I am a CA resident with income from royalties for a book my late father wrote long ago. The income was paid by his NY agent. Do I need to complete a NY state tax return?

[MichaelDC]

Possibly not. It depends on how much your royalties are and what your filing status is. For instance, if you are single and your NYS royalties were less than $8,000, you wouldn't need to file a New York state return. Click on the "New York standard deduction below".

If you are a nonresident with New York source income and your New York adjusted gross income Federal amount column (Form IT-203, line 31) exceeds your New York standard deduction. 

Please feel free to comment if you need any help.