Live in Tennessee, work in Kentucky
Your home state has no income tax, so there is no credit to offset the work state's tax. You pay the work state as a nonresident.
State income tax: $3,382 a year
Living in Tennessee and working in Kentucky, you'd pay about $3,382 in state income tax on $100,000 of wages, $3,382 more than if you worked in Tennessee.
Your home state has no income tax, so there is no credit to offset the work state's tax. You pay the work state as a nonresident.
State tax at different salaries
| Wages | To KY | To TN | Total | If you worked in TN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1,632 | $0 | $1,632 | $0 |
| $75,000 | $2,507 | $0 | $2,507 | $0 |
| $100,000 | $3,382 | $0 | $3,382 | $0 |
| $150,000 | $5,132 | $0 | $5,132 | $0 |
| $250,000 | $8,632 | $0 | $8,632 | $0 |
Single filer, all wages earned in Kentucky, 2026 state tax rules, standard deductions. Local income taxes not included.
What to do
- File a Kentucky nonresident return. There's no Tennessee return for wages because Tennessee has no income tax.
- Keep a record of the days you work in each state, especially if you sometimes work from home.
Local income taxes
- Kentucky: City/county occupational license taxes are levied by work location on residents and nonresidents alike (e.g., Louisville Metro ~2.2% combined, Lexington 2.25%), and are NOT covered by KY's state reciprocity agreements - OH/IN commuters into Louisville/Covington still pay them.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay Kentucky income tax if I live in Tennessee?
Yes. Kentucky taxes wages earned there by nonresidents. On $100,000 that's about $3,382.
Do I have to file taxes in both Tennessee and Kentucky?
Usually you file only one state return (a nonresident return in Kentucky), though some states still require a nonresident return to get a refund of any wrongly withheld tax.
Will I be taxed twice?
No. Tennessee has no income tax, so you pay only Kentucky's nonresident tax: about $3,382 on $100,000.
Related
- Live in Kentucky, work in Tennessee
- Moving from Tennessee to Kentucky
- Moving from Kentucky to Tennessee
- Live in Tennessee, work in Alabama
- Live in Tennessee, work in Arkansas
- Live in Tennessee, work in Georgia
- Live in Tennessee, work in Missouri
- Live in Tennessee, work in Mississippi
- Live in Tennessee, work in North Carolina
- Live in Tennessee, work in Virginia
Rules reviewed 2026-09-24 from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Estimates only; confirm with each state's revenue department.