Yeah, if you’re trying to establish residency in another state, you probably need to tell your employer to use that state for your W2 so they stop deducting state tax and so California doesn’t think you still are earning money there. That means your employer knows you moved, and knows you’re saving all that money, so they will probably lower your pay.

I think you can still come out ahead if you have a ton of stock to vest, because they can’t cut that, but you still benefit from the lack of state tax there. But once the plague situation ends I think WFH employees will be in a weaker position and tend to get smaller refresh grants. It could be a great one-year-only move for anyone who’s due for a windfall from one of these IPOs.

Yes, but that's not the comment I am responding to was talking about. The parent comment was about having to pay CA state taxes after moving out of CA - which everyone has to do right now due to most of the employers not willing to update the work location. So just physically moving outside CA doesn't get you off the hook for CA taxes.

But if remote work becomes the norm, companies will update the location. My comment had nothing to do with updated incomes based on the location which is of course going to be the reality.

Disclosure: not a tax accountant, talk to to one if you want accurate information.