TomD8
Level 15

State tax filing

 The issue is whether CA will tax you as a resident or as a non-resident.  If CA taxes you as a resident, ALL your income is taxable by CA.    If CA taxes you as a non-resident, only your CA-source income is taxable by CA.  Income you earn from work actually (physically) performed in CA is CA-source income.  Since the issue is residency, you need to familiarize yourself with CA's rules for determining your residency status.   These are detailed in this publication (the publication is dated 2017 but the rules haven't changed): https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2017/17_1031.pdf

 

Since your domicile (your main, permanent home) is apparently in VA, ALL your income is taxable by VA, regardless of where you earn it.  But you'll be able to take a credit on your home state VA return for taxes paid to CA, so you won't be double taxed.

 

Note that it is possible to be both a domiciliary resident of one state and a statutory resident of another.

**Answers are correct to the best of my ability but do not constitute tax or legal advice.