What does residency status for state tax really mean? And how does it impact my filing?

State tax residency can be confusing because it's determined differently than federal residency. Generally, there are two main types of residents for state tax purposes: full-year residents and part-year residents. There's also "non-resident" status if you earned income in a state but weren't considered a resident. For your situation, you'd likely be considered a part-year resident of California for the months you lived there, and then a part-year resident of Texas once you established domicile there. "Domicile" is basically your permanent home - the place you intend to return to after temporary absences. Most states, including California, have specific tests to determine residency, including the number of days present in the state (usually 183 days or more makes you a resident) and whether you maintain significant connections to the state (property ownership, bank accounts, voter registration, etc.). Since you own rental property in California, you'll need to file a California non-resident return after you've established Texas residency to report that rental income, regardless of your residency status.

I went through something similar when I moved from New York to Florida. The tax rules were confusing and I kept getting different answers from friends and even some tax preparers. I finally found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that specializes in analyzing multi-state tax situations. They reviewed my specific scenario, including property ownership in my former state, and gave me clear guidance on my residency status. The coolest part was they analyzed my specific facts and even provided references to the relevant state tax regulations. Saved me a ton of stress trying to interpret everything myself, and potentially saved me from making a costly mistake with my filing status.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai since I decided to try it after seeing it mentioned here. It was actually really helpful for my Illinois-to-Georgia move! They analyzed my specific dates of residence, employment records, and property information, then explained exactly how to file as a part-year resident in both states. They also pointed out that I needed to allocate my income based on where it was earned rather than just dividing it by time spent in each state. That wasn't something I would have figured out on my own and probably would have done incorrectly. Really glad I found a service that specializes in residency issues rather than trying to piece together information from random websites.

For anyone struggling to get clear answers about state residency status from their state tax department, I had a nightmare trying to reach someone at the California Franchise Tax Board. After being on hold for HOURS over several days, I discovered a service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual state tax representative in about 15 minutes. They have this system that navigates the phone trees and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is about to pick up. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it saved me literally hours of waiting on hold. The tax agent I spoke with gave me specific guidance on my residency status and what documentation I needed to maintain to support my case.

I have to come back and admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After dismissing it as a scam, I spent another two hours on hold with my state tax office yesterday and finally gave up in frustration. Today I decided to try the service, and I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked. They handled the whole phone tree navigation, sat on hold for about 47 minutes (which I didn't have to listen to), and then called me when an actual human was on the line. I got clear answers about my residency status questions in a 10-minute conversation without wasting half my day on hold. For anyone dealing with state tax questions that need a human answer, this is absolutely worth it. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't experienced it myself.

Don't forget that states have different thresholds for filing requirements too! When I moved from Oregon to Washington, I still had to file an Oregon part-year resident return even though I only lived there for 2 months because I earned over their minimum threshold. Check your specific states to see what their rules are. Also remember that some cities have their own income taxes too. I totally forgot about this and almost missed filing my city tax return for the time I lived in an Ohio city with its own income tax.

can someone explain how the 183 day rule works? ive heard this mentioned but im confused about what counts as a "day" in a state. if i sleep in one state but work during the day in another which one gets that day?? also what if ur traveling a lot between multiple states for work?

The complexity everyone's describing here is exactly why I ended up hiring a tax professional who specializes in multi-state returns. I tried to figure out my California-to-Nevada move on my own and kept getting overwhelmed by all the different rules and exceptions. One thing that really helped me understand was keeping a detailed calendar of where I spent each night during the year I moved. It sounds tedious, but when you're dealing with aggressive states like California, having documentation of your physical presence can be crucial if they ever challenge your residency status. Also, don't forget about the economic nexus test that some states use alongside the physical presence test. California looks at factors like where your income is sourced, where your professional licenses are held, and where you maintain business relationships. Just moving physically isn't always enough if you're still economically tied to the state. For your rental property in California, you'll definitely need to continue filing California non-resident returns for that income even after establishing Texas residency. Texas doesn't have state income tax, which is great, but make sure you're properly reporting that California rental income to avoid any issues down the road.