Hello! I am living abroad, and not maintaining a home in the US. I only use a California address to hold my mails so my friends can forward to me. This year, I realized some capital gains while living outside the US. I know will have to pay the IRS taxes on these gains, but will I have to file with California and pay California too?
You do not have to file a California return if you are a nonresident and you had no income from California sources.
As a nonresident, you pay tax on your taxable income from California sources.
Sourced income includes, but is not limited to:
If I receive dividends from companies that are headquartered in California, or have capital gains as a result of selling stocks of California companies, is that considered income from California businesses?
No, income from dividends or from selling stock is considered to be income to your resident state, not the location of the company whose dividends you received or stock that you sold.