The global outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly impacted individuals and their ability to travel. Many are under state quarantine orders, “sheltering in place,” or simply afraid or uncomfortable to leave their home. Other individuals have left their home in one state for the prospect of a safer, more socially distant location in another state or country. 

At the foot of the Statue of Liberty is an inscribed plaque with a poem about America being the land that welcomes the refugee. Film footage from the turn of the 20th century depicts ships overloaded with immigrants passing the statue and dreaming of a better tomorrow in the United States.

As we continue to adjust to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and rethink how business gets done, it’s important to realize how far we’ve come in this short amount time. Managing through this pandemic has allowed us to adapt and stretch our creativity to safeguard business continuity and exhibit resiliency. For many of us, technology was at the forefront of our ability to continue moving forward—or, at the very least, not move backward.

Even if you’re not a classic film buff, you may know of the “damsel in distress” film genre from the era of silent movies: A villain decked out in a curlicue mustache kidnaps a pretty woman—the significant other of his archenemy—and ties her to the railroad tracks. As the train comes clickety-clacking down the track, the hero, a handsome man on a white horse, rescues the damsel in the nick of time. He also captures the villain and saves the day.

In a typical case, the IRS will audit federal tax issues, and when audit changes are made, it will notify New York State. With little additional work, New York will bill the taxpayer the amount of additional state tax resulting from these federal tax changes. Taxpayers are required to report the IRS audit changes on a New York State amended return within 90 days of the IRS notification, regardless of whether they receive a bill from the state.

Last month, the TaxStringer published our article, The Multistate Tax Implications of a Mobile Workforce, on various tax considerations facing employers with an increasingly mobile workforce. How the world has changed in just a few weeks!