WA resident - do I need to file CA State Tax Return for less $2k in California W2 income

[tikitorch]

My son who is a resident of WA worked at his university in California while he was in school and made less than $2k.  The TurboTax software has calculated an amount that he owes California in state income when I look at the CA state income filing site - it says that if an individual with no dependents has income less than $20k, no state return is needed.   Which is right?  

[TomD8 · Accepted solution]

See "Do I Have to File?" in this CA tax reference:

https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2022/2022-540nr-booklet.html

Even if your son is not required to file in CA, if CA taxes were withheld from his pay then he'd have to file a return in order to get a refund.