ARTICLE 3. Arbitrary and Penal Assessments [501. - 506.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 3.

in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 501. Section 501.

If after written request by the assessor, any person fails to comply with any provision of law for furnishing information required by Sections 441 and 470, the assessor, based upon information in his possession, shall estimate the value of the property and, based upon this estimate, promptly assess the property.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 502. Section 502.

If any person willfully conceals, fails to disclose, removes, transfers or misrepresents tangible personal property to evade taxation which results in an assessment lower than that which would otherwise be required by law, the assessor on discovery shall assess the property in the lawful amount and impose the penalty provided for in Section 504.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 503. Section 503.

If any taxpayer or the taxpayer’s agent through a fraudulent act or omission causes, or if any fraudulent collusion between the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s agent and the assessor or any of the assessor’s deputies causes, any taxable tangible property to escape assessment in whole or in part, or to be underassessed, the assessor shall assess the property in the lawful amount and add a penalty of 75 percent of the additional assessed value so assessed.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 504. Section 504.

There shall be added to any assessment made pursuant to Section 502, except those assessments as are placed on the current roll prior to the time it is originally completed and published, a penalty of 25 percent of the additional assessed value so assessed.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 505. Section 505.

The assessor shall make an assessment subject to penalty by entering on the local roll the assessment and penalty in such form and manner as prescribed by the board.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 506. Section 506.

The tax rate applicable to any assessment made pursuant to this article shall be the tax rate to which the property would have been subject if it appeared upon the roll in the year when it should have been lawfully assessed. To the tax there shall be added interest at the rate of three-fourths of 1 percent per month from the date or dates the taxes would have become delinquent if they had been timely assessed to the date the additional assessment is added to the assessment roll.

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