I live in California. I get retirement and social security with no state taxes taken out. Do I need to file a state tax return?

[KittyM · Accepted solution]

Maybe.  If you receive a 1099-R, you generally need to file a return, as the IRS and the State of California have excellent income document matching programs and will look for your return.

If you calculate that your tax liability is zero for both the IRS and the State of California, you may choose to skip filing the return, but be sure to keep your income documents in case the IRS or the State writes to you about your failure to file.  California is particularly good at following up on failure to file, and I would recommend that you file a return rather than have to correspond with them.