Live in Utah, Work in Maine: Which State Taxes Your Paycheck?
Answer
You file twice: Maine first, then Utah. There is no reciprocity agreement between these two states, so Maine taxes the income where it was earned and Utah taxes it again as resident income — with the resident credit removing the double charge rather than an exemption form preventing it.
Last verified
Without an agreement between Utah and Maine, the overlap is handled after the fact rather than prevented. That is why the filing order matters: the Maine figure is an input to the Utah return, so completing Utah first means doing it twice.
A Utah resident taxed by another state on the same income claims the credit for taxes paid to other states on Schedule TC-40S. The credit is capped at the Utah tax on that income, so it removes the double tax but never refunds the excess when the other state charges more.
What you file
- 1Nonresident return · MaineForm 1040ME with Schedule NR
File the Maine nonresident return FIRST — you need the Maine tax figure before you can complete Utah.
- 2Resident return · UtahSchedule TC-40S
File a Utah resident return reporting all income, then claim the credit for tax paid to Maine. The credit is capped at what Utah would have charged on that same income, so if Maine taxes it at a higher rate the difference is not refunded.
The two states, side by side
| Utah | Maine | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes wages | Yes — flat | Yes — graduated |
| Reciprocity partners | None | None |
| Convenience rule | No | No |
| Nonresident return | Form TC-40 with Schedule TC-40B | Form 1040ME with Schedule NR |
| Credit for other-state tax | Schedule TC-40S | Form 1040ME Schedule A |
| Nonresident safe harbour | None published | 12 days or a dollar floor |
| Local income tax | No | No |
| Revenue department | Utah State Tax Commission | Maine Revenue Services |
| Last verified |
The other direction
Reversing the commute does not always reverse the answer. Living in Maine and working in Utah 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: Utah → MaineHome state only
- 1099 contractor: Utah → MaineHome state, plus the client state if you work there
- Moved mid-year: Utah → MaineTwo part-year returns
Other Utah pairs
Questions people actually ask
I live in Utah and work in Maine. Which state takes the tax out of my paycheck?
You file twice: Maine first, then Utah. There is no reciprocity agreement between these two states, so Maine taxes the income where it was earned and Utah taxes it again as resident income — with the resident credit removing the double charge rather than an exemption form preventing it.
Which state should my employer be withholding for?
Maine. The wages are sourced to Maine, so Maine withholding is correct and there is no Utah 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. Utah gives residents a credit for tax paid to Maine on the same income, claimed on Schedule TC-40S. The credit is capped at the Utah tax on that income, so if Maine taxes it more heavily the excess is not refunded by either state.
How current is this?
The Utah and Maine rules on this page were last checked against Utah State Tax Commission and Maine Revenue Services 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.
- Utah State Tax Commission — individual income taxaccessed 2026-08-07
- Maine Revenue Services — individual income taxaccessed 2026-08-07