2023 California Code › Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC › DIVISION 2 - OTHER TAXES › PART 1 - SALES AND USE TAXES › CHAPTER 4 - Exemptions › ARTICLE 2 - Exemptions From Sales Tax › Section 6385.

6385. (a) There are exempted from the computation of the amount of the sales tax the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property, other than fuel and petroleum products, to a common carrier, shipped by the seller via the purchasing carrier’s facilities under a bill of lading whether the freight is paid in advance, or the shipment is made freight charges collect, to a point outside this state and the property is actually transported to the out-of-state destination for use by the carrier in the conduct of its business as a common carrier.
(b) There are exempted from the computation of the amount of the sales tax the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property, other than aircraft fuel and petroleum products, purchased by a foreign air carrier and transported by the foreign air carrier’s facilities to a foreign destination for use by the air carrier in the conduct of its business as a common carrier by air of persons or property. To qualify for this exemption, the foreign air carrier shall furnish to the seller a certificate in writing that the property shall be transported and used in the manner required in this subdivision. The certificate shall be substantially in the form prescribed by the department. A seller is not liable for the sales tax if the seller accepts the certificate in good faith. If the seller does not have the certificate at the time the department requests the seller to submit the certificate to the department, the seller shall be given a reasonable time to request the foreign air carrier to provide the seller with the certificate. The foreign air carrier shall maintain records in this state, such as a copy of a bill of lading, an air waybill, or cargo manifest, documenting its transportation of the tangible personal property to a foreign destination.
(c) “Common carrier,” as used in this section, with respect to water transportation, shall be deemed to include any vessel engaged, for compensation, in transporting persons or property in interstate or foreign commerce.
(d) “Foreign air carrier,” as used in this section, means a foreign air carrier as defined in Section 40102 of Title 49 of the United States Code.
(e) Pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b), any use of the property by the purchasing carrier, other than that incident to the delivery of the property to the carrier and the transportation of the property by the carrier to an out-of-state destination and subsequent use in the conduct of its business as a common carrier, or a failure of the carrier to document its transporting the property to an out-of-state destination, shall subject the carrier to liability for payment of sales tax as if it were a retailer making a retail sale of the property at the time of that use or failure, and the sales price of the property to it shall be deemed to be the gross receipts from the retail sale.
(f) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2029.
(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 293, Sec. 2) by Stats. 2023, Ch. 442, Sec. 2. (AB 543) Effective October 8, 2023. Section operative January 1, 2029, by its own provisions.)