California Sales Tax Audit Procedures and Techniques

The purpose of a California sales tax audit is to correctly measure the tax. The Board of Equalization (BOE) auditor conducts preliminary probing and testing in order to see if there is a potential area of misplaced tax. Sometimes preliminary testing reveals that California sales tax audit of business is not warranted. When deciding whether to waive or perform an audit, the auditors consider the following points:

Read more

Board of Equalization Audit

Use of Form BOE-504 – Proving That a Sale Was Not a Resale

In a Board of Equalization audit, taxpayers should keep in mind that any of the evidence other than actual resale certificate, by itself is not the equivalent of a resale certificate timely taken in good faith, and may not relieve the seller of the liability for the tax.

Read more

CDTFA Audit of Sales for Resale

A Claimed Sale for Resale is Allowed if Supported by Valid Resale Certificate

A claimed sale for resale will be allowed in a CDTFA audit if it is supported by a resale certificate that is proper in form and is timely taken in good faith from a person who is engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property and who holds a California seller’s permit. If the purchaser is not required to hold a permit because the purchaser sells only property of a kind the retail sale of which is not taxable, e.g., food products for human consumption, or because the purchaser makes no sales in California, an appropriate notation to that effect will be entered in lieu of a seller’s permit number on the resale certificate under Regulation 1667 governing exemption certificate requirements. A certificate will be considered timely if it is taken at any time before the seller bills the purchaser for the property, or any time within the seller’s normal billing and payment cycle, or any time at or prior to delivery of the property to the purchaser. CDTFA auditors can be stringent when enforcing the resale certificate requirement.

Read more

California Sales Tax Audits

One of the most common targets in a California sales tax audit is sales for resale. Sales for resale is the most common deduction claimed by California taxpayers and one of the most common targets of the Board of Equalization (BOE).

Board of Equalization sales tax auditors are especially careful in examining accounting methods used by taxpayer and use various procedures to verify amounts. Often, California taxpayers will estimate this deduction and will get tripped up in a sales tax audit when the Board of Equalization auditor uses their verification procedures.

Read more

California Employment Development Tax Settlements

California EDD offers taxpayers tax settlement program, where EDD and taxpayer can settle a claim for less than the amount owed. EDD can settle if it evaluates costs and risks associated with the litigation of the case and determines that it is better and less expensive for EDD to settle for lower amount than to litigate in court. The Settlements Program allows an employer the opportunity to enter into a settlement agreement to also avoid the cost of prolonged litigation associated with resolving a disputed employment tax matter.

Read more

Brotman Law Featured in Inc. Magazine - Fastest Growing Law Firm in California