41 CFR § 302-17.46 - What does my agency do if a state treats an expense as taxable even though it is nontaxable under the Federal IRC?
If one or more of the states where you have incurred tax liability for relocation expenses treats one or more relocation expenses as taxable, even though it (they) are nontaxable under Federal tax rules, you may be required to pay additional state income tax when you file tax returns with those states. In this case, your agency calculates a state gross-up to cover the additional tax liability resulting from the covered relocation expense reimbursement(s) that are nontaxable under Federal, but not state tax rules. Your agency calculates the state gross-up and then adds that amount to your RITA. Your agency will use this formula to calculate the state gross-up:
“N” is determined as follows:
1. Take the dollar amount of reimbursements, allowances, and direct payments to vendors treated as nontaxable under Federal tax rules.
2. Subtract the dollar amount of reimbursements, allowances, and direct payments to vendors treated as nontaxable by the state.
3. The difference represents “N.”
This calculation is the same, regardless of whether your agency has chosen to use the one-year or two-year RITA process.