Sales Tax
California sales tax is filed with the CDTFA, on a schedule they assign you, at a rate that depends on where the sale happened. We prepare and file the returns so none of that is your problem.
What we file
We prepare and file your California sales and use tax returns with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, handle quarterly prepayments where your account requires them, and reconcile what you reported against what your books actually show.
If you sell into more than one district, we work out which district taxes apply to which sales rather than letting one blended rate quietly under- or over-collect.
Getting the rate right
The statewide rate is 7.25%. That is not what most businesses actually charge, because local districts add their own taxes on top — anywhere from 0.10% to 2.00%, and an area can be covered by more than one district at the same time.
Charging the base rate where a district tax applies leaves you owing the difference out of your own margin. Charging too much is its own problem. The rate follows the transaction, not your office address.
Filing frequency and deadlines
The CDTFA assigns your filing frequency — monthly, quarterly, quarterly with prepayments, fiscal yearly or yearly — based on your reported or expected taxable sales. It is not a choice you make, and it can change as your sales change.
For most accounts the return is due at the end of the month following the close of your reporting period — a quarter closing 31 March is due 30 April. Some account types run on their own schedule, including annual qualified-purchaser and consumer use tax accounts, so check the dates assigned to your account rather than assuming. If a due date lands on a weekend or state holiday, it moves to the next business day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still have to file if I had no sales?
Yes. The CDTFA requires a return on or before the due date even when there is nothing to report. A zero return still has to be filed, and missing it is treated as a missed filing.
How do I know my filing frequency?
The CDTFA assigns it based on your reported sales tax or, when you first register, your anticipated taxable sales. If your sales volume changes, they can reassign you — which is a common way businesses end up missing a deadline they did not know had moved.
What rate should I be charging?
The 7.25% statewide rate plus any district taxes that apply where the sale takes place. District rates run from 0.10% to 2.00% and some areas have more than one. The CDTFA publishes rates by address, and we check them rather than assume.
I have not filed in a while. Can you help?
Yes. Bring us what you have. Unfiled periods do not improve with age, and getting current is usually less painful than the version of this conversation people expect.
Let’s talk about what you need
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