Most personal information is transferred to your New York return from your federal return. The Basic Information section contains additional New York-specific questions that must be completed before filing your return.
Pathway to this entry is:
New York State Return > Basic Information
Were You Convicted of Certain Offenses Under New York Law?
You will be asked whether you have ever been convicted of an offense defined under specific sections of the New York Penal Law.
Answer this question exactly as it applies to your situation.
Did You Have a Financial Account Located in a Foreign Country?
You must indicate whether you had an interest in, signature authority over, or control of a financial account located in a foreign country during the tax year.
Examples of foreign financial accounts include:
- Bank accounts.
- Securities accounts.
- Brokerage accounts.
- Savings accounts.
- Other financial accounts located outside the United States.
Answering this question does not automatically create additional tax. It is an informational reporting requirement.
What Are Special Conditions?
The Special Conditions section is used to identify certain unique filing circumstances that may apply to your New York return.
Examples of special conditions may include:
- Taxpayer or spouse deceased during the tax year.
- Military-related filing situations.
- Certain protective claims.
- Other special filing circumstances recognized by New York.
Only select a special condition if it applies to your specific filing situation.
For more detailed information, please see our KB article here.
County of Residence
Select the New York county in which you resided on the last day of the tax year.
This information may affect:
- Local tax calculations.
- School district reporting.
- Other New York tax determinations.
School District Information
New York requires taxpayers to report their school district information.
You may either:
- Enter the three-digit school district number; or
- Select the school district from the available list.
Be sure the school district selected matches your primary residence location.
New York City and Yonkers Residents
If you were a resident of New York City or Yonkers, additional questions may appear.
This information is used to determine whether any New York City or Yonkers taxes apply.
Permanent Home Address
Use this section to review or update your permanent home address information for New York filing purposes.
Third-Party Designee Information
You may designate another individual to discuss your return with the New York Department of Taxation and Finance.
If you choose to authorize a third-party designee, you will be asked to provide:
- Name.
- Telephone number.
- Personal Identification Number (PIN).
This authorization is limited and does not grant power of attorney.
What Is the W-2 Verification Indicator?
New York may request a W-2 Verification Indicator to help verify wage information reported on your return.
This code may appear on certain Forms W-2 issued by participating employers.
Where Can I Find the W-2 Verification Indicator?
If your Form W-2 contains a verification code, it is generally located:
- Near the employee information section; or
- In a designated verification code box on the W-2.
If no verification code appears on your Form W-2, you can generally leave this section blank.
Entering the verification code exactly as shown may help New York validate the wage information reported on your return.
For more detailed information, please see our KB article here.
Were IRA Distributions From a Beneficiary?
You will be asked whether any IRA distributions reported on the return were received as a beneficiary.
Answer Yes if:
- You received distributions from an inherited IRA; and
- You were the beneficiary of the account.
Answer No if the distributions came from your own IRA account.
This question helps determine whether certain New York retirement income rules apply.
Were Pension Distributions From a Beneficiary?
You will be asked whether any pension distributions reported on the return were received as a beneficiary.
Answer Yes if:
- You received pension payments as a beneficiary after the death of the original participant.
Answer No if the pension distributions were from your own pension plan.
This information is used when calculating New York retirement income exclusions and adjustments.
Change Filing Status From MFJ to MFS for State Purposes Only
New York allows certain taxpayers who filed a joint federal return to file separate New York returns.
Selecting this option allows the program to prepare New York returns using Married Filing Separately status while leaving the federal return unchanged.
Additional income, deduction, withholding, and allocation information may be required.
How Does the Basic Information Section Affect My Return?
The information entered in this section may:
- Determine filing requirements.
- Affect local tax calculations.
- Determine eligibility for certain exclusions or adjustments.
- Help verify wage information.
- Affect retirement income calculations.
- Impact the overall New York tax calculation.
Important Information
- Most personal information transfers automatically from the federal return.
- Review all New York-specific questions carefully before continuing.
- School district information is required for most New York returns.
- Beneficiary IRA and pension distributions should be identified correctly.
- Enter the W-2 Verification Indicator exactly as it appears on your Form W-2, if applicable.
- Keep records supporting all answers provided in this section.
Additional Information
Complete all entries in the Basic Information section before proceeding through the remainder of the New York return. Accurate information in this section helps ensure your return is prepared and filed correctly.