ARTICLE 2. Tax on General Corporations [23151. - 23156.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 2.

in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 23151. Section 23151.

(a) With the exception of banks and financial corporations, every corporation doing business within the limits of this state and not expressly exempted from taxation by the provisions of the Constitution of this state or by this part, shall annually pay to the state, for the privilege of exercising its corporate franchises within this state, a tax according to or measured by its net income, to be computed at the rate of 7.6 percent upon the basis of its net income for the next preceding income year, or if greater, the minimum tax specified in Section 23153. (b) For calendar or fiscal years ending after June 30, 1973, the rate of tax shall be 9 percent instead of 7.6 percent as provided by subdivision (a). (c) For calendar or fiscal years ending in 1980 to 1986, inclusive, the rate of tax shall be 9.6 percent. (d) For calendar or fiscal years ending in 1987 to 1996, inclusive, and for any income year beginning before January 1, 1997, the tax rate shall be 9.3 percent. (e) For any income year beginning on or after January 1, 1997, and before the income year identified in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (f), the tax rate shall be 8.84 percent. The change in rate provided in this subdivision shall be made without proration otherwise required by Section 24251. (f) (1) For the first taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2000, the tax imposed under this section shall be the sum of both of the following: (A) A tax according to or measured by net income, to be computed at the rate of 8.84 percent upon the basis of the net income for the next preceding income year, but not less than the minimum tax specified in Section 23153. (B) A tax according to or measured by net income, to be computed at the rate of 8.84 percent upon the basis of the net income for the first taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2000, but not less than the minimum tax specified in Section 23153. (2) Except as provided in paragraph (1), for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2000, the tax imposed under this section shall be a tax according to or measured by net income, to be computed at the rate of 8.84 percent upon the basis of the net income for that taxable year, but not less than the minimum tax specified in Section 23153.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 23151.1. Section 23151.1.

Notwithstanding Section 23151, every corporation (except banks and financial corporations) doing business within the limits of this state and not exempted from taxation by the provisions of the Constitution of this state or by this part, shall annually pay to the state for the privilege of exercising its corporate franchises within this state, a tax determined as follows: (a) With respect to corporations, other than those described in subdivision (b), which commence doing business within the state after December 31, 1971, and before January 1, 2000, the tax for the taxable year of commencement, whether or not for 12 full months, shall be the minimum franchise tax prescribed in Section 23153. (b) If after December 31, 1972, a corporation commences to do business and ceases doing business in the same taxable year, the tax for that taxable year shall be according to or measured by its net income for the year, to be computed at the rate prescribed in Section 23151. (c) (1) With respect to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1972, and before January 1, 2000, other than the year of commencement described in subdivision (a) or (b) or the year of cessation described in subdivision (d), the tax for that taxable year shall be according to or measured by its net income for the next preceding taxable year, to be computed at the rate prescribed in Section 23151. (2) With respect to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2000, (other than the first taxable year beginning on or after that date), the tax for the taxable year (including the taxable year of commencement and the taxable year of cessation) shall be according to or measured by its net income for the taxable year to be computed at the rate prescribed in Section 23151. (d) With respect to corporations which cease doing business in a taxable year beginning after December 31, 1972, and before January 1, 2000, other than those described in subdivision (b), the tax for the taxable year of cessation shall be: (1) According to or measured by its net income for the next preceding taxable year, to be computed at the rate prescribed in Section 23151, plus (2) According to or measured by its net income for the taxable year during which the corporation ceased doing business, to be computed at the rate prescribed in Section 23151. (e) In any event, the tax for any taxable year shall not be less than the minimum tax provided for in Section 23153 for that taxable year.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 23151.2. Section 23151.2.

Notwithstanding Section 23151, every corporation (except banks and financial corporations) not exempted from taxation by the provisions of the Constitution of this state or by this part which dissolves or withdraws, shall pay a tax for its taxable year of dissolution or withdrawal according to or measured by its net income for the taxable year in which it ceased doing business, unless that income has previously been included in the measure of tax for any taxable year, to be computed at the rate prescribed in Section 23151 for its taxable year of dissolution or withdrawal. In any event, the tax for the taxable year of its dissolution or withdrawal shall not be less than the minimum tax provided for in Section 23153 for that taxable year.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 23153. Section 23153.

(a) Every corporation described in subdivision (b) shall be subject to the minimum franchise tax specified in subdivision (d) from the earlier of the date of incorporation, qualification, or commencing to do business within this state, until the effective date of dissolution or withdrawal as provided in Section 23331 or, if later, the date the corporation ceases to do business within the limits of this state. (b) Unless expressly exempted by this part or the California Constitution, subdivision (a) shall apply to each of the following: (1) Every corporation that is incorporated under the laws of this state. (2) Every corporation that is qualified to transact intrastate business in this state pursuant to Chapter 21 (commencing with Section 2100) of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code. (3) Every corporation that is doing business in this state. (c) The following entities are not subject to the minimum franchise tax specified in this section: (1) Credit unions. (2) Nonprofit cooperative associations organized pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 54001) of Division 20 of the Food and Agricultural Code that have been issued the certificate of the board of supervisors prepared pursuant to Section 54042 of the Food and Agricultural Code. The association shall be exempt from the minimum franchise tax for five consecutive taxable years, commencing with the first taxable year for which the certificate is issued pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 54042 of the Food and Agricultural Code. This paragraph only applies to nonprofit cooperative associations organized on or after January 1, 1994. (d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 23151, paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 23181, and paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 23183, corporations subject to the minimum franchise tax shall pay annually to the state a minimum franchise tax of eight hundred dollars ($800). (2) The minimum franchise tax shall be twenty-five dollars ($25) for each of the following: (A) A corporation formed under the laws of this state whose principal business when formed was gold mining, which is inactive and has not done business within the limits of the state since 1950. (B) A corporation formed under the laws of this state whose principal business when formed was quicksilver mining, which is inactive and has not done business within the limits of the state since 1971, or has been inactive for a period of 24 consecutive months or more. (3) For purposes of paragraph (2), a corporation shall not be considered to have done business if it engages in business other than mining. (e) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1999, and before January 1, 2000, every “qualified new corporation” shall pay annually to the state a minimum franchise tax of five hundred dollars ($500) for the second taxable year. This subdivision shall apply to any corporation that is a qualified new corporation and is incorporated on or after January 1, 1999, and before January 1, 2000. (1) The determination of the gross receipts of a corporation, for purposes of this subdivision, shall be made by including the gross receipts of each member of the commonly controlled group, as defined in Section 25105, of which the corporation is a member. (2) “Gross receipts, less returns and allowances reportable to this state,” means the sum of the gross receipts from the production of business income, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 25120, and the gross receipts from the production of nonbusiness income, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 25120. (3) “Qualified new corporation” means a corporation that is incorporated under the laws of this state or has qualified to transact intrastate business in this state, that begins business operations at or after the time of its incorporation and that reasonably estimates that it will have gross receipts, less returns and allowances, reportable to this state for the taxable year of one million dollars ($1,000,000) or less. “Qualified new corporation” does not include any corporation that began business operations as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or any other form of business entity prior to its incorporation. This subdivision shall not apply to any corporation that reorganizes solely for the purpose of reducing its minimum franchise tax. (4) This subdivision shall not apply to limited partnerships, as defined in Section 17935, limited liability companies, as defined in Section 17941, limited liability partnerships, as described in Section 17948, charitable organizations, as described in Section 23703, regulated investment companies, as defined in Section 851 of the Internal Revenue Code, real estate investment trusts, as defined in Section 856 of the Internal Revenue Code, real estate mortgage investment conduits, as defined in Section 860D of the Internal Revenue Code, qualified Subchapter S subsidiaries, as defined in Section 1361(b)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or to the formation of any subsidiary corporation, to the extent applicable. (5) For any taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 1999, and before January 1, 2000, if a corporation has qualified to pay five hundred dollars ($500) for the second taxable year under this subdivision, but in its second taxable year, the corporation’s gross receipts, as determined under paragraphs (1) and (2), exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000), an additional tax in the amount equal to three hundred dollars ($300) for the second taxable year shall be due and payable by the corporation on the due date of its return, without regard to extension, for that year. (f) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), every corporation that incorporates or qualifies to do business in this state on or after January 1, 2000, shall not be subject to the minimum franchise tax for its first taxable year. (2) This subdivision shall not apply to limited partnerships, as defined in Section 17935, limited liability companies, as defined in Section 17941, limited liability partnerships, as described in Section 17948, charitable organizations, as described in Section 23703, regulated investment companies, as defined in Section 851 of the Internal Revenue Code, real estate investment trusts, as defined in Section 856 of the Internal Revenue Code, real estate mortgage investment conduits, as defined in Section 860D of the Internal Revenue Code, and qualified Subchapter S subsidiaries, as defined in Section 1361(b)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, to the extent applicable. (3) This subdivision shall not apply to any corporation that reorganizes solely for the purpose of avoiding payment of its minimum franchise tax. (g) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a domestic corporation, as defined in Section 167 of the Corporations Code, that files a certificate of dissolution in the office of the Secretary of State pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1905 of the Corporations Code, prior to its amendment by the act amending this subdivision, and that does not thereafter do business shall not be subject to the minimum franchise tax for taxable years beginning on or after the date of that filing. (h) The minimum franchise tax imposed by paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) shall not be increased by the Legislature by more than 10 percent during any calendar year. (i) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, a corporation that is a small business solely owned by a deployed member of the United States Armed Forces shall not be subject to the minimum franchise tax for any taxable year the owner is deployed and the corporation 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 negative net income as defined in Section 24341. (C) “Small business” means a corporation 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.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 23154. Section 23154.

The tax imposed under this chapter is in lieu of all ad valorem taxes and assessments of every kind and nature upon the general corporate franchises of the corporations taxable under this chapter but is not in lieu of any taxes or assessments upon real property interests not otherwise exempted from taxation or assessment, that are created by special franchises owned, held, or used by those corporations. All those real property interests, not otherwise exempted from taxation or assessment that are created by those special franchises shall be assessed annually by the board, at their actual value, in the same manner as is provided for the assessment of other property to be assessed by that board under Section 19 of Article XIII of the California Constitution, and shall be subject to taxation to the same extent and in the same manner as other property assessed under that constitutional provision by the board. For purposes of assessing a real property interest pursuant to the preceding sentence, the value of intangible assets or rights shall not enhance or be reflected in the value of that real property interest, except that the real property interest may be assessed and valued by assuming the presence of intangible assets and rights necessary to put the real property interest to beneficial or productive use.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 23155. Section 23155.

In the event that taxes, interest and penalties have been or shall be assessed against, paid by or collected from a taxpayer under a subdivision of Section 23151.1, which assessment, payment or collection should have been made under a different subdivision, such taxes, interest and penalties shall be considered as having been assessed, paid or collected under such different subdivision as of the date or dates they were made.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 23156. Section 23156.

(a) The Franchise Tax Board shall abate, upon written request by a qualified nonprofit corporation, unpaid qualified taxes, interest, and penalties for the taxable years in which the qualified nonprofit corporation certifies, under penalty of perjury, that it was not doing business, within the meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 23101. (b) For purposes of this section: (1) “Qualified nonprofit corporation” means a nonprofit corporation identified in Section 5059, 5060, or 5061 of the Corporations Code or a foreign nonprofit corporation, as defined in Section 5053 of the Corporations Code that has qualified to transact intrastate business in this state and that satisfies any of the following conditions: (A) Was operating and previously obtained tax-exempt status with the Franchise Tax Board, but had its tax-exempt status revoked under subdivision (a) of Section 23777. (B) Was operating and previously obtained tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service, but had its tax-exempt status revoked under Section 6033(j) of the Internal Revenue Code. (C) Was never doing business, within the meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 23101, in this state at any time after the time of its incorporation in this state. (2) “Qualified taxes, interest, and penalties” means tax imposed under Section 23153 and associated interest and penalties, and any penalties imposed under Section 19141. “Qualified taxes, interest, and penalties” does not include tax imposed under Section 23501 or 23731, or associated interest or penalties. (c) The qualified corporation must establish that it has ceased all business operations at the time of filing the request for abatement under this section. (d) (1) The abatement of unpaid qualified tax, interest, and penalties is conditioned on the dissolution of the qualified corporation within 12 months from the date of filing the request for abatement under this section. (2) If the qualified corporation is not dissolved within 12 months from the date of filing the request for abatement or restarts business operations at any time after requesting abatement under this section, the abatement of qualified tax, interest, and penalties under this section shall be canceled and the qualified taxes, interest, and penalties subject to that abatement shall be treated as if the abatement never occurred. (e) The Franchise Tax Board shall prescribe any rules and regulations that may be necessary or appropriate to implement this section. Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code shall not apply to any standard, criterion, procedure, determination, rule, notice, or guideline established or issued by the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to this section.

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