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New Member
posted Mar 22, 2025 12:46:57 AM

How to file CA Non-Resident return

I live and work overseas, but have a mailing address in California.  I need to submit a non-resident return, but can't find a way to do that through TurboTax desktop.  I have downloaded the California state return and it asks if I have a principal residence in another location.  I select Yes, but it only lists US states as options.  I went through the help provided and it says
"- If you reside in a foreign country at the time of filing, enter the city, province or state, and country in the city field. Follow the country's practice for entering the postal code. Do not abbreviate the country name."

I did this and left the state cell blank, but the program will not let me go to the next screen with a blank state.  

I have found no way to enter the dates that I was in California or to let the program know that I was not present in California last year.

Please help!! 

0 2 4523
2 Replies
Level 15
Mar 22, 2025 6:16:14 AM

Did you have California sourced income in 2024?  If so, then in the Personal Info section of the program where asked if you made money in any other state you should have indicate Yes and then selected California as the state.

Did you do this?

 

Also in the Personal info section did you select Foreign or U.S. Possession as your resident state?  And did you indicate you did not live in any other state?

New Member
Mar 23, 2025 1:05:00 AM

I was able to do this by going to the forms themselves.  For some reason the interview questions did not allow me to enter the correct information, but by going to the forms and selecting the 540NR form I was able to enter the correct information.