"but for TT to work correctly, the AZ return must be prepared first."
Normally it is correct to prepare the non-resident state return first. However, California & Arizona are reverse-credit states. This means that the non-resident state, AZ, will allow you to take a credit for taxes paid to your home state of CA on income that is taxed by both. Therefore, in this case you would complete your CA return first, before you do your non-resident AZ return.
See page 2 of AZ Form 309, which you can view here: https://azdor.gov/forms/tax-credits-forms/credit-taxes-paid-another-state-or-country
**Answers are correct to the best of my ability but do not constitute tax or legal advice.
