Section 25110.
Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 25110.
in effect(a)
Notwithstanding Section 25101, a qualified taxpayer, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), that is subject to the tax imposed under this part, may elect to determine its income derived from or attributable to sources within this state pursuant to a water’s-edge election in accordance with the provisions of this part, as modified by this article. A taxpayer, that makes a
water’s-edge election on or after January 1, 2006, shall take into account that portion of its own income and apportionment factors and the income and apportionment factors of its affiliated entities to the extent provided below:
(1)
The entire income and apportionment factors of any of the following corporations:
(A)
Domestic international sales corporations, as described in Sections 991 to 994, inclusive, of the Internal Revenue Code and foreign sales corporations as described in Sections 921 to 927, inclusive, of the Internal Revenue Code.
(B)
Any corporation (other than a bank), regardless of the place where it is incorporated if the average of its property, payroll, and sales factors within the United States is 20 percent or more.
(C)
Corporations
that are incorporated in the United States, excluding corporations making an election pursuant to Sections 931 to 936, inclusive, of the Internal Revenue Code.
(D)
Export trade corporations, as described in Sections 970 to 972, inclusive, of the Internal Revenue Code.
(2)
(A) With respect to a corporation that is not described in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of paragraph (1), as provided in either one or both of the following clauses:
(i)
The income and apportionment factors of that corporation to the extent of its income derived from or attributable to sources within the United States and its factors assignable to a location within the United States in accordance with paragraph (3) of subdivision (b). Income of that corporation derived from or attributable to sources within the United States as determined by
federal income tax laws shall be limited to, and determined from, the books of account maintained by the corporation with respect to its activities conducted within the United States.
(ii)
The income and apportionment factors of that corporation that is a “controlled foreign corporation,” as defined in Section 957 of the Internal Revenue Code, to the extent determined by multiplying the income and apportionment factors of that corporation without application of this subparagraph by a fraction not to exceed one, the numerator of which is the “Subpart F income” of that corporation for that taxable year and the denominator of which is the “earnings and profits” of that corporation for that taxable year.
(B)
For purposes of this paragraph, both of the following apply:
(i)
“Subpart F income” means “Subpart F income” as
defined in Section 952 of the Internal Revenue Code.
(ii)
“Earnings and profits” means “earnings and profits” as described in Section 964 of the Internal Revenue Code.
(3)
The income and apportionment factors of the corporations described in this subdivision shall be taken into account only to the extent that they would have been taken into account had no election under this section been made.
(4)
The Franchise Tax Board shall prescribe regulations to coordinate implementation of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) to prevent multiple inclusion or exclusion of income and factors in situations where the same item of income is described in both clauses.
(b)
For purposes of this article and Section 24411, all of the following definitions apply:
(1)
An “affiliated corporation” means a corporation that is a member of a commonly controlled group as defined in Section 25105.
(2)
A “qualified taxpayer” means a corporation that does both of the following:
(A)
Files with the state tax return, on which the water’s-edge election is made, a consent to the taking of depositions, at the time and place most reasonably convenient to all parties, from key domestic corporate individuals and to the acceptance of subpoenas duces tecum requiring reasonable production of documents to the Franchise Tax Board, as provided in Section 19504, by the State Board of Equalization, as provided in Section 5005 of Title 18 of the California Code of Regulations, or by the courts of this state, as provided in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1985) of Title 3 of Part 4 of, and Chapter 9
(commencing with Section 2025.010) of Title 4 of Part 4 of, the Code of Civil Procedure. The consent relates to issues of jurisdiction and service and does not waive any defenses that a taxpayer may otherwise have. The consent shall remain in effect as long as the water’s-edge election is in effect, and shall be limited to providing that information necessary to review or adjust income or deductions in a manner authorized by Section 482, 861, Subpart F of Part III of Subchapter N, or similar provisions, of the Internal Revenue Code, together with the regulations adopted pursuant to those provisions, and for the conduct of an investigation with respect to any unitary business in which the taxpayer may be involved.
(B)
Agrees that, for purposes of this article, dividends received by any corporation whose income and apportionment factors are taken into account pursuant to subdivision (a) from either of the following are functionally related
dividends and shall be presumed to be business income:
(i)
A corporation of which more than 50 percent of the voting stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by members of the unitary group and which is engaged in the same general line of business.
(ii)
Any corporation that is either a significant source of supply for the unitary business or a significant purchaser of the output of the unitary business, or that sells a significant part of its output or obtains a significant part of its raw materials or input from the unitary business. “Significant,” as used in this subparagraph, means an amount of 15 percent or more of either input or output.
All other dividends shall be classified as business or nonbusiness income without regard to this subparagraph.
(3)
The definitions and
locations of property, payroll, and sales shall be determined under the laws and regulations that set forth the apportionment formulas used by the individual states to assign net income subject to taxes on, or measured by, net income in that state. If a state does not impose a tax on, or measured by, net income or does not have laws or regulations with respect to the assignment of property, payroll, and sales, the laws and regulations provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 25120) shall apply.
Sales shall be considered to be made to a state only if the corporation making the sale may otherwise be subject to a tax on, or measured by, net income under the Constitution or laws of the United States, and shall not include sales made to a corporation whose income and apportionment factors are taken into account pursuant to subdivision (a) in determining the amount of income of the taxpayer derived from or attributable to sources within this state.
(4)
“The United States” means the 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia.
(c)
All references in this part to income determined pursuant to Section 25101 shall also mean income determined pursuant to this section.
References
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 25101.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 991.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 921.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 931.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 970.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 24411.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 25105.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 19504.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 1985.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 2025.010.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 482.
referencesCal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 25120.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026