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Out-of-State Tax Withholding FAQ
Contents
What is the State Controller’s Office (SCO) responsibility to withhold and remit state personal income taxes for
employees who reside outside of the state of California? ..........................................................……………………………1
What is a reciprocal agreement?................................................................................................................................2
If there is no reciprocal agreement in place for the state where the employee is working, is the employee
responsible to report income to the residing state? .................................................................................................2
Which states currently have reciprocal agreements with SCO? ................................................................................2
Does an employee teleworking in another state create a “nexus” for state tax withholding? Stated differently, will
the State be considered to be “doing business” in the other state of tax purposes? …………………..………………….......2
What options are available on the Employee Action Request (EAR), STD. 686, to employees working out-of-state
for state tax reporting purposes? …….........................................................................................................................2
Are departments/campuses able to hire employees whom reside outside of the United States? …………………………3
What if an employee is a nonresident of CA and has CA state withholding and/or taxable gross for CA reported on
their Form W-2?..........................................................................................................................................................3
What if an employee is a nonresident of CA and has CA state withholding and/or taxable gross reported for the
current tax year?.........................................................................................................................................................3
What is the State Controller’s Office responsibility to withhold and remit state personal
income taxes for employees who reside outside of the state of California (CA)?
When there is no reciprocal agreement in place, the withholding of personal income tax is optional and
not mandatory as the nonresident employee is performing services outside of California.
California Code of Regulations section 18662-4(b) states, “withholding of tax at source is optional
and not required on payments of California source income to the following:
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(7) Services of a Nonresident Outside of California. Withholding of tax at source is not required on
payments for services provided by a nonresident that were performed outside of California.”
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A reciprocal agreement between states prevents an employee from having to file two or more tax
returns; one as a resident return in the state where he or she lives and one or more nonresident returns
in any other states where he or she works.
What is a reciprocal agreement?
A reciprocal agreement between states prevents an employee from having to file two or more tax
returns; one as a resident return in the state where he or she lives and one or more nonresident returns
in any other states where he or she works.
If there is no reciprocal agreement in place for the state where the employee is working,
is the employee responsible to report income to the residing state?
An employee has the responsibility to report personal income tax to the state in which they reside,
including where there is no reciprocal agreement in place. Failure to report income may subject the
individual to fines and penalties. Individual employees should consult with their tax professional to
determine their specific tax reporting responsibilities.
Which states currently have reciprocal agreements with SCO?
SCO has reciprocal agreements with New York and Illinois. This means that SCO will withhold and remit
personal income tax from wages or salaries for employees residing in New York and Illinois.
Does an employee teleworking in another state create a “nexus” for state tax
withholding? Stated differently, will the State be considered to be “doing business” in
the other state of tax purposes?
In order for a state to impose a tax, a connection must exist between the state and the potential
taxpayer.
The State of California and its departments and agencies are generally not engaged in actions that would
constitute interstate commerce. Therefore, the presence of a teleworking employee in another state
would not create a nexus for tax purposes.
What options are available on the form Employee Action Request (EAR), STD. 686, to
employees working out-of-state for tax reporting purposes?
Three options are available on the STD. 686:
1. Withhold CA personal income tax and file as a non-resident with the Franchise Tax Board (FTB)
2. Employee will need to file California Nonresident (NR) or Part-Year Resident Income Tax Return,
CA 540 NR, and Franchise Tax Board (FTB) will make the determination to process a refund of the
personal income tax. https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2019/2019-540nr.pdf
3. File Exempt from California withholding
• On the EAR for State Allowances, the employee will indicate in Section E II:
o E08 - Single/Married
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o E09 - 95
• This will report a taxable gross on the Form W-2 for CA, and
• Employee will need to file a California Nonresident or Part-Year Resident Income Tax
Return, CA 540 NR, and FTB will make the determination if personal income tax is due.
4. Department creates a header for employees residing out of state
• This will report a taxable gross on the Form W-2 for NONE, and
• Employee will need to file a state tax return in their residing state using the amount in
NONE as the taxable gross.
Are departments/campuses able to hire employees whom reside outside of the United
States?
The U.S. Department of Labor allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers without the requirement of
work permits or immigration visas where the employee is working remotely from the other country.
The State Controller's Office Uniform State Payroll System is not configured to generate payroll for
international remote workers.
A department/campus may use a third party payroll provider whom specializes in pay for foreign remote
workers.
What if an employee is a nonresident of CA and has CA state withholding and/or
taxable gross for CA reported on their Form W-2?
If there is CA withholding reported on the Form W-2, and the employee is not a resident of California,
they will need to submit the CA 540NR, California Nonresident or Part-Year Resident Income Tax Return
https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2019/2019-540nr.pdf to Franchise Tax Board (FTB). FTB will make the
determination to process a refund. The SCO cannot make any corrections after the close of the tax year
if withholding has been reported.
If the Form W-2 is only reporting a taxable gross and NO withholding for CA. Please contact SCO
Personnel and Payroll Services Division (PPSD), W-2 Unit at PPSDW2DupCor@sco.ca.gov who can
make the correction to the Form W-2 and generate a corrected Form W-2 the following month.
What if an employee is a nonresident of CA and has CA state withholding and/or
taxable gross reported for the current tax year?
If withholding was taken during the current tax year for an employee whom is not a resident of
California, please contact the PPSD, W-2 Unit at PPSD[email protected] for correction. Be sure
to correct the employee’s employment history to ensure the correct withholding will take place going
forward.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this publication is to provide general information about personnel and payroll topics and is meant
solely as a reference source. This publication does not supersede current applicable laws or regulations and is not intended for
purposes of providing legal advice. If there is a conflict between applicable law or regulation and the contents of this
publication, the law or regulation shall prevail.
