Call to action: Extend use tax due date, abate penalties

Spidell Publishing, Inc.® is launching a campaign for legislation to extend the due date for filing use tax returns for registered taxpayers, and to abate penalties for the first year. Allowing businesses an automatic (paperless) extension will ensure the success of the new use tax registration program, as it would be aligned with the extended due date for filing the business income and franchise tax returns. Thus, a calendar-year taxpayer would be required to file the 2009 use tax return on or before October 15, 2010, without facing penalties.

We are asking for your help to try to make this change that will help you and your clients not only this tax season, but all future tax seasons.

Allowing an extended due date change would allow taxpayers to gather use tax information at the same time as income and franchise tax information. Also, software companies may be able implement electronic filing for both FTB returns and use tax returns (they are not currently offering e-filing for use tax returns).

In short, aligning the due date of use tax returns with income tax returns would make sense for taxpayers and the state.

Help us by contacting your Legislator and Board of Equalization representative. We have links to a letter and contact list you can use.

Thanks for your help in trying to make tax filing easier and more reasonable.