Get CDTFA-447, Statement Pursuant To Section 6247 Of The California Sales And Use Tax Law

When an out-of-state or online retailer doesn't collect the tax for an item delivered to California, the purchaser may owe "use tax," which is simply a tax on the use, storage, or consumption of personal property in California.

Common Sales Tax Audit Triggers: Large purchases or sales: Having unusually large transactions that are not consistent from prior years can prompt an audit. Filing Your Sales Taxes Late Often: Having a history of late filing can cause the CDTFA to be suspicious of your business's accounting practices.

Retailers engaged in business in California must register with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and pay the state's sales tax, which applies to all retail sales of goods and merchandise except those sales specifically exempted by law.

Some items are exempt from sales and use tax, including: Sales of certain food products for human consumption (many groceries) Sales to the U.S. Government. Sales of prescription medicine and certain medical devices.

The statewide tax rate is 7.25%. In most areas of California, local jurisdictions have added district taxes that increase the tax owed by a seller. Those district tax rates range from 0.10% to 1.00%. Some areas may have more than one district tax in effect.

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 2022 California Income Tax return, based upon your income.

State Income Tax A "tax-exempt" entity is a corporation, unincorporated association, or trust that has applied for and received a determination letter from the Franchise Tax Board stating it is exempt from California franchise and income tax (California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 23701).

The penalty for failure to file a return is 10 percent of the tax amount that is due for each bill. An additional 25 percent penalty applies if the failure to file was due to fraud or intent to evade the tax, and you may be subject to criminal prosecution.