ARTICLE 2.5. Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer [7659.9. - 7659.93.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 2.5.

in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 7659.9. Section 7659.9.

(a) Any person whose estimated tax liability under this part averages twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or more per month, as determined by the board pursuant to methods of calculation prescribed by the board, shall remit amounts due by an electronic funds transfer under procedures prescribed by the board. (b) Any person whose estimated tax liability under this part averages less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) per month may elect to remit amounts due by electronic funds transfer with the approval of the board. (c) Any person remitting amounts due pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) shall perform an electronic funds transfer in compliance with the due dates set forth in Article 1 (commencing with Section 7651) and Article 1.1 (commencing with Section 7659). Payment is deemed complete on the date the electronic funds transfer is initiated, if settlement to the state’s demand account occurs on or before the banking day following the date the transfer is initiated. If settlement to the state’s demand account does not occur on or before the banking day following the date the transfer is initiated, payment is deemed to occur on the date settlement occurs. (d) Any person remitting taxes by electronic funds transfer shall, on or before the due date of the remittance, file a return for the preceding reporting period in the form and manner prescribed by the board. Any person who fails to timely file the required return shall pay a penalty of 10 percent of the amount of taxes, exclusive of prepayments, with respect to the period for which the return is required. (e) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any person required to remit taxes pursuant to this article who remits those taxes by means other than appropriate electronic funds transfer shall pay a penalty of 10 percent of the taxes incorrectly remitted. (2) A person required to remit prepayments pursuant to this article who remits a prepayment by means other than an appropriate electronic funds transfer shall pay a penalty of 6 percent of the prepayment incorrectly remitted. (f) Except as provided by Sections 7659.5 and 7659.6, any person who fails to pay any tax to the state or any amount of tax required to be paid to the state, except amounts of determinations made by the board under Article 2 (commencing with Section 7660) or Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 7670), within the time required shall pay a penalty of 10 percent of the tax or amount of tax, in addition to the tax or amount of tax, plus interest at the modified adjusted rate per month, or fraction thereof, established pursuant to Section 6591.5, from the date on which the tax or the amount of tax required to be paid became due and payable to the state until the date of payment. (g) In determining whether a person’s estimated tax liability averages twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or more per month, the board may consider tax returns filed pursuant to this part and any other information in the board’s possession. (h) Except as provided in subdivision (i), the penalties imposed by subdivisions (d), (e), and (f) shall be limited to a maximum of 10 percent of the taxes due, exclusive of prepayments, for any one return. Any person remitting taxes by electronic funds transfer shall be subject to the penalties under this section and not Section 7655. (i) The penalties imposed with respect to paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) and Sections 7659.5 and 7659.6 shall be limited to a maximum of 6 percent of the prepayment amount. (j) The board shall promulgate regulations pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code for purposes of implementing this section.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 7659.91. Section 7659.91.

If the board finds that a person’s failure to make payment by an appropriate electronic funds transfer in accordance with board procedures is due to reasonable cause and circumstances beyond the person’s control, and occurred notwithstanding the exercise of ordinary care and in the absence of willful neglect, that person shall be relieved of the penalty provided in subdivision (e) of Section 7659.9. Any person seeking to be relieved of the penalty shall file with the board a statement under penalty of perjury setting forth the facts upon which he or she bases his or her claim for relief.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 7659.92. Section 7659.92.

(a) “Electronic funds transfer” means any transfer of funds, other than a transaction originated by check, draft, or similar paper instrument, that is initiated through an electronic terminal, telephonic instrument, or computer or magnetic tape, so as to order, instruct, or authorize a financial institution to debit or credit an account. Electronic funds transfers shall be accomplished by an automated clearinghouse debit, an automated clearinghouse credit, or by Federal Reserve Wire Transfer (Fedwire). (b) “Automated clearinghouse” means any federal reserve bank, or an organization established in agreement with the National Automated Clearing House Association, that operates as a clearinghouse for transmitting or receiving entries between banks or bank accounts and which authorizes an electronic transfer of funds between these banks or bank accounts. (c) “Automated clearinghouse debit” means a transaction in which the state, through its designated depository bank, originates an automated clearinghouse transaction debiting the person’s bank account and crediting the state’s bank account for the amount of tax. Banking costs incurred for the automated clearinghouse debit transaction shall be paid by the state. (d) “Automated clearinghouse credit” means an automated clearinghouse transaction in which the person, through his or her own bank, originates an entry crediting the state’s bank account and debiting his or her own bank account. Banking costs incurred for the automated clearinghouse credit transaction charged to the state shall be paid by the person originating the credit. (e) “Fedwire transfer” means any transaction originated by a person and utilizing the national electronic payment system to transfer funds through the federal reserve banks, when that person debits his or her own bank account and credits the state’s bank account. Electronic funds transfers pursuant to Section 7659.9 may be made by Fedwire only if payment cannot, for good cause, be made according to subdivision (a), and the use of Fedwire is preapproved by the board. Banking costs incurred for the Fedwire transaction charged to the person and to the state shall be paid by the person originating the transaction.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 7659.93. Section 7659.93.

(a) Any return, report, declaration statement, or other document required to be made under this part that is filed using electronic media shall be filed and authenticated pursuant to any method or form the board may prescribe. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, any return, report, declaration, statement, or other document otherwise required to be signed that is filed by the taxpayer using electronic media in a form as required by the board shall be deemed to be a signed, valid original document, including upon reproduction to paper form by the board. (c) Electronic media includes, but is not limited to, computer modem, magnetic media, optical disk, facsimile machine, or telephone. (d) Upon written approval of the board, a person may satisfy the requirements of subdivision (a) by executing and providing to the board a consent and authorization for the Internal Revenue Service to provide to the board under Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, the return filed by the person under Section 48.4101-2 of Title 26 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The board, in its sole discretion, may rescind its approval and require a person to file reports as specified in subdivision (a).

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026