(a) Any person whose estimated tax liability under this part averages twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or more per month, as determined by the board pursuant to methods of calculation prescribed by the board, shall remit amounts due by an electronic funds transfer under procedures prescribed by the board.
(b) Any person whose estimated tax liability under this part averages less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) per month may elect to remit amounts due by electronic funds transfer with the approval of the board.
(c) Any person remitting amounts due pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) shall perform an electronic funds transfer in compliance with the due dates set forth in Article 1 (commencing with Section 7651) and Article 1.1 (commencing with Section 7659). Payment is deemed complete on the date the electronic funds transfer is initiated, if settlement to the state’s demand account occurs on or before the banking day following the date the transfer is initiated. If settlement to the state’s demand account does not occur on or before the banking day following the date the transfer is initiated, payment is deemed to occur on the date settlement occurs.
(d) Any person remitting taxes by electronic funds transfer shall, on or before the due date of the remittance, file a return for the preceding reporting period in the form and manner prescribed by the board. Any person who fails to timely file the required return shall pay a penalty of 10 percent of the amount of taxes, exclusive of prepayments, with respect to the period for which the return is required.
(e) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any person required to remit taxes pursuant to this article who remits those taxes by means other than appropriate electronic funds transfer shall pay a penalty of 10 percent of the taxes incorrectly remitted.
(2) A person required to remit prepayments pursuant to this article who remits a prepayment by means other than an appropriate electronic funds transfer shall pay a penalty of 6 percent of the prepayment incorrectly remitted.
(f) Except as provided by Sections 7659.5 and 7659.6, any person who fails to pay any tax to the state or any amount of tax required to be paid to the state, except amounts of determinations made by the board under Article 2 (commencing with Section 7660) or Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 7670), within the time required shall pay a penalty of 10 percent of the tax or amount of tax, in addition to the tax or amount of tax, plus interest at the modified adjusted rate per month, or fraction thereof, established pursuant to Section 6591.5, from the date on which the tax or the amount of tax required to be paid became due and payable to the state until the date of payment.
(g) In determining whether a person’s estimated tax liability averages twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or more per month, the board may consider tax returns filed pursuant to this part and any other information in the board’s possession.
(h) Except as provided in subdivision (i), the penalties imposed by subdivisions (d), (e), and (f) shall be limited to a maximum of 10 percent of the taxes due, exclusive of prepayments, for any one return. Any person remitting taxes by electronic funds transfer shall be subject to the penalties under this section and not Section 7655.
(i) The penalties imposed with respect to paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) and Sections 7659.5 and 7659.6 shall be limited to a maximum of 6 percent of the prepayment amount.
(j) The board shall promulgate regulations pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code for purposes of implementing this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 519, Sec. 2. Effective October 4, 2005. Operative January 1, 2006, by Sec. 25 of Ch. 519.)