TAX NEWS - JULY 2009

california tax: California State Board of Equalization Extends Call Center Hours July 13-31

800-Number Hours Extended During Peak Filing Period to Better Serve Taxpayers

The California State Board of Equalization (BOE) today announced it will extend its Taxpayer Information Call Center operating hours July 13-31 in an effort to reduce wait times and better serve taxpayers during this peak return filing period.

The extended hours are 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Monday through Friday). On July 31, representatives will take calls until 8:00 p.m. (Pacific Time).

The July filing period is one of the busiest times because July 31 is the deadline to file tax returns for the fiscal year (FY 2008-09), quarterly (2nd Quarter 2009), and monthly filers (June 2009).

The Call Center answers more than 500,000 calls annually from taxpayers, tax practitioners, and the general public. Calls to the Taxpayer Information Call Center have increased dramatically as more taxpayers continue to transition from paper to eFile. In April, the most recent peak filing period, more than 71,000 calls were answered, an increase of 8,600 calls over the previous peak filing period in January. Currently, there are more than 800,000 taxpayers eligible to eFile; in April, more than 213,000 taxpayers eFiled.

By Phone: Call the Toll-Free Number: 800-400-7115

Any taxpayers needing assistance may call the Taxpayer Information Call Center toll-free at 800-400-7115. If calling from outside of the 48 contiguous states, please call 916-445-6362 to reach our Call Center. TDD service is also available for the hearing impaired at 800-735-2929 and 800-735-2922 from voice phones. During non-peak, regular business hours, the BOE representatives are available to assist taxpayers Monday through Friday (except state holidays) from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Pacific Time).

Best Times to Call the Toll-Free 800-Number: The shortest wait times are from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Monday through Friday. The highest number of calls received daily is from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The last week of the month has a higher than average volume of calls. Taxpayers calling during this time may experience longer wait times or a busy signal rather than get immediate assistance due to the increase in the number of taxpayers eFiling returns for the first time. In addition to extending hours, more Call Center representatives will be available to answer phone inquiries. Depending on the volume of calls, hours may be extended further to assist taxpayers.

The BOE is committed to helping all California businesses and individuals comply with the state's complex and changing tax laws. The BOE offers a full range of services tailored to the diverse needs of the state's businesses—from electronic services to email a general tax question to personal assistance with tax compliance questions.

Personal Assistance is Available at Locations Statewide: The BOE has 22 Sales Tax Field Office Locations & Addresses to assist taxpayers. Taxpayer eFile Assistance Clinics are located in each field office during regular business hours when equipment and staff are available to assist taxpayers with eFiling. In addition, many public libraries offer Internet-connected computers.

For more information, visit www.boe.ca.gov or call 800-400-7115.

The five-member California State Board of Equalization (BOE) is a publicly elected tax board. The BOE collects more than $53 billion annually in taxes and fees supporting state and local government services. It hears business tax appeals, acts as the appellate body for franchise and personal income tax appeals, and serves a significant role in the assessment and administration of property taxes. For more information on other taxes and fees in California, visit www.taxes.ca.gov.