Commuter taxes 2026

Live in North Carolina, work in Tennessee

Your work state has no tax on wages, so you pay only your home state.

State income tax: $3,481 a year

Living in North Carolina and working in Tennessee, you'd pay about $3,481 in state income tax on $100,000 of wages.

Your work state has no tax on wages, so you pay only your home state.

Tax to Tennessee
$0
nonresident
Tax to North Carolina
$3,481
resident
Total state tax
$3,481
State returns to file
1

State tax at different salaries

WagesTo TNTo NCTotalIf you worked in NC
$50,000$0$1,486$1,486$1,486
$75,000$0$2,484$2,484$2,484
$100,000$0$3,481$3,481$3,481
$150,000$0$5,476$5,476$5,476
$250,000$0$9,466$9,466$9,466

Single filer, all wages earned in Tennessee, 2026 state tax rules, standard deductions. Local income taxes not included.

What to do

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay Tennessee income tax if I live in North Carolina?

No. Your work state has no tax on wages, so you pay only your home state.

Do I have to file taxes in both North Carolina and Tennessee?

Usually you file only one state return (a resident return in North Carolina), though some states still require a nonresident return to get a refund of any wrongly withheld tax.

Will I be taxed twice?

No. Tennessee doesn't tax your wages, so you pay only North Carolina: about $3,481 on $100,000.

Related

Rules reviewed 2026-09-24 from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Estimates only; confirm with each state's revenue department.