Motor Fuel Tax Online Filing Information – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Online filing is a process which uses Internet technology to file tax forms (tax returns, reports, and claims for refund) through the Internet.

Online filing is fast, easy, convenient and accurate. All you need is a computer and access to the Internet. You need not leave your home or office to file. You will receive confirmation that your return and payment information has been accepted for processing. And, if tax is due, you do not even need to write a check. Funds are transferred electronically.

The online filing of tax information has the following advantages:

• After the initial application and testing, no paper tax forms to be filed, including no signature documents to be completed and mailed.
• No postage expenses.
• Ability to file outside normal business hours.
• Ability to validate filings before submitting them using the "check file" option.
• Quicker processing.
• Electronic security ensures confidentiality of data.
• Instant acknowledgment of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) receiving your filing.
• Less file storage space required since data may be stored electronically.

(Electronic Data Interchange): A computer-to-computer exchange of routine business data in a standard format. For pure EDI, computer-to-computer means original or sending application program-to-processing or receiving application program. EDI consists only of business data, not verbiage or free-form messages.

A flat file is a file containing records that have no structured interrelationship. The term is frequently used to describe a textual document from which all word processing or other structure characters or markup have been removed. The CDTFA required form of flat file is one in which table data is gathered in lines of ASCII text with the value from each table cell separated by a tab and each row represented with a new line. This type of flat file is also known as a tab-delimited flat file.

The CDTFA is currently accepting the tax forms and corresponding file formats indicated in the table below. Online Participants must pass certification testing for each tax form and file format. Some file formats may not be applicable to all tax forms. Files formatted in XML, Excel, Word, Lotus, or other format not identified as accepted by the CDTFA will not be accepted.

When a Trading Partner Agreement (TPA) is submitted, one of the entries populated by the person submitting it is the Security Code. The TPA is also signed by an authorized representative. The CDTFA issues an Authorization Code when it approves the TPA. These two data elements, the Security Code provided by the filing party and the Authorization Code provided by the CDTFA, create an electronic signature that is specific to the TPA and the signature by the authorized representative on the TPA. If the information on the TPA changes, a new TPA is required to maintain a valid electronic signature with the CDTFA.

The Underground Storage Tank Maintenance Fee Return can not be filed online at this time.

The Oil Spill Response and Administration Fee Returns can not be filed online at this time.

Certification testing is mandatory for all Online Participants and a prerequisite to electronic filing. As outlined in Chapter 8, Certification Testing Guidelines, of the Motor Fuels Electronic Filing Program Handbook and Specifications, the CDTFA has established test procedures that all Online Participants must follow to test its online system prior to the submission of production files. In order to ensure the quality of the information obtained, the CDTFA will subject the information received to a set of tests. An Online Participant must successfully test for each type of electronic tax form that it wishes to file in the file format to be used.

Participating in the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program begins by completing and submitting for CDTFA-400-TPA, "Trading Partner Agreement".

The Trading Partner Agreement is available on the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program Information page. This page also contains all the manuals, instructions, examples, templates, and general information for the Motor Fuels Online Program.

The Trading Partner Agreement (TPA) is an application completed by an online participant candidate in order to participate in the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program.

The purpose of the TPA is to:

• Identify the Information Provider;
• Identify the tax forms to be filed;
• Identify the electronic filing formats to be used for each tax form to be filed;
• Identify the Application Sender's Code (for EDI filing formats only);
• Identify the accounts to be filed;
• Outline the terms and standards for online filing; and
• Identify the authorized signer for the online filing.

In addition, completion of the TPA is the process used to convey the necessary information to facilitate electronic exchange of information. It will ensure the accuracy of the entity information by comparing the online-filed entity data with the information in the CDTFA databases. Once accepted into the Motor Fuels Tax Online Filing Program, participation is required until terminated by the CDTFA.

Yes. The data provided in many Motor Fuels tax forms can be complex and, sometimes, voluminous. The certification process is integral to ensuring that both you and the CDTFA receive valid and complete files, are confident and comfortable with the online filing process, and have resolved most reporting issues prior to submitting actual "production" tax forms.

The certification testing process consists of three stages. Each stage must be successfully completed in sequence. Each Online Participant must submit a test file for each tax form for which it intends to be certified. In order to ensure the quality of the electronic information transmitted, the CDTFA will subject each electronic test file to a set of tests and notify the Online Participant of the results. More information on the certification testing process is available on chapter 8 of the Motor Fuels Electronic Filing Program Handbook.

The certification testing stages are:

1. Transmission and Syntax Validation (Stage 1, submit 5-100 records)
2. Syntax and Data Validation (Stage 2, submit one month of records)
3. Production Simulation (Stage 3, submit two consecutive months of records)

The Online Participant's electronic files must adhere to the CDTFA requirements for the reporting method identified in the TPA and as defined in Part I – Motor Fuels Electronic Filing Handbook and Specifications. Each Online Participant must use its own test data to test its electronic process for each test stage.

Stage 1, Transmission and Syntax Validation

The purpose of Stage 1 is to test the file transmission and formatting process for each Online Participant. The CDTFA will verify that each file received follows filing requirements for the reporting method identified in the TPA and as defined in Part I – Motor Fuels Electronic Filing Handbook and Specifications.

Stage 2, Syntax and Data Validation

The Online Participant is required to submit test files for each return or report type containing all transactions for a reporting period. Stage 2 files will be processed to verify the accuracy of the transmitted information. Each test file should represent a cross section of the Online Participant's business.

Stage 3, Production Simulation

The Online Participant submits filings for two consecutive reporting periods for each tax form type being tested without fatal syntax or data validation errors. A filing is required for each tax form tested during test Stages 1 and 2. Stage 3 files will be processed to verify the accuracy of the transmitted information.

Submission of the Trading Partner Agreement to the CDTFA indicates the Taxpayer's willingness to begin online filing in a timely manner. The CDTFA expects that the Taxpayer will begin certification testing within thirty (30) days of receipt of its Authorization Code, User ID, and passwords and will exercise due diligence in order to complete certification testing as swiftly as possible. In no event should certification testing exceed 120 days unless an extension is granted by the CDTFA. Upon request from the CDTFA, the Taxpayer will provide a timeline for its test process or an update to a timeline already provided. If certification testing is not completed in a timely manner, it may result in suspension of the Taxpayer from the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program.

The CDTFA will only accept properly formatted tax forms transmitted via the Internet. Magnetic tape, floppy diskette, CD, or other media will not be accepted from filers. Online Participants interested in utilizing an alternative filing format may contact the CDTFA to discuss their proposal.

Information Providers who are registered with more than one CDTFA fuel account license or registration number must transmit separate tax form data sets for each account license unless using the EDI v. 4030 format. Information Providers using the EDI v. 4030 format may combine multiple tax form data sets in a single electronic transmission.

In order to perform basic maintenance on the CDTFA website, the system will be unavailable for Motor Fuels online filing access from Sunday at 7:00 p.m. to Monday at 5:00 a.m., Pacific Time. This is regularly scheduled downtime that will be posted on the CDTFA website. Since this is regularly scheduled downtime, Online Participants should be aware that the CDTFA will not accept the participant's inability to submit a timely filing because of this downtime as a valid reason for granting relief of any penalty and/or interest that may result from making a late filing.

There are three possible online file formats that may be used for Motor Fuels files. They are: Flat File, CDTFA EDI, and IRS EDI. Both EDI file formats are x12 version 4030, but the requirements for some segments and elements differ slightly.

Not all formats are available to all tax forms. Check "What are the accepted tax forms and file formats for eFiling?" to determine which file format is appropriate for your tax form. More information on each file format is available on the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program Information page in Chapters 9-11 of the Motor Fuels Electronic Filing Manual.

The filing for a period is considered to be filed timely if the tax form and any applicable payment are received by the CDTFA on or before the due date. If either is received after the due date, the filing is considered late. Tax forms and EFT payments filed online receive an electronic "postmark" of the date and time they are submitted. This postmark is used to determine if the filing is timely.

If a tax form or payment is received by the CDTFA after the due date, interest and/or penalty may be charged. Failure to file a tax form, or filing an incomplete tax form, may result in charges for interest, penalty and/or license revocation. For help in calculating any additional interest and/or penalty charges, please contact Special Taxes and Fees at 1-800-400-7115.

Tax forms available to be filed under the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program are due on the last day of the month following the period for which the tax forms report.

If the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the tax form is due on the next business day.

Yes. After logging into the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program, choose the "Check File" menu option on the Main Menu page. You will be prompted to submit your file and the validation and syntax results will be emailed to you as if it was a real filing. However, additional results will be made available to you (accessible through the "Review Check File" menu option). The results will tell you if the computer identified any edits in your tax form and what those edits are. Edits are not necessarily errors, but are results that differ from those expected by the system. Typically CDTFA staff would contact you to resolve those edits, so the Check File option will enable you to confirm that the CDTFA will accept the file as a valid filing and resolve any reporting issues with your file before submitting it.

When a Trading Partner Agreement (TPA) is submitted, one of the entries populated by the person submitting it is the Security Code. The TPA is also signed by an authorized representative. The CDTFA issues an Authorization Code when it approves the TPA. These two data elements, the Security Code provided by the filing party and the Authorization Code provided by the CDTFA, create an electronic signature that is specific to the TPA and the signature by the authorized representative on the TPA. If the information on the TPA changes, a new TPA is required to maintain a valid electronic signature with the CDTFA.

A Receipt Acknowledgement process completes for every file submission. This includes identification on the "Review Uploads" menu option on the Online Filing Main Menu page as well as an email to all user accounts associated with the Online Participant. The Receipt Acknowledgement will identified as either a Success or a Failure. Success means the file has been accepted for additional processing by the CDTFA while Failure means the file was rejected by the CDTFA. Common reasons for a file to be rejected include submitting an Excel workbook instead of a Flat File and submitting an incomplete tax form.

Once the CDTFA has received an electronic file, the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program completes the Functional Acknowledgement process. This includes identification on the "Review Uploads" menu option on the Online Filing Main Menu page as well as an email to all user accounts associated with the Online Participant. The Functional Acknowledgement will be identified as either a Success or a Failure. Success means the filing is complete and you have met the filing requirements for that submission. Failure means the file contains issues that must be resolved before the CDTFA will accept it as a valid filing. The reasons for the Failure are provided via a "Filing Results" link on the "Review Uploads" page. You may also contact us at the following for assistance in resolving any filing issues:

Telephone: 1-800-400-7115
Fax: 1-916-323-9352
Email: CDTFA Motor Fuels eFile
Mail:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

Yes, if you meet the requirements.

Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Regulations 1123 and 1125 and Diesel Fuel Tax Regulations 1420 and 1423 allow the receiving party to report and pay the tax on removals of fuel resulting from a two party exchange. These revisions went into effect January 1, 2007.

When a two party exchange transaction occurs, there are three participants in the exchange: Delivering Supplier, Receiving Supplier, and Terminal Operator. Each of these participants has a reporting requirement that must be met before there is a valid two party exchange. Following is a summary of the requirements:

• The Delivering Supplier must report the fuel that has been disbursed in a two party exchange transaction for which they are the position holder in the terminal. The Receiving Supplier must report the receipt of fuel in a terminal as part of a two party exchange transaction and report the tax liability for that fuel. The Terminal Operator must report the terminal disbursement on Schedule 15B "Terminal Operator Disbursement by Position Holder." However, in addition to reporting the Position Holder (Delivering Supplier), the Terminal Operator must also report the Receiving Supplier as part of the transaction.
• The Delivering Supplier, Receiving Supplier, and Terminal Operator must all report the two party exchange transaction information with the same document date, bill of lading number, fuel type, mode code, and gallons.
• The Delivering Supplier, Receiving Supplier, and Terminal Operator must all report their California motor fuels tax forms to the Department electronically to qualify for and participate in the Department’s two party exchange program for all two party exchange transactions. While you may be electronically reporting, your exchange partner or the terminal may not. You need to verify that all other participants in your two party exchange transaction are reporting electronically with the Department. The Department provides a list of eligible two party exchange participants. If any of the participants are not eligible, please have them contact us. The Department has several electronic filing options available.
• Failure to properly report the two party exchange transaction by any participant will void the two party exchange transaction for California fuel tax purposes and the tax liability will revert to the Delivering Supplier. Interest and Penalty charges may apply.

Complete information on all the requirements for two party exchange reporting is available in the regulations.

Typically you will not be required to submit any paper documentation after filing your tax form online. The majority of Motor Fuels Online Filing participants do not send any paper with their filings. However, the CDTFA may request that you provide additional or supporting documentation for your tax form. You will be contacted by CDTFA staff if additional information is needed.

If you need to correct or amend a tax form that you have already submitted you have two options.

• Within the same business day as your original submission, contact us and we will cancel your original submission. You may then submit the new tax form when you have made the corrections or amendments. Please note that the original submission will not be considered a valid filing and applicable due dates will apply to your new file submission.
• After the business day of your original submission, submit your corrected or amended file as if were an original. The electronic file maps for each file format provide coding options for submitting correcting or amending files, but the CDTFA does not utilize these coding options at this time. Once you have successfully submitted the corrected or amended file, email the CDTFA notification that you have submitted the corrected or amended file with the following information: date of submission, tracking number, account number, period, and reason for/summary of the correction or amendments.

No. Both the return and payment must be made by the due date to avoid late penalties and/or interest charges, but they do not need to be done at the same time. You may, for example, submit your return on the 10th of the month and wait until the due date to make your payment.

With the exception of pre-payments, payments on tax returns available to be filed under the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program are due on the last day of the month following the period for which the tax forms report. Pre-payments, for accounts that are required to make prepayments, are due on the 15th of the month following the period for which the tax forms report.

See our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) page for complete information on making payments.

If the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment is due on the next business day. See our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) page for complete information on making payments.

All Motor Fuels Online Filing Program participants must pay any taxes or fees due by electronic funds transfer (EFT). There are several EFT payment methods available. See our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) page for complete information on the different EFT options available.

Options available include:

• ACH Credit
• ACH Debit
• Fedwire

How you make a payment depends on the payment method you have selected. See our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) page for complete information on making electronic payments and the payment methods available.

Yes. All Motor Fuels Online Filing Program participants must pay any taxes or fees due by electronic funds transfer (EFT). See our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) page for complete information on making payments and the payment methods available.

No. The CDTFA does not charge a fee.

If you use an electronic return originator (ERO) to file your returns, they may charge a fee. That is between you and the ERO. The CDTFA is not responsible for arrangements between EROs and their clients.

Depending on your method of EFT payment, your bank or creditor may charge a fee. The CDTFA is not responsible for those fees. See our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) page for complete information on making payments.

The following are the most common causes of this problem:

• Improper capitalization: The password is case-sensitive. Be sure to check your "Caps Lock" button on your keyboard, and make sure that you are entering any characters of your password in the proper case.
• Incorrect Password or Username

If you've checked everything and are still having problems, contact Special Taxes and Fees using one of the options below. You will need to provide your name, phone number, email address, company name, and account numbers. Please have that information ready or include it in your email.

Telephone: 1-800-400-7115
Fax: 1-916-323-9352
Email: CDTFA Motor Fuels eFile
Mail:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

If you have forgotten your password, contact Special Taxes and Fees using one of the options below. You will need to provide your name, phone number, email address, company name, and account numbers. Please have that information ready or include it in your email.

Telephone: 1-800-400-7115
Fax: 1-916-323-9352
Email: CDTFA Motor Fuels eFile
Mail:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

If you have forgotten your User ID, contact Special Taxes and Fees using one of the options below. You will need to provide your name, phone number, email address, company name, and account numbers. Please have that information ready or include it in your email.

Telephone: 1-800-400-7115
Fax: 1-916-323-9352
Email: CDTFA Motor Fuels eFile
Mail:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

A Receipt Acknowledgement process completes for every file submission. This includes identification on the "Review Uploads" menu option on the Online Filing Main Menu page as well as an email to all user accounts associated with the Online Participant. The Receipt Acknowledgement will be identified as either a Success or a Failure. Success means the file has been accepted for additional processing by the CDTFA while Failure means the file was rejected by the CDTFA.

Common reasons for a file to be rejected (Receipt Acknowledgement – Failure) include submitting an Excel workbook instead of a Flat File and submitting an incomplete tax form. If you are unable to determine the reason for your Receipt Acknowledgement – Failure, contact Special Taxes and Fees using one of the options below. You will need to provide your name, phone number, email address, company name, account numbers, and tracking number. Please have that information ready or include it in your email.

Telephone: 1-800-400-7115
Fax: 1-916-323-9352
Email: CDTFA Motor Fuels eFile
Mail:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

Once the CDTFA has received an electronic file, the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program completes the Functional Acknowledgement process. This includes identification on the "Review Uploads" menu option on the Online Filing Main Menu page as well as an email to all user accounts associated with the Online Participant. The Functional Acknowledgement will be identified as either a Success or a Failure. Success means the filing is complete and you have met the filing requirements for that submission. Failure means the file contains issues that must be resolved before the CDTFA will accept it as a valid filing.

The reasons for the failure are provided via a "Filing Results" link on the "Review Uploads" page. If you are unable to determine the reason for your Functional Acknowledgement – Failure, contact Special Taxes and Fees using one of the options below. You will need to provide your name, phone number, email address, company name, account numbers, and tracking number. Please have that information ready or include it in your email.

Telephone: 1-800-400-7115
Fax: 1-916-323-9352
Email: CDTFA Motor Fuels eFile
Mail:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

Yes. After logging into the Motor Fuels Online Program, choose the "Check File" menu option on the Online Filing Main Menu page. You will be prompted to submit your file and the validation and syntax results will be emailed to you as if it was a real filing. However, additional results will be made available to you (accessible through the "Review Check File" menu option). The results will tell you if the computer identified any edits in your tax form and what those edits are. Edits are not necessarily errors, but are results that differ from those expected by the system. Typically CDTFA staff would contact you to resolve those edits, so the Check File option will enable you to confirm that the CDTFA will accept the file as a valid filing and resolve any reporting issues with your file before submitting it.

For Technical Assistance, please contact Special Taxes and Fees using one of the options below. You will need to provide your name, phone number, email address, company name, and account numbers. Please have that information ready or include it in your email.

Telephone: 1-800-400-7115
Fax: 1-916-323-9352
Email: CDTFA Motor Fuels eFile
Mail:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

The Trading Partner Agreement (TPA) is an application completed by an participant candidate in order to participate in the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program.

The purpose of the TPA is to:

• Identify the Information Provider;
• Identify the tax forms to be filed;
• Identify the electronic filing formats to be used for each tax form to be filed;
• Identify the Application Sender's Code (for EDI filing formats only);
• Identify the accounts to be filed;
• Outline the terms and standards for filing; and
• Identify the authorized signer for the filing.

In addition, completion of the TPA is the process used to convey the necessary information to facilitate electronic exchange of information. It will ensure the accuracy of the entity information by comparing the online-filed entity data with the information in the CDTFA databases. Once accepted into the Motor Fuels Tax Online Filing Program, participation is required until terminated by the CDTFA.

Once an Online Participant has completed the certification testing for the tax forms it intends to file online, it is placed into production status, which permits the filing of the tax forms electronically with the CDTFA. Once permission has been granted, an Information Provider must file its Motor Fuels tax forms and make payments online to the CDTFA until further notified. The Online Participant many not alternate between paper and online filing unless prior permission is granted by the CDTFA.

Please refer to Chapter 6, General Rules and Responsibilities of an Online Participant, of the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program Electronic Filing Handbook and Specifications, for a list of the rules and responsibilities.

Once accepted into the Motor Fuels Tax Online Filing Program, the Information Provider must notify the CDTFA if it moves, changes ownership, discontinues operations, or sells its business. The CDTFA requires that all registration changes be submitted in writing. All written notification will be reviewed and the appropriate actions taken. The written notification of registration changes will enable the CDTFA to update our records and keep your registration current. Be sure to provide all applicable account number(s) when contacting the CDTFA.

Even though the EDI map discussed in Chapter 9, ANSI ASC X12 Version 4030 Mapping, of the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program Electronic Filing Handbook and Specifications, allows for registration information updates, the CDTFA is not currently automated to utilize any of this data for registration updates.

Mail the notification to:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

All User account maintenance is done by Special Taxes and Fees staff. Some maintenance activity can only be requested by specific individuals. The CDTFA will provide an Information Provider with as many User accounts as the Information Provider deems necessary. Only the Authorized Representative on the Trading Partner Agreement can request that individuals have a User account opened for them. Updates to or closure of an existing User account can be requested by either the User or the Authorized Representative.

If you want to do any User account maintenance, the appropriate person should contact Special Taxes and Fees using one of the options below. You will need to provide your name, phone number, email address, company name, and account numbers. If requesting a User account be opened, provide the same information and a mailing address for the new account. Please have that information ready or include it in your email.

Telephone: 1-800-400-7115
Fax: 1-916-323-9352
Email: CDTFA Motor Fuels eFile
Mail:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

All information and documentation for the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program is available on the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program Information page. This page contains all the manuals, instructions, examples, templates, applications, and general information for the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program.

The Department will no longer mail the paper tax forms for accounts that you are registered to file online and for which you are in Production status with the Motor Fuels Online Filing Program. To ensure that you are notified of any developments regarding fuel taxes in California, you will have to register with the Department's Special Taxes and Fees subscription service. Please note that, as a Motor Fuels Online Filing Program participant, you are responsible for complying with any notifications provided through this subscription service.

If you continue to receive paper tax forms after moving into production status, please contact Special Taxes and Fees using one of the options below. You will need to provide your name, phone number, email address, company name, and account numbers. Please have that information ready or include it in your email.

Telephone: 1-800-400-7115
Fax: 1-916-323-9352
Email: CDTFA Motor Fuels eFile
Mail:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

No. The CDTFA does not charge a fee.

If you use an electronic return originator (ERO) to file your returns, they may charge a fee. That is between you and the ERO. The CDTFA is not responsible for arrangements between EROs and their clients.

Depending on your method of EFT payment, your bank or creditor may charge a fee. The CDTFA is not responsible for those fees. See our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) page for complete information on making electronic payments.

When a Trading Partner Agreement (TPA) is submitted, one of the entries populated by the person submitting it is the Security Code. The TPA is also signed by an authorized representative. The CDTFA issues an Authorization Code when it approves the TPA. These two data elements, the Security Code provided by the filing party and the Authorization Code provided by the CDTFA, create an electronic signature that is specific to the TPA and the signature by the authorized representative on the TPA. If the information on the TPA changes, a new TPA is required to maintain a valid electronic signature with the CDTFA.

Personal information, such as a driver license number, a social security number, or a residence address, is not disclosed to the public. However, some records are subject to disclosure. These include CDTFA license or registration numbers, business name and address, and license status. Also, for purposes of enforcing the fuel tax laws, personal information may be disclosed to federal agencies and other state agencies. For more information, please review the Notice to Individuals Regarding Information Furnished to the CDTFA (Form CDTFA-324-GEN) included in Appendix H of the Motor Fuels Electronic Filing Handbook and Specifications.

The Motor Fuels Tax Online Filing Program uses the Internet to receive and transmit tax forms and information. It incorporates the following technological attributes to ensure data security: User ID, Password, Data Encryption, Electronic Signature (Authorization and Security Codes), Account Numbers, File Formats, and Acknowledgments. Each Online Participant must also use security procedures that are reasonably sufficient and put forth its best efforts to ensure that all transmissions of tax returns and reports are authorized. An Online Participant must take the necessary precautions to safeguard its technological attributes and notify the CDTFA at 1-800-400-7115 when it has knowledge that its technological attributes have been compromised or a change in its authorized representative has occurred.

Special Taxes and Fees staff will be glad to assist you in developing your Motor Fuels Online Filing Program capabilities. We are available to provide technical expertise relating to the requirements in the Motor Fuels Electronic Filing Handbook and Specifications. If you require assistance, please contact Special Taxes and Fees using one of the options below. You will need to provide your contact information (name, phone number, email address, company name, and applicable account numbers) as well a description of your technical questions. Please have that information ready or include it in your email.

Telephone: 1-800-400-7115
Fax: 1-916-323-9352
Email: CDTFA Motor Fuels eFile
Mail:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

Independent companies may provide assistance, products, or services. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) does not recommend or endorse these companies. Some companies have successfully completed CDTFA acceptance testing. They are identified as Electronic Return Originators (EROs) or software providers on this web page.

Yes. The following authorized service providers have successfully completed California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) acceptance testing and may charge a fee for service. This fee is not set by, or shared with, the CDTFA. The CDTFA does not control any service provider website and is not responsible for the content.

LiquiFile Services, LLC
245 Junction Trak
Roswell, GA 30075
Phone: 1-678-819-2250
Fax: 1-678-623-5413

Yes. The following authorized service providers have successfully completed California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) acceptance testing for their software product. Any charges or fees for their products and services are not set by, or shared with, the CDTFA. The CDTFA does not control any service provider website and is not responsible for the content.

ZyTax
Five Greenway Plaza
Suite 1310
Houston, Texas 77046
Phone: 1-713-222-5700
Fax: 1-713-222-5701

Dearman Systems, Inc.
6137 E. Grant Rd. Suite B
PO Box 32228
Tucson, AZ 85712
Phone: 1-520-298-1677
Fax: 1-520-722-6126