including federal tax return with state return when filing separately

[aamirin]

We are filing married jointly federally, and my spouse and I each separately in CA and AZ, our states of residence. I have followed TurboTax instructions and prepared mock federal returns to generate state returns. When I file in CA, I need to include a copy of my federal return. Should I include my real filing-jointly federal return or the mock federal return that was used to generate the CA return? The latter has entries consistent with the CA adjustments form but is not real.

[MaryK4]

You will want to include a copy of the separate return used to prepare the California return.  Are you including community income on both returns?  

[aamirin]

Virtually all the income is community income. CA requires that the federal return be included with the state return. Since the mock married-filing-separate return is not a real return, doesn't that mean I have to include the genuine married-filing-jointly return with the state return? True that most entries on the genuine federal return will be twice as large as the left column of the CA adjustments form because of the split in community income. I can see a value to also including the mock married-filing-separate return as a guide to the origin of the figures in the CA return. Thanks.