ARTICLE 4. Penalties and Interest [19772. - 19778.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 4.

in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19772. Section 19772.

(a) Section 6707A of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to penalty for failure to include reportable transaction information with a return, shall apply, except as otherwise provided. (b) (1) Section 6707A(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to amount of penalty, is modified by substituting the phrase “or which would have resulted from such transaction if such transaction were respected for state tax purposes” for the phrase “or which would have resulted from such transaction if such transaction were respected for Federal tax purposes.” (2) The penalty amounts in Section 6707A(b)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code are modified by substituting “$30,000 ($15,000” for “$200,000 ($100,000.” (3) The penalty amounts in Section 6707A(b)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code are modified by substituting “$15,000 ($5,000” for “$50,000 ($10,000.” (4) The penalty amounts in Section 6707A(b)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to minimum penalty, are modified by substituting “$2,500 ($1,250” for “$10,000 ($5,000.” (c) (1) Section 6707A(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to reportable transaction, is modified to include reportable transactions within the meaning of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 18407. (2) Section 6707A(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to listed transaction, is modified to include listed transactions within the meaning of paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 18407. (d) The penalty under this section only applies to taxpayers with taxable income greater than two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000). (e) Section 6707A(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to a penalty reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission, does not apply. (f) Section 6707A(d) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to authority to rescind penalty, does not apply, and in lieu thereof, the following apply: (1) The Chief Counsel of the Franchise Tax Board may rescind all or any portion of any penalty imposed by this section with respect to any violation if all of the following apply: (A) The violation is with respect to a reportable transaction other than a listed transaction. (B) The person on whom the penalty is imposed has a history of complying with the requirements of this part and Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001) or Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001). (C) It is shown that the violation is due to an unintentional mistake of fact. (D) Imposing the penalty would be against equity and good conscience. (E) Rescinding the penalty would promote compliance with the requirements of this part and Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001) or Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001) and effective tax administration. (2) The exercise of authority under paragraph (1) shall be at the sole discretion of the Chief Counsel of the Franchise Tax Board and may not be delegated. (3) Notwithstanding any other law or rule of law, any determination under this subdivision may not be reviewed in any administrative or judicial proceeding. (g) Article 3 (commencing with Section 19031) of Chapter 4, relating to deficiency assessments, does not apply with respect to the assessment or collection of any penalty imposed under this section. (h) The penalty imposed by this section is in addition to any penalty imposed under Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001), Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001), or this part. (i) The amendments made to this section by Section 25 of Chapter 359 of the Statutes of 2015 apply to penalties assessed on or after January 1, 2016.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19774. Section 19774.

(a) If a taxpayer has a noneconomic substance transaction understatement for any taxable year, there shall be added to the tax an amount equal to 40 percent of the amount of that understatement. (b) (1) Subdivision (a) shall be applied by substituting “20 percent” for “40 percent” with respect to the portion of any noneconomic substance transaction understatement with respect to which the relevant facts affecting the tax treatment of the item are adequately disclosed in the return or a statement attached to the return. (2) For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2003, “adequately disclosed” includes the disclosure of the tax shelter identification number on the taxpayer’s return as required by subdivision (c) of Section 18628, as applicable for the year in which the transaction was entered into. (c) For purposes of this section: (1) The term “noneconomic substance transaction understatement” means any amount which would be an understatement under Section 6662A(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, as modified by subdivision (b) of Section 19164.5 if Section 6662A(b) of the Internal Revenue Code were applied by taking into account items attributable to noneconomic substance transactions rather than items to which Section 6662A(b) applies. (2) A “noneconomic substance transaction” includes: (A) The disallowance of any loss, deduction or credit, or addition to income attributable to a determination that the disallowance or addition is attributable to a transaction or arrangement that lacks economic substance including a transaction or arrangement in which an entity is disregarded as lacking economic substance. A transaction shall be treated as lacking economic substance if the taxpayer does not have a valid nontax California business purpose for entering into the transaction. (B) Any disallowance of claimed tax benefits by reason of a transaction lacking economic substance, within the meaning of Section 7701(o) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to clarification of economic substance doctrine, as added by Section 1409(a) of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152), except as otherwise provided. (i) For purposes of this subparagraph, the phrase “apart from state income tax effects” shall be substituted for the phrase “apart from Federal income tax effects” in each place it appears in Section 7701(o)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. (ii) For purposes of this subparagraph, the phrase “any federal or local income tax effect which is related to a state income tax effect shall be treated in the same manner as a state income tax effect” is substituted for the phrase “any State or local income tax effect which is related to a Federal income tax effect shall be treated in the same manner as a Federal income tax effect” in Section 7701(o)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. (d) (1) If the notice of proposed assessment of additional tax has been sent with respect to a penalty to which this section applies, only the Chief Counsel of the Franchise Tax Board may compromise all or any portion of that penalty. (2) The exercise of authority under paragraph (1) shall be at the sole discretion of the Chief Counsel of the Franchise Tax Board and may not be delegated. (3) Notwithstanding any other law or rule of law, any determination under this subdivision may not be reviewed in any administrative or judicial proceeding. (e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section, if a penalty has been assessed for federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 6662(b)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by Section 1409(b) of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152), on an underpayment attributable to the disallowance of claimed tax benefits by reason of a transaction lacking economic substance, then a penalty shall be imposed under this section for that portion of an understatement attributable to that transaction, and shall not be abated unless the taxpayer can establish that the imposition of the federal penalty under Section 6662 of the Internal Revenue Code for an underpayment attributable to that transaction was clearly erroneous. (f) The amendments made to this section by the act adding this subdivision shall apply to notices mailed on or after the effective date of the act adding this subdivision.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19777. Section 19777.

(a) If a taxpayer has been contacted by the Franchise Tax Board regarding an abusive tax avoidance transaction, and has a deficiency attributable to an abusive tax avoidance transaction, there shall be added to the tax an amount equal to 100 percent of the interest payable under Section 19101 for the period beginning on the last date prescribed by law for the payment of that tax, determined without regard to extensions, and ending on the date the notice of proposed assessment is mailed. (b) For purposes of this section, “abusive tax avoidance transaction” means any of the following: (1) A tax shelter as defined in Section 6662(d)(2)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to reduction not to apply to tax shelters. For purposes of this chapter, Section 6662(d)(2)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code is modified by substituting the phrase “income or franchise tax” for “Federal income tax.” (2) A reportable transaction, as defined in Section 6707A(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to reportable transaction, with respect to which the requirements of Section 6664(d)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code are not met. (3) A listed transaction, as defined in Section 6707A(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to listed transaction. (4) A gross misstatement, within the meaning of Section 6404(g)(2)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code. (5) Any transaction to which Section 19774 applies. (c) The penalty imposed by this section is in addition to any other penalty imposed under Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001), Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001), or this part. (d) (1) If a taxpayer files an amended return reporting an abusive tax avoidance transaction, described in subdivision (b), after the taxpayer is contacted by the Franchise Tax Board regarding that abusive tax avoidance transaction but before a notice of proposed assessment is issued under Section 19033, then the amount of the penalty under this section shall be 50 percent of the interest payable under Section 19101 with respect to the amount of any additional tax reflected in the amended return attributable to that abusive tax avoidance transaction. (2) If a notice of proposed assessment under Section 19033, with respect to an abusive tax avoidance transaction as described in subdivision (a), is issued after the amended return described in paragraph (1) is filed, the penalty imposed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be applicable to the additional tax reflected in the notice of proposed assessment attributable to that abusive tax avoidance transaction in excess of the additional tax shown on the amended return. (e) The amendments made to this section by Chapter 14 of the Statutes of 2011 shall apply to notices mailed on or after the effective date of that act and to amended returns filed more than 90 days after that effective date with respect to taxable years for which the statute of limitations for mailing a notice of proposed assessment has not expired as of that date.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19777.5. Section 19777.5.

(a) There shall be added to the tax for each taxable year for which amnesty could have been requested: (1) For amounts that are due and payable on the last day of the amnesty period, an amount equal to 50 percent of the accrued interest payable under Section 19101 for the period beginning on the last date prescribed by law for the payment of that tax (determined without regard to extensions) and ending on the last day of the amnesty period specified in Section 19731. (2) For amounts that become due and payable after the last date of the amnesty period, an amount equal to 50 percent of the interest computed under Section 19101 on any final amount, including final deficiencies and self-assessed amounts, for the period beginning on the last date prescribed by law for the payment of the tax for the year of the deficiency (determined without regard to extensions) and ending on the last day of the amnesty period specified in Section 19731. (3) For purposes of paragraph (2), Sections 19107, 19108, 19110, and 19113 shall apply in determining the amount computed under Section 19101. (b) The penalty imposed by this section is in addition to any other penalty imposed under Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001), Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001), or this part. (c) This section does not apply to any amounts that are treated as paid during the amnesty program period under paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 19733 or paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 19733. (d) Article 3 (commencing with Section 19031), (relating to deficiency assessments) shall not apply with respect to the assessment or collection of any penalty imposed by subdivision (a). (e) (1) Notwithstanding Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 19301), a taxpayer may not file a claim for refund or credit for any amounts paid in connection with the penalty imposed in subdivision (a), except as provided in paragraph (2). (2) A taxpayer may file a claim for refund for any amounts paid to satisfy a penalty imposed under subdivision (a) on the grounds that the amount of the penalty was not properly computed by the Franchise Tax Board. (f) Notwithstanding Section 18415, the amendments made to this section by the act adding this subdivision shall apply to penalties imposed under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) after March 31, 2005.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19778. Section 19778.

For any amended return filed after April 15, 2004, and before the taxpayer is contacted by the Internal Revenue Service or the Franchise Tax Board regarding a potentially abusive tax shelter, then, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1998, with respect to any understatement of tax related to using reportable transactions as defined in Section 18407, as added by the act adding this section, the taxpayer is subject to interest as provided under Section 19101 but at a rate of 150 percent of the adjusted annual rate established under Section 19521.

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