ARTICLE 1. Imposition of Tax [6051. - 6055.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 1.

in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6051. Section 6051.

For the privilege of selling tangible personal property at retail a tax is hereby imposed upon all retailers at the rate of 2 1 2 percent of the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail in this state on or after August 1, 1933, and to and including June 30, 1935, and at the rate of 3 percent thereafter, and at the rate of 2 1 2 percent on and after July 1, 1943, and to and including June 30, 1949, and at the rate of 3 percent on and after July 1, 1949, and to and including July 31, 1967, and at the rate of 4 percent on and after August 1, 1967, and to and including June 30, 1972, and at the rate of 3 3 4 percent on and after July 1, 1972, and to and including June 30, 1973, and at the rate of 4 3 4 percent on and after July 1, 1973, and to and including September 30, 1973, and at the rate of 3 3 4 percent on and after October 1, 1973, and to and including March 31, 1974, and at the rate of 4 3 4 percent thereafter.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6051.1. Section 6051.1.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 6051, for the privilege of selling tangible personal property at retail a tax is hereby imposed upon all retailers at the rate of 5 percent of the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail in this state on and after the operative date of this subdivision. (b) Subdivision (a) shall become operative on December 1, 1989, and shall cease to be operative on January 1, 1991. (c) The rate prescribed by Section 6051 shall be applicable on and after the first day following the date subdivision (a) ceases to be operative pursuant to subdivision (b).

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6051.2. Section 6051.2.

(a) In addition to the taxes imposed by Section 6051 and any other provision of this part, for the privilege of selling tangible personal property at retail, a tax is hereby imposed upon all retailers at the rate of 1 2 percent of the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail in this state on and after July 15, 1991. (b) All revenues received pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Local Revenue Fund, as established pursuant to Section 17600 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (c) This section shall cease to be operative on the first day of the first month of the calendar quarter following notification to the board by the Department of Finance of a final judicial determination by the California Supreme Court or any California court of appeal that the revenues collected pursuant to this section and Section 6201.2 that are deposited in the Local Revenue Fund are either of the following: (1) “General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B of the California Constitution,” as used in subdivision (b) of Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution. (2) “Allocated local proceeds of taxes,” as used in subdivision (b) of Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution. (d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), if the Director of Finance determines that the State Board of Equalization has allocated more revenue to the Local Revenue Fund than required by subdivisions (a) and (b) for taxable sales that occurred during the period of July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2016, inclusive, the total amount of revenues credited to the Local Revenue Fund for this period shall be considered to have fulfilled the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b), and no allocation adjustment for this period shall be made.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6051.3. Section 6051.3.

In addition to the taxes imposed by Sections 6051, 6051.2, 6051.5, and any other provision of this part, for the privilege of selling tangible personal property at retail, a tax is hereby imposed upon all retailers at the rate of 1 4 percent of the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail in this state on and after July 15, 1991, and during any period in which this section is operative pursuant to Section 6051.4.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6051.4. Section 6051.4.

(a) Section 6051.3 shall be operative with respect to the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail in this state on or after July 15, 1991, but shall cease to be operative during any period described in subdivision (c) or (d). (b) On or before November 1, 1993, and on or before every November 1 thereafter, the Director of Finance shall determine and certify to the Governor, the Legislature, and the board both of the following: (1) Whether the amount in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties, as established pursuant to Section 16418 of the Government Code, as of June 30 of the prior fiscal year exceeded 4 percent of General Fund revenues for that prior fiscal year. (2) Whether the estimated amount in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties as of June 30 of the current fiscal year (without inclusion of any revenue derived pursuant to Section 6051.3 on and after January 1 of the current fiscal year) exceeds 4 percent of General Fund revenues for the current fiscal year. (c) Section 6051.3 shall cease to be operative on and after January 1, 1994, if on or before November 1, 1993, the Director of Finance certifies pursuant to subdivision (b) that both amounts certified pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of that subdivision exceed 4 percent of General Fund revenues for the respective fiscal year for which each amount is determined and certified. (d) Section 6051.3 shall cease to be operative on and after January 1 following any November 1 in which Section 6051.3 is operative and the Director of Finance certifies pursuant to subdivision (b) that both amounts certified pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of that subdivision exceed 4 percent of General Fund revenues for the respective fiscal year for which each amount is determined and certified. (e) Section 6051.3 shall become operative on and after January 1 following any November 1 in which Section 6051.3 is inoperative and the Director of Finance certifies pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) that the estimated amount does not exceed 4 percent of the General Fund revenues as of June 30 of the current fiscal year.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6051.5. Section 6051.5.

(a) In addition to the taxes imposed by Section 6051 and any other provision of this part, for the privilege of selling tangible personal property at retail a tax is hereby imposed upon all retailers at the rate of one-quarter of 1 percent of the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail in this state. (b) All revenues, net of refunds, received pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Fiscal Recovery Fund, as established pursuant to Section 99008 of the Government Code. (c) Revenues received pursuant to this section accruing to the Fiscal Recovery Fund shall not be considered to be “State General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B” within the meaning of either Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution or Section 41202 of the Education Code. (d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2004, and shall cease to be operative on the first day of the first calendar quarter commencing more than 90 days following a notification to the board by the Director of Finance pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 99006 of the Government Code.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6051.6. Section 6051.6.

There are exempted from the taxes imposed by Section 6051.5 the gross receipts derived from the sale of tangible personal property, other than fuel or petroleum products, to operators of aircraft to be used or consumed principally outside the county in which the sale is made and directly and exclusively in the use of the aircraft as common carriers of persons or property under the authority of the laws of this state, the United States, or any foreign government.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6051.8. Section 6051.8.

(a) Except as provided by Section 6357.3, in addition to the taxes imposed by this part, for the privilege of selling tangible personal property at retail a tax is hereby imposed upon all retailers at the rate of 1.75 percent of the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all diesel fuel, as defined in Section 60022. (b) Except as provided by Section 6357.3, in addition to the taxes imposed by this part and by subdivision (a), commencing November 1, 2017, for the privilege of selling tangible personal property at retail a tax is hereby imposed upon all retailers at the rate of 4 percent of the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all diesel fuel, as defined in Section 60022, sold at retail in this state. (c) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 7102, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2), all of the revenues, less refunds, collected pursuant to this section shall be estimated by the State Board of Equalization, with the concurrence of the Department of Finance, and transferred quarterly to the Public Transportation Account in the State Transportation Fund for allocation under the State Transit Assistance Program pursuant to Section 99312.1 of the Public Utilities Code. (2) The revenues, less refunds, attributable to a rate of 0.5 percent of the 4-percent increase in the rate pursuant to subdivision (b), amounting to one-eighth of revenues from the increase in the rate under that subdivision, shall be estimated by the State Board of Equalization, with the concurrence of the Department of Finance, and transferred quarterly to the Public Transportation Account in the State Transportation Fund for allocation by the Transportation Agency to intercity rail and commuter rail purposes pursuant to Section 99312.3 of the Public Utilities Code.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6051.15. Section 6051.15.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 7101 or any other law, the amount of revenues, net of refunds, collected pursuant to Section 6051 and attributable to a rate of 1.0625 percent shall, subject to subdivision (b), be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Local Revenue Fund 2011, as established pursuant to Section 30025 of the Government Code, and shall be used exclusively for the public safety purposes for which that fund is created. (b) The amount of revenues derived from any tax or tax increase enacted after July 1, 2011, that is deposited in the Local Revenue Fund 2011 shall be applied to reduce the amount otherwise required to be deposited in that fund pursuant to subdivision (a). (c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), if the Director of Finance determines that the State Board of Equalization has allocated more revenue to the Local Revenue Fund 2011 than required by subdivisions (a) and (b) for taxable sales that occurred during the period of July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2016, inclusive, the total amount of revenues credited to the Local Revenue Fund 2011 for this period shall be considered to have fulfilled the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b), and no allocation adjustment for this period shall be made.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6051.45. Section 6051.45.

Notwithstanding 6051.4 or any other provision of law, the state sales tax rate in Section 6051.3 shall not be operative in any calendar year beginning on or after January 1, 2002, if the Director of Finance determines both of the following: (a) The General Fund reserve is 3 percent of revenues excluding the revenues derived from the 1 4 cent sales and use tax rate. (b) Actual General Fund revenues for the period May 1 through September 30 equal or exceed the May Revision forecast, prior to the November 1 determination. The Director of Finance shall make the determination on or before November 1 of each year. The 1 4 cent reduction shall be operative for each calendar year commencing on the next January 1 after the determination is made.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 6055. Section 6055.

(a) (1) A retailer is relieved from liability for sales tax that became due and payable, insofar as the measure of the tax is represented by accounts that have been found to be worthless and charged off for income tax purposes by the retailer or, if the retailer is not required to file income tax returns, charged off in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A retailer that has previously paid the tax may, under rules and regulations prescribed by the department, take as a deduction the amount found worthless and charged off by the retailer. If these accounts are thereafter in whole or in part collected by the retailer, the amount collected shall be included in the first return filed after the collection and the tax shall be paid with the return. (2) (A) Before January 1, 2025, for purposes of this subdivision, the term “retailer” shall include any entity affiliated with the retailer under Section 1504 of Title 26 of the United States Code. (B) An entity that is a retailer under this paragraph shall not be entitled to a deduction under paragraph (1) on or after January 1, 2025. (b) (1) In the case of accounts held by a lender, a retailer or lender that makes a proper election under paragraph (4) shall be entitled to a deduction or refund of the tax that the retailer has previously reported and paid if all of the following conditions are met: (A) A deduction was not previously claimed or allowed on any portion of the accounts. (B) The accounts have been found worthless and written off by the lender in accordance with the requirements of subdivision (a) before January 1, 2025. (C) The contract between the retailer and the lender contains an irrevocable relinquishment of all rights to the account from the retailer to the lender. (D) The retailer remitted the tax on or after January 1, 2000. (E) The party electing to claim the deduction or refund under paragraph (4) files a claim in a manner prescribed by the department. (2) If the retailer or the lender thereafter collects in whole or in part any accounts, one of the following shall apply: (A) If the retailer is entitled to the deduction or refund under the election specified in paragraph (4), the retailer shall include the amount collected in its first return filed after the collection and pay tax on that amount with the return. (B) If the lender is entitled to the deduction or refund under the election specified in paragraph (4), the lender shall pay the tax to the department in accordance with Section 6451. (3) For purposes of this subdivision, the term “lender” means any of the following: (A) Any person that holds a retail account which that person purchased directly from a retailer who reported the tax. (B) Any person that holds a retail account pursuant to that person’s contract directly with the retailer that reported the tax. (C) Any person that is either an affiliated entity, under Section 1504 of Title 26 of the United States Code, of a person described in subparagraph (A) or (B), or an assignee of a person described in subparagraph (A) or (B). (4) For purposes of this section, a “proper election” shall be established when the retailer that reported the tax and the lender prepare and retain an election form, signed by both parties, designating which party is entitled to claim the deduction or refund. This election may not be amended or revoked unless a new election, signed by both parties, is prepared and retained by the retailer and the lender. (c) This section shall remain operative until January 1, 2028, and as of that date is repealed.

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