# Just a couple of questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Created:** [March 10, 2016, 11:19am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965 "2016-03-10T11:19:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mtskier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b77776/32.png) [@mtskier](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/mtskier)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 11:19am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/1 "2016-03-10T11:19:15Z")
Greetings All, Have any of you dealt with [westcoastmaritimetraining.com](http://westcoastmaritimetraining.com) out of Bremerton? Tax question - I know - as a Montana resident I file here. In the past, because I worked out of Fourchon, I’ve ponied up the extra cash for the LA return even though it was basically blank . Do the rest of you file this as well? I could put the money to better use these days… Best to all, MTmariner Any thoughts on the Valdez coup? ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Phoenix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/capt_phoenix/32/281_2.png) [@Capt\_Phoenix](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Capt_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 12:20pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/2 "2016-03-10T12:20:47Z")
I never filed in Louisiana. I never had any money withheld I needed to get back so I had no reason to. [QUOTE=mtskier;180771]Any thoughts on the Valdez coup?[/QUOTE] What about Valdez? ---
**Author:** ![z-drive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c37758/32.png) [@z-drive](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/z-drive)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/3 "2016-03-10T13:00:42Z")
> [@"mtskier"](#): > > Greetings All, Have any of you dealt with [westcoastmaritimetraining.com](http://westcoastmaritimetraining.com) out of Bremerton? Tax question - I know - as a Montana resident I file here. In the past, because I worked out of Fourchon, I’ve ponied up the extra cash for the LA return even though it was basically blank . Do the rest of you file this as well? I could put the money to better use these days… Best to all, MTmariner Any thoughts on the Valdez coup? file where you live. You shouldn’t be having state taxes withheld anyways unless you live in the same state that you work in, as a seaman. ---
**Author:** ![mtskier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b77776/32.png) [@mtskier](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/mtskier)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 1:22pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/4 "2016-03-10T13:22:51Z")
Thx. Apparently the color scheme will be changing in 2018…pumpkin patch I hear… ---
**Author:** ![Gimli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c2a13f/32.png) [@Gimli](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Gimli)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/5 "2016-03-10T13:52:06Z")
[QUOTE=mtskier;180780]Apparently the color scheme will be changing in 2018…pumpkin patch I hear…[/QUOTE] Please… no. ---
**Author:** ![cmakin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@cmakin](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/cmakin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/6 "2016-03-11T04:16:22Z")
[QUOTE=z-drive;180776]file where you live. You shouldn’t be having state taxes withheld anyways unless you live in the same state that you work in, as a seaman.[/QUOTE] Hahahahaha. . . . obviously you have never worked for . . .oh, never mind. ---
**Author:** ![z-drive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c37758/32.png) [@z-drive](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/z-drive)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 8:18am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/7 "2016-03-11T08:18:06Z")
> [@"cmakin"](#): > > Hahahahaha. . . . obviously you have never worked for . . .oh, never mind. yes there are dirtbag employers! The key is finding one that follows some laws… ---
**Author:** ![cmakin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@cmakin](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/cmakin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 8:36am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/8 "2016-03-11T08:36:05Z")
[QUOTE=z-drive;180827]yes there are dirtbag employers! The key is finding one that follows some laws…[/QUOTE] And the reason I am not stating the guilty party is that it is NOT a small company. . . . . and is still very active. ---
**Author:** ![highseasharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@highseasharry](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/highseasharry)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 12:42pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/9 "2016-03-11T12:42:56Z")
You only have to pay income tax to your home state. You only have to file a return to your home state (not your employers state). [https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2009-title46/html/USCODE-2009-title46-subtitleII-partG-chap111-sec11108.htm](https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2009-title46/html/USCODE-2009-title46-subtitleII-partG-chap111-sec11108.htm) I know someone who pays partial to the state where he is employed because he can use that amount to offset his home-state taxes, but that only works if your employer’s state has a lower tax rate than your home state. Pretty complicated and I bet any tax savings is offset by preparers fees. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Seadog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/67e7ee/32.png) [@Chief\_Seadog](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Chief_Seadog)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/10 "2016-03-11T16:39:54Z")
If you never leave the state’s water you may have no choice as far as your employer deducting state income taxes. My son worked for NCL in Hawaii and that happened to him. Filing is not complicated. ---
**Author:** ![tengineer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@tengineer1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/tengineer1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/11 "2016-03-11T16:58:15Z")
[QUOTE=Chief Seadog;180865]If you never leave the state’s water you may have no choice as far as your employer deducting state income taxes. My son worked for NCL in Hawaii and that happened to him. Filing is not complicated.[/QUOTE] The “Amtrak Law” applies to mariners. It is illegal for any company to deduct taxes from the pay of any mariner for any state other than the state of residence. This is well established law. You may have to educate the employer or ask the US Attorney in that state to educate the employer.[of course you may have to educate the US Attorney] ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Seadog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/67e7ee/32.png) [@Chief\_Seadog](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Chief_Seadog)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/12 "2016-03-11T18:15:07Z")
[QUOTE=tengineer1;180869]The “Amtrak Law” applies to mariners. It is illegal for any company to deduct taxes from the pay of any mariner for any state other than the state of residence. This is well established law. You may have to educate the employer or ask the US Attorney in that state to educate the employer.[of course you may have to educate the US Attorney][/QUOTE] The “Amtrak Law” applies to interstate transportation workers. It does not apply to intrastate transportation workers. If you work in-state only, state income taxes could be withheld. ---
**Author:** ![cmakin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@cmakin](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/cmakin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/just-a-couple-of-questions/15965/13 "2016-03-14T04:10:56Z")
[QUOTE=Chief Seadog;180885]The “Amtrak Law” applies to interstate transportation workers. It does not apply to intrastate transportation workers. If you work in-state only, state income taxes could be withheld.[/QUOTE] Well, in my case, I was living in Florida at the time. Took a job based in San Francisco and ran up and down the west coast hauling barges between Washington and California. . . and I still had CA state tax withheld. . . had to file CA Income tax. By CA state tax laws, I would have only had 8 cents as a refund. Wasn’t worth filing. . . my tax consultant? My father, who at the time was an attorney for the CA Franchise Tax Board. . . CA income tax laws are geared to capture the money made by those that come into CA in the entertainment industry. Was the company wrong for withholding my taxes? You bet. Was a one month job so I lived with it. I will have to say that the same company did NOT withhold any LA state income tax when I lived and worked there. . .