed filer — sourcing rules decide the answer instead.

How current is this?

The Maryland and District of Columbia rules on this page were last checked against Comptroller of Maryland and District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue 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.