Moved from PR, Live in NM but get paid from PR, unemployment and tax questions.

[jeffkruse]

Hello, I would like some advice because I don’t know how to handle my situation.

I lived in Puerto Rico for the last 6 years and work for a company that is global but pays me from PR. I am technically “on travel” in New Mexico working for this company. The travel period is for a minimum of 3 months. At that point I am supposed to go back to Puerto Rico and continue working there.
However, my wife and I have basically moved to New Mexico, we are leasing a house, have NM drivers licenses. My wife refuses to move back to Puerto Rico and I won’t leave my wife.

When my travel runs out and I don’t return to PR I will most likely lose my job. Can I claim Unemployment in NM on the grounds that my family won’t relocate? I want to and am willing to work, just not by moving to Puerto Rico even though I moved from there.

Second question, Taxes. What are some of the rules and benefits on where I file my taxes?
Do I have to file in both PR and US Federal and NM State?
I have been on travel for 3 months straight. Do I need to go back to PR for two weeks then come back to NM and continue my “on Travel” for another 3 months if the company wants’ me to finish up the project.
Can I just file US Federal and NM state and forget about PR? I have had PR taxes withheld in my pay check for the last 6 months but it’s a minimal amount.
If I pay US Federal and NM State taxes can I get assistance with the health care I purchase through the health exchange? My income was only $52K last year and my wife doesn’t work. It will be much less this year if I lose my job.
If I become unemployed sometime this year can I convert some of my retirement IRA’s/401K in to Roths IRA’s up to the point where I would not pay taxes above 15% on the money converted?

Thanks to everyone who reads this and tries to help.

Jeff

 

[kirby]

To qualify for New Mexico unemployment insurance you have to have worked in New Mexico for the past 12 to 18 months. So check your paystub to see if your employer was reporting your pay in New Mexico and covering you under NM unemployment insurance. From what you wrote company treated you as a PR employee, though.

So you do have unemployment insurance in PR. However, job abandonment is going to disqualify you for Unemployment benefits.

Since you had PR taxes withheld you will have to file a PR return. Else you get a failure to file penalty from PR.

Keep your job till you find another. Jobs still hard to find

 

[jeffkruse]

Thanks. My pay was/is all under PR. Even if I could get PR unemployment it's so low that it may not be worth the trouble. I was hoping that "unable to relocate family" would have been a valid reason.

I would like to keep my job but I am unwilling to move back to PR. I have been trying to get a job here in ABQ but it's not going well.

I have worked for 30 years and never collected unemployment and now when I need it I can't get it.