CHAPTER 10.6. Tax and Fees on Limited Liability Companies [17941. - 17947.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 10.6.

in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 17941. Section 17941.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (g), for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 1997, a limited liability company doing business in this state (as defined in Section 23101) shall pay annually to this state a tax for the privilege of doing business in this state in an amount equal to the applicable amount specified in subdivision (d) of Section 23153 for the taxable year. (b) (1) In addition to any limited liability company that is doing business in this state and is therefore subject to the tax imposed by subdivision (a), for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 1997, a limited liability company shall pay annually the tax prescribed in subdivision (a) if articles of organization have been accepted, or a certificate of registration has been issued, by the office of the Secretary of State. The tax shall be paid for each taxable year, or part thereof, until a certificate of cancellation of registration or of articles of organization is filed on behalf of the limited liability company with the office of the Secretary of State. (2) If a taxpayer files a return with the Franchise Tax Board that is designated as its final return, the Franchise Tax Board shall notify the taxpayer that the annual tax shall continue to be due annually until a certificate of dissolution is filed with the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 17707.08 of the Corporations Code or a certificate of cancellation is filed with the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 17708.06 of the Corporations Code. (c) The tax assessed under this section shall be due and payable on or before the 15th day of the fourth month of the taxable year. (d) For purposes of this section, “limited liability company” means an organization, other than a limited liability company that is exempt from the tax and fees imposed under this chapter pursuant to Section 23701h or Section 23701x, that is formed by one or more persons under the law of this state, any other country, or any other state, as a “limited liability company” and that is not taxable as a corporation for California tax purposes. (e) Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, if the office of the Secretary of State files a certificate of cancellation pursuant to Section 17707.02 of the Corporations Code for any limited liability company, then paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 23153 shall apply to that limited liability company as if the limited liability company were properly treated as a corporation for that limited purpose only, and paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of Section 23153 shall not apply. Nothing in this subdivision entitles a limited liability company to receive a reimbursement for any annual taxes or fees already paid. (f) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, a limited liability company that is a small business solely owned by a deployed member of the United States Armed Forces shall not be subject to the tax imposed under this section for any taxable year the owner is deployed and the limited liability company operates at a loss or ceases operation. (2) The Franchise Tax Board may promulgate regulations as necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subdivision, including a definition for “ceases operation.” (3) For the purposes of this subdivision, all of the following definitions apply: (A) “Deployed” means being called to active duty or active service during a period when a Presidential Executive order specifies that the United States is engaged in combat or homeland defense. “Deployed” does not include either of the following: (i) Temporary duty for the sole purpose of training or processing. (ii) A permanent change of station. (B) “Operates at a loss” means a limited liability company’s expenses exceed its receipts. (C) “Small business” means a limited liability company with total income from all sources derived from, or attributable to, the state of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) or less. (4) This subdivision shall become inoperative for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2030. (g) (1) Every limited liability company doing business in this state as described in subdivision (a) that organizes or registers with the Secretary of the State pursuant to subdivision (b) on or after January 1, 2021, and before January 1, 2024, shall not be subject to the tax imposed under this section for its first taxable year. (2) This subdivision shall become operative only for a taxable year in which any budget measure appropriates one dollar ($1) or more to the Franchise Tax Board for the costs associated with administration of this subdivision.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 17942. Section 17942.

(a) In addition to the tax imposed under Section 17941, every limited liability company subject to tax under Section 17941 shall pay annually to this state a fee equal to: (1) Nine hundred dollars ($900), if the total income from all sources derived from or attributable to this state for the taxable year is two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) or more, but less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). (2) Two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), if the total income from all sources derived from or attributable to this state for the taxable year is five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or more, but less than one million dollars ($1,000,000). (3) Six thousand dollars ($6,000), if the total income from all sources derived from or attributable to this state for the taxable year is one million dollars ($1,000,000) or more, but less than five million dollars ($5,000,000). (4) Eleven thousand seven hundred ninety dollars ($11,790), if the total income from all sources derived from or attributable to this state for the taxable year is five million dollars ($5,000,000) or more. (b) (1) (A) For purposes of this section, “total income from all sources derived from or attributable to this state” means gross income, as defined in Section 24271, plus the cost of goods sold that are paid or incurred in connection with the trade or business of the taxpayer. However, “total income from all sources derived from or attributable to this state” shall not include allocation or attribution of income or gain or distributions made to a limited liability company in its capacity as a member of, or holder of an economic interest in, another limited liability company if the allocation or attribution of income or gain or distributions are directly or indirectly attributable to income that is subject to the payment of the fee described in this section. (B) For purposes of this section, “total income from all sources derived from or attributable to this state” shall be determined using the rules for assigning sales under Sections 25135 and 25136 and the regulations thereunder, as modified by regulations under Section 25137, other than those provisions that exclude receipts from the sales factor. (2) In the event a taxpayer is a commonly controlled limited liability company, the total income from all sources derived from or attributable to this state, taking into account any election under Section 25110, may be determined by the Franchise Tax Board to be the total income of all the commonly controlled limited liability company members if it determines that multiple limited liability companies were formed for the primary purpose of reducing fees payable under this section. A determination by the Franchise Tax Board under this subdivision may only be made with respect to one limited liability company in a commonly controlled group. However, each commonly controlled limited liability company shall be jointly and severally liable for the fee. For purposes of this section, commonly controlled limited liability companies shall include the taxpayer and any other partnership or limited liability company doing business (as defined in Section 23101) in this state and required to file a return under Section 18633 or 18633.5, in which the same persons own, directly or indirectly, more than 50 percent of the capital interests or profits interests. (c) The fee assessed under this section shall be due and payable on the date the return of the limited liability company is required to be filed under Section 18633.5, shall be collected and refunded in the same manner as the taxes imposed by this part, and shall be subject to interest and applicable penalties. (d) (1) The fee imposed by this section shall be estimated and paid on or before the 15th day of the sixth month of the current taxable year. (2) A penalty of 10 percent of the amount of any underpayment shall be added to the fee. The underpayment amount shall be equal to the difference between the total amount of the fee imposed by this section for the taxable year less the amount paid under paragraph (1) by the date specified in that paragraph. A penalty shall not be imposed with respect to any fee estimated and paid under this section if the amount paid by the date prescribed in this subdivision is equal to or greater than the total amount of the fee of the limited liability company for the preceding taxable year.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 17943. Section 17943.

It is the intent of the Legislature that the amount of the annual fee described in Section 17942 shall apply to the taxable year beginning January 1, 2001, and subsequent taxable years, notwithstanding the results of any study prepared by the Franchise Tax Board and submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee pursuant to former Section 17943.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 17944. Section 17944.

(a) The effective date of dissolution, withdrawal, or cancellation of a limited liability company is the date on which the certified copy of the court decree, judgment, or order declaring the limited liability company duly wound up and dissolved is filed in the office of the Secretary of State or the date on which the certificate of winding up and dissolution is filed in the office of the Secretary of State. For the purposes of this chapter, the effective date of cancellation of registration of a foreign limited liability company is the date on which the certificate of cancellation of registration is filed in the office of the Secretary of State. (b) The Secretary of State shall, through an information program and by forms and instructions, recommend that all required documents filed with the Secretary of State be sent, if mailed, by certified mail with return receipt requested. The Secretary of State shall also notify persons that receipt of documents by the Secretary of State will be acknowledged within 21 days of receipt. (c) On or before 21 days after their receipt, the Secretary of State shall provide a payer with acknowledgment of the receipt of documents submitted by a limited liability company pursuant to this chapter.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 17946. Section 17946.

A limited liability company shall not be subject to the taxes and fees imposed by this chapter if the limited liability company did no business in this state during the taxable year and the taxable year was 15 days or less.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 17947. Section 17947.

(a) A limited liability company shall not be subject to the taxes imposed by this chapter for a taxable year if the limited liability company does all of the following: (1) Files with the Franchise Tax Board a timely final annual tax return for the preceding taxable year. (2) Does not do business in this state after the end of the taxable year for which the final annual tax return was filed. (3) Files a certificate of dissolution with the Secretary of State, pursuant to Section 17707.08 of the Corporations Code, or a certificate of cancellation with the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 17708.06 of the Corporations Code, before the end of the 12-month period beginning with the date the final annual tax return was filed. (b) For purposes of this section, a “final annual tax return” is a return described in Section 18633.5 that is filed on or before the due date of the return, as extended, that the taxpayer designates in the manner prescribed by the Franchise Tax Board as the taxpayer’s final return for purposes of the tax imposed under this chapter. For purposes of this chapter, a “final annual tax return” is a return filed pursuant to Section 18633.5 where the taxpayer is not required to file a subsequent return to reflect the imposition of tax under this chapter.

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