Colorado question

[JohnH]

Trying to help out a friend here. Client's adult child lives in CA, and the company detailed them to CO for a few months. All expenses were paid through an accountable plan, so no fancy stuff involved. The employer properly allocated wages to CO and withheld CO taxes. Taxpayer is single and claims standard deduction. We're going to paper file this.

I've never prepared a CO return, but I entered the info in Drake and it looks fairly straightforward. Then I just claim the credit for tax paid to another state on the CA double-taxed income. Can anybody tell me if there's anything unusual about CO or any traps I need to be aware of?

[DonB]

Should be straight forward. Colorado calculates the tax as though a full year resident and then prorates it by CO income / federal income.

[DMICPA]

Attach CO Return to CA

If you claim Other State Tax Credit on a CA return, they want a copy of the other state. In this case it would be that you attach the CO return.

[JohnH]

Thanks to both of you.
I think this will be as straightforward as it appears.

[DMICPA]

OK, Now I have a question on Colorado

Boy, Colorado is sure crappy in their instructions.

Do I have to attach a Federal return to a hand filed Non resident deceased taxpayer that owes no tax.

No where in the instructions does it say what to attach. I have spent a half hour fooling with their instructions and cannot find a straight answer.

That seems to be a simple question but no way does Colorado address it.

Can anyone help me. I am in my 12th hour and am tired and want to get this little return done but I am wasting my time looking in the instructions. Prior posts have express dismay trying to get through to the CO dept. of Revenue.

[JohnH]

Number 6 on this link seems to answer the question in general. I don't know if the non-resident and/or deceased status changes that answer, but it doesn't appear to do so.

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Revenue/REVX/1251616819387