Live in Arizona, Work in Pennsylvania: Which State Taxes Your Paycheck?
Answer
Two returns, one credit. Pennsylvania has the first claim on wages earned inside the state and withholds accordingly. Arizona then taxes you as a resident on everything and gives credit for what Pennsylvania already took, capped at what Arizona would have charged on that same income.
Last verified
Without an agreement between Arizona and Pennsylvania, the overlap is handled after the fact rather than prevented. That is why the filing order matters: the Pennsylvania figure is an input to the Arizona return, so completing Arizona first means doing it twice.
A Arizona resident taxed by another state on the same income claims the credit for taxes paid to other states on Form 309. The credit is capped at the Arizona tax on that income, so it removes the double tax but never refunds the excess when the other state charges more.
Pennsylvania also has a layer below the state one, and it is the layer that survives every agreement: Pennsylvania's Act 32 earned income tax is levied by municipalities and school districts across the state, and Philadelphia levies its own wage tax on residents and on nonresidents who work in the city. None of it is covered by the reciprocal agreements, and Philadelphia's nonresident wage tax applies from the first dollar.
What you file
- 1Nonresident return · PennsylvaniaForm PA-40 (nonresident)
File the Pennsylvania nonresident return FIRST — you need the Pennsylvania tax figure before you can complete Arizona.
- 2Resident return · ArizonaForm 309
File a Arizona resident return reporting all income, then claim the credit for tax paid to Pennsylvania. The credit is capped at what Arizona would have charged on that same income, so if Pennsylvania taxes it at a higher rate the difference is not refunded.
The two states, side by side
| Arizona | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes wages | Yes — graduated | Yes — flat |
| Reciprocity partners | None | 6 (Form REV-419) |
| Convenience rule | No | Yes — general rule |
| Nonresident return | Form 140NR | Form PA-40 (nonresident) |
| Credit for other-state tax | Form 309 | Schedule G-L |
| Nonresident safe harbour | None published | None published |
| Local income tax | No | Yes |
| Revenue department | Arizona Department of Revenue | Pennsylvania Department of Revenue |
| Last verified |
The other direction
Reversing the commute does not always reverse the answer. Living in Pennsylvania and working in Arizona gives:Both states — credit offsets the double tax.
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.
- Remote worker: Arizona → PennsylvaniaConvenience-of-the-employer rule — both states tax you
- 1099 contractor: Arizona → PennsylvaniaHome state, plus the client state if you work there
- Moved mid-year: Arizona → PennsylvaniaTwo part-year returns
Other Arizona pairs
Questions people actually ask
I live in Arizona and work in Pennsylvania. Which state takes the tax out of my paycheck?
Two returns, one credit. Pennsylvania has the first claim on wages earned inside the state and withholds accordingly. Arizona then taxes you as a resident on everything and gives credit for what Pennsylvania already took, capped at what Arizona would have charged on that same income.
Which state should my employer be withholding for?
Pennsylvania. The wages are sourced to Pennsylvania, so Pennsylvania withholding is correct and there is no Arizona withholding to set up.
Will I end up paying tax twice on the same income?
Not twice over, but you will pay the higher of the two rates. Arizona gives residents a credit for tax paid to Pennsylvania on the same income, claimed on Form 309. The credit is capped at the Arizona tax on that income, so if Pennsylvania taxes it more heavily the excess is not refunded by either state.
How current is this?
The Arizona and Pennsylvania rules on this page were last checked against Arizona Department of Revenue and Pennsylvania Department of 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.
- Arizona Department of Revenue — individual income taxaccessed 2026-08-07
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue — individual income taxaccessed 2026-08-07
- Pennsylvania — Form REV-419accessed 2026-08-07
- Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax Guide — Income Subject to Tax Withholdingaccessed 2026-08-07