topic Worked in Washington but resident of California do I need to pay taxes in California in State tax filing

Worked in Washington but resident of California do I need to pay taxes in California

Iarteaga — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 05:17:10 GMT

Re: Worked in Washington but resident of California do I need to pay taxes in California

LaShaunA3 — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:56:32 GMT

Yes. As a California resident, you are taxed by California on all your income, regardless of where you earned it. You will report your wages on a California resident state tax return.

Since Washington doesn't have a state income tax on wages, you won't need to file a tax return for wages earned there.

CA Residents

Re: Worked in Washington but resident of California do I need to pay taxes in California

Hal_Al — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:17:29 GMT

The general rule is (and it applies, in your case): you report all your income on your resident state return, including the income earned in the other state. Your home state calculates tax on all your income, but gives you a credit, or partial credit, for tax you paid to the other state.

When you worked in a state without an income tax (e.g. Washington), there will be no credit, since there was no WA tax. In other words, having worked in a state without an income tax does not get you out of paying state tax on that income, to your home state.