Unlike almost everywhere else in the world, U.S. citizens are required to pay income taxes on worldwide income — no matter where they live. That also may include state taxes. The fact is, if you remain a U.S. citizen or green card holder who works abroad, you are still required to file U.S. taxes and report your income every year. Whether you want to file state expat taxes yourself with our online DIY expat tax service designed specifically for U.S. citizens abroad or file with an advisor, H&R Block is here to help guide you through your state filing requirements.

In short, it depends on your specific state’s residency standards and income reporting requirements.

State residency while living abroad is a tricky topic. Each state has different definitions of who qualifies as a resident and some states, like Florida, don’t even have income tax requirements. On the other end of the spectrum are states like New York and California that require you file expat state taxes on both domestic and foreign earned income.

If you live abroad and aren’t sure if you need to pay state taxes, you don’t need to worry. When you file online, we will walk you through specific questions to determine your state residency status. If you need a little more hands-on assistance, an expat tax specialist is standing by so they can best determine your filing requirements.

Each state has different expat residency requirements that can apply even if you live abroad. A few examples of criteria that might be used when determining state residency are if you lived in the state at any point in the tax year, if you maintain an abode in the state, or if you keep your state driver’s license or voter’s registration. These are by no means the only factors that may determine state residency for expats, so we recommend speaking with a Tax Advisor if you’re unsure of your residency status.

While each state has slightly different rules for determining whether you are a resident of a state, the prevailing factor is your intent to permanently relocate to a new location. Certain criteria such as your ties with the state, licenses, and visa type and length can play a part in determining the intent of permanently moving. For instance, if you only have a 1-year visa it would be harder to show that you moved out of the state permanently.

However, certain states such as New York and California, have specific rules for expats, or what are referred to as nonresident domiciled residents, or those who are technically still considered residents of the state but are living outside of the state for a certain timeframe. In these cases, your income earned outside of the state may not be subject to tax even though you are still technically a resident.

Taxes for expats aren’t simple, and as each state is different it is best to get the help of an expat tax specialist so they can best determine your options.