Expatriate working overseas, with mailing address in CA, but not Resident of CA. Do I have to file CA State taxes?

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
March 7, 2024
2 replies
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I'm a US expatriate working overseas (for almost 10 years). In my Federal taxes, I put my mailing address in California (since I use my bother's address in CA), however I'm NOT a CA Resident. This year, since the interest rate was good, I made money from buying bank CDs and US treasuries, where the total interest made was more that CA Standard Deduction. I received form 1099 with the interest made, and form 1099 has my mailing address in CA.

Do I have to file for CA State taxes? I googled this, and found info that says: "Interest and Dividend" are NOT taxable in CA if you are not a resident of CA. If this is true, then I don't need to file for CA taxes. Can someone please help to confirm this and if there is a need to file for CA state tax?

Thanks

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Best answer by AmyC

You are not a CA resident so you don't need to file a return. You don't have CA source income. You don't have a home, license, vote, act like a resident then CA is not a place of residence, just where you get mail.

Reference: CA Do You Need to File?

AmyCAnswer

Employee

Reference: CA Do You Need to File?

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gnabboudAuthor

Thanks a lot for your help.

Yes, I don't have any CA source income, neither a home nor a vote. However, 3 years ago (summer 2021), I visited my brother in CA for 3 weeks vacation, and since I wanted to rent a car, I applied for CA driver license and got it. Is this an issue? My vacation in CA was for only 3 weeks during the last 20 years.

Thanks and appreciate your help again

TomD8

Employee

Your mailing address should be the address you want the IRS to use if they have to send you a letter or check. But in the Personal Info section of TurboTax, be sure to enter "Foreign or U.S. Possession" as your State of Residence. (It's the last choice in the State of Residence drop-down window.)

**Answers are correct to the best of my ability but do not constitute tax or legal advice.

LogicalDad

Going forward you should be aware that some states are aggressively looking for additional revenue. Some states are now going over federal returns looking for people with mailing addresses in their state who didn't file as a resident. With no other supporting data they are then sending out demand letters saying "we think you are a resident so refile your taxes and pay us $X plus interest and fees." I would highly avoid using any mailing address that isn't in the same state or country as your residence as it could send up a red flag.

For all the "it's just your mailing address" help you may see online, I can personally tell you it took me $3500 in lawyer fees and 6 months to fight off an aggressive state where I bought a second home and had hoped to retire one day. Starting to rethink that now.