Q. Should my CA estimated tax payment be approximately 10 to 15% of the federal tax owed on any RMD distribution?
A. No. The state tax is a percentage of the income (the RMD amount), not the federal tax. The percentage would be your marginal (top) tax rate. To find that rate, see:
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/taxes/california-state-tax
Since the top CA rate is 12.3%, 12.3% (of the RMD amount) would be the absolute "safe" amount.
