Yes, this is considered taxable income, mostly because the Moving Expenses deduction does not apply in 2021 (if it did you would be able to reduce the amount of the income by your moving expenses). Regardless of if it was paid directly to you or a third party, because you received the benefit of the service, you must pay the tax on the amount as income.
California still allows the moving expenses deduction- in TurboTax, you will want to look for the Moving Expenses in Deduction and Credits in the Federal Taxes section and complete the information- it will transfer to the California tax return.
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