Why do i owe nj tax?

If your entries are correct, the reason you owe NJ state income taxes is because you didn't have enough income taxes withheld from your pay. You may contact your payroll department to see how to avoid this in the future. 

The following are some other suggestions to help you find the difference:

• Do a state income tax return line by line comparison to see what is different this year versus last year.  
• You deferred less income into your Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan or Flexible Savings Plan.
• You didn't qualify for a tax credit you received last year (or the credit amount decreased).
• You removed a dependent.
• You changed your filing status.
• If you itemize, your Itemized Deductions are lower this year or you are getting the standard deduction this year.

Related information:

• Why did my refund go down compared to last year's?