(a) Notwithstanding Section 6487, the period during which a deficiency determination may be mailed to a qualifying purchaser is limited to three years after the last day of the calendar month following the quarterly period for which the amount is proposed to be determined.
(b) For purposes of this section, a “qualifying purchaser” is a person that voluntarily files an individual use tax return for tangible personal property that is purchased from a retailer outside of this state for storage, use, or other consumption in this state, and that meets all of the following conditions:
(1) The purchaser resides or is located within this state and has not previously done any of the following:
(A) Registered with the State Board of Equalization.
(B) Filed an individual use tax return with the State Board of Equalization.
(C) Reported an amount on his or her individual California income tax return.
(2) The purchaser is not engaged in business in this state as a retailer, as defined in Section 6015.
(3) The purchaser has not been contacted by the State Board of Equalization regarding failure to report the use tax imposed by Section 6202.
(4) The State Board of Equalization has made a determination that the purchaser’s failure to file an individual use tax return or to otherwise report or pay the use tax imposed by Section 6202 was due to reasonable cause and was not caused by reason of negligence, intentional disregard of the law, or by an intent to evade the taxes imposed by this part.
(c) If the State Board of Equalization makes a determination that the purchaser’s failure to timely report or remit the taxes imposed by this part is due to reasonable cause or due to circumstances beyond the purchaser’s control, the purchaser may be relieved of any penalties imposed by this part. Any purchaser seeking relief from penalties imposed by this part shall file a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, setting forth the facts that form the basis for the claim for relief.
(d) This section shall not apply to purchases of vehicles, vessels, or aircraft as defined in Article 1 (commencing with Section 6271) of Chapter 3.5.
(Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 306, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2009.)