The Franchise Tax Board reminds taxpayers that Thursday, October 15, is the deadline for filing 2014 state personal income tax returns to avoid penalties.
Each year, Californians file more than 16 million personal income tax returns, with more than 1.5 million taking advantage of California’s automatic six-month filing extension.
Taxpayers can file electronically free of charge using FTB’s CalFile program. CalFile and a list of other free or fee-based e-file services are available at FTB’s website, ftb.ca.gov.
E-filing provides faster refunds, increased accuracy, and immediate confirmation that FTB received a return. For quick refunds, FTB encourages taxpayers to opt for direct deposit to their bank accounts.
Taxpayers also can use FTB’s electronic payment options. Web Pay allows taxpayers to authorize a payment from a bank account to cover return balances or estimated payments. For a fee, taxpayers can pay using major credit cards by calling 800-2PAY TAX or 800-272-9829 or visiting officialpayments.com.
Payments were due April 15, but installment plans are available on the FTB website for taxpayers facing financial hardship. Those who owe $25,000 or less and can repay within five years generally qualify.
At MyFTB Account, taxpayers can view wage and withholding information, estimated payments, FTB-issued 1099s, and current balance information.
As of Oct. 8, Californians filed more than 16.6 million personal income tax returns, 14.2 million of them electronically. The state has issued 10.7 million refunds totaling more than $9.8 billion.
