Dan has a water treatment business in Pennsylvania, which is a separate reporting state. He is considering purchasing another water treatment entity in New York, which is a unitary reporting state, and establishing a headquarters in one of the two states.

Each will operate as a separate legal entity with a physical presence in both states, but will benefit from shared management, expertise, and volume discounts due to the combined purchasing power of both entities.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a headquarters in New York, instead of Pennsylvania, from the perspective of filing state tax returns. Is one state better than another from this perspective?