ARTICLE 3. Suit for Refund [19381. - 19394.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 3.
in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19381. Section 19381.

No injunction or writ of mandate or other legal or equitable process shall issue in any suit, action, or proceeding in any court against this state or against any officer of this state to prevent or enjoin the assessment or collection of any tax under this part; provided, however, that any individual after protesting a notice or notices of deficiency assessment issued because of his or her alleged residence in this state and after appealing from the action of the Franchise Tax Board to the State Board of Equalization, may within 60 days after the action of the State Board of Equalization becomes final commence an action, on the grounds set forth in his or her protest, in the Superior Court of the County of Sacramento, in the County of Los Angeles or in the City and County of San Francisco against the Franchise Tax Board to determine the fact of his or her residence in this state during the year or years set forth in the notice or notices of deficiency assessment. No tax based solely upon the residence of such an individual shall be collected from that individual until 60 days after the action of the State Board of Equalization becomes final and, if he or she commences an action pursuant to this section, during the pendency of the action, other than by way of or under the jeopardy assessment provisions of this part.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19382. Section 19382.

Except as provided in Section 19385, after payment of the tax and denial by the Franchise Tax Board of a claim for refund, any taxpayer claiming that the tax computed and assessed is void in whole or in part may bring an action, upon the grounds set forth in that claim for refund, against the Franchise Tax Board for the recovery of the whole or any part of the amount paid.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19383. Section 19383.

The credit of an overpayment of any tax in satisfaction of any tax liability shall, for the purpose of any suit for refund of the tax liability so satisfied, be deemed to be a payment in respect of the tax liability at the time the credit is allowed.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19384. Section 19384.

The action provided by Section 19382 shall be filed within four years from the last date prescribed for filing the return or within one year from the date the tax was paid, or within 90 days after (a) notice of action by the Franchise Tax Board upon any claim for refund, or (b) the determination (including the issuance of a decision, opinion, or dismissal) by the State Board of Equalization on an appeal from the action of the Franchise Tax Board on a claim for refund becomes final pursuant to Section 19334, whichever period expires the later.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19385. Section 19385.

If the Franchise Tax Board fails to mail notice of action on any refund claim within six months after the claim was filed, the taxpayer may, prior to mailing of notice of action on the refund claim, consider the claim disallowed and bring an action against the Franchise Tax Board on the grounds set forth in the claim for the recovery of the whole or any part of the amount claimed as an overpayment. For substitution of the 120-day period for the six-month period contained in this section in a Title 11 case, see Section 505(a)(2) of Title 11 of the United States Code.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19387. Section 19387.

Whenever an action is commenced against the Franchise Tax Board under this article, a copy of the complaint and the summons shall be served upon the Franchise Tax Board or the executive officer. A second copy of the complaint and the summons shall be furnished to the Franchise Tax Board, but this requirement is not jurisdictional.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19388. Section 19388.

Any action against the Franchise Tax Board under this article shall be commenced and tried in any city or city and county in which the Attorney General maintains an office.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19391. Section 19391.

In any judgment of any court rendered for any overpayment, interest shall be allowed at the adjusted annual rate established pursuant to Section 19521 upon the amount of the overpayment, from the date of the payment or collection thereof to the date of allowance of credit on account of the judgment or to a date preceding the date of the refund warrant by not more than 30 days, the date to be determined by the Franchise Tax Board.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19392. Section 19392.

If judgment is rendered against the Franchise Tax Board, the amount thereof shall first be credited against any taxes and interest due from the taxpayer and the remainder refunded to the taxpayer or his or her trust or estate, or in the case of a corporation, its successor through reorganization, merger, or consolidation, or its stockholders upon dissolution, by the Treasurer on warrants drawn by the Controller.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19393. Section 19393.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), for the purposes of the tax imposed under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 23101) of Part 11, if any deduction, credit, or exclusion provided for in Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001) or Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001) is finally adjudged discriminatory against a national banking association contrary to Section 548 of Title 12 of the United States Code, or is for any reason finally adjudged invalid or discriminatory under the California Constitution, or the laws or the Constitution of the United States, the tax of the favored taxpayer shall be recomputed by the Franchise Tax Board for the taxable year in question, as of the time of allowance of the deduction, credit, or exclusion, by disallowing the deduction, credit, or exclusion, and any difference between the amount of the tax as recomputed and the amount of the tax as originally computed shall be subject to the provisions hereof relating to original computations. (b) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to a taxpayer for the invalidation of any provision of Section 17053.98, 17053.99, or 23698 amended or added by the act that added this subdivision.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19394. Section 19394.

If the fee provided under Section 17942 is finally adjudged to be discriminatory or unfairly apportioned under the California Constitution, or the laws or the Constitution of the United States, the fee of a disfavored taxpayer that files, or has filed, a timely claim for refund within the period allowed by this part asserting discrimination or unfair apportionment shall be recomputed by the Franchise Tax Board for the taxable year in question, as of the time of allowance of the recomputation, only to the extent necessary to remedy the discrimination or unfair apportionment that is not otherwise relieved by Section 19393 and the amount of the fee, as originally computed, shall be subject to the provisions hereof relating to original computations.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

Starting a business in California? California LLC guide: costs and requirements