2023 California Code › Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC › DIVISION 2 - OTHER TAXES › PART 10.2 - ADMINISTRATION OF FRANCHISE AND INCOME TAX LAWS › CHAPTER 7 - Administration of Tax › ARTICLE 1 - Powers and Duties of Franchise Tax Board › Section 19504.

19504. (a) The Franchise Tax Board, for the purpose of administering its duties under this part, including ascertaining the correctness of any return; making a return where none has been made; determining or collecting the liability of any person in respect of any liability imposed by Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001), Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001), or this part (or the liability at law or in equity of any transferee in respect of that liability); shall have the power to require by demand, that an entity of any kind including, but not limited to, employers, persons, or financial institutions provide information or make available for examination or copying at a specified time and place, or both, any book, papers, or other data which may be relevant to that purpose. Any demand to a financial institution shall comply with the California Right to Financial Privacy Act set forth in Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 7460) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code. Information that may be required upon demand includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:
(1) Addresses and telephone numbers of persons designated by the Franchise Tax Board.
(2) Information contained on Federal Form W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement), Federal Form W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate), or State Form DE-4 (Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate).
(b) The Franchise Tax Board may require the attendance of the taxpayer or of any other person having knowledge in the premises and may take testimony and require material proof for its information and administer oaths to carry out this part.
(c) (1) The Franchise Tax Board may issue subpoenas or subpoenas duces tecum, which subpoenas must be signed by any member of the Franchise Tax Board, and may be served on any person for any purpose.
(2) For taxpayers that have been contacted by the Franchise Tax Board regarding the use of an abusive tax avoidance transaction, as defined in Section 19777, the subpoena may be signed by any member of the Franchise Tax Board, the Executive Officer of the Franchise Tax Board, or any designee.
(d) Obedience to subpoenas or subpoenas duces tecum issued in accordance with this section may be enforced by application to the superior court as set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 11180) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(e) When examining a return, the Franchise Tax Board shall not use financial status or economic reality examination techniques to determine the existence of unreported income of any taxpayer unless the Franchise Tax Board has a reasonable indication that there is a likelihood of unreported income. This subdivision applies to any examination beginning on or after October 10, 1999.
(f) The amendments made to this section by the act adding this subdivision shall apply to subpoenas issued on or after the effective date of the act adding this subdivision.
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 14, Sec. 7. (SB 86) Effective March 24, 2011.)