California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) is the public agency charged with assessing and collecting sales and use taxes, as well as a variety of excise fees and taxes, for the U.S. state of California. The department has several other ancillary functions, such as ensuring that sellers comply with permit requirements. The department was formed on January 1, 2018, by the Taxpayer Transparency and Fairness Act of 2017, which reduced the California State Board of Equalization to its constitutional functions of supervising county tax assessors and assessing certain specified types of property. The department is one of the State of California's three primary state taxing agencies, collecting over 70 billion dollars annually in revenue for the State.[1] The other two are the Employment Development Department and the Franchise Tax Board.[2] History[edit]The collection of almost all state sales taxes and special fees, prior to the formation of the Administration, was handled by the California State Board of Equalization, a constitutional body composed of constitutional offices; despite almost a century of attempts to reform the Board, owing to various corruption-related concerns, these efforts were not successful for most of its history.[3] However, in 2017, a Department of Finance audit revealed missing funds and signs of nepotism by the Board's members, including the misuse of state time by requiring Compliance Representatives and other administrative workers to do menial work for promotional events.[4][5] In June 2017, the California Department of Justice began a criminal investigation into the members of the Board.[6] On June 27, 2017, the legislature stripped the Board of most of its powers; its collection and assessment functions were transferred to the Administration, while its appeal powers were transferred to the California Office of Tax Appeals.[7] This constituted the shift of 90% of workers into the new departments.[7] Appeals[edit]Appeals from tax and fee decisions made by the department go to the Office of Tax Appeals, as with the Franchise Tax Board. This excludes appeals from matters concerning the Alcoholic Beverage Tax and the Tax on Insurers, as the department is only contracted to collect those taxes on behalf of the Board of Equalization. Tax and fee programs[edit]The department handles the vast majority of California's sales, use and excise tax assessment, auditing and collection. It also collects the 1.25% Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax and various 'district taxes'.
Former programs[edit]
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Is there a California Department of Tax and Fee Administration?The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is responsible for the administration of 37 different taxes and fees.
How do I contact California state taxes?State Income Tax
Customer service phone numbers: Tax information/Refund/Forms: 1-800-338-0505. Other assistance: 1-800-852-5711.
Does the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration send emails?The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is committed to improving the services it provides to taxpayers. Accordingly, the Department has implemented a service to provide answers to general, non-confidential tax questions submitted via e-mail.
How do I know if I owe use tax California?You May Owe Use Tax. You may owe “use tax” if you made a purchase from an out-of-state retailer and were not charged California tax on the purchase. If you have not saved your receipts, you may calculate and pay estimated use tax on your 2021 California Income Tax return, based upon your income.
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