Section 19701.5 Of Chapter 9. Violations From California Revenue And Taxation Code >> Division 2. >> Part 10.2. >> Chapter 9.
19701.5
. (a) Any person who signs his or her spouse's name on any
income tax return, or any schedules or attachments thereto, or who
files electronically pursuant to Section 18621.5, without the consent
of the spouse as provided in subdivision (b), is guilty of a
misdemeanor and shall upon conviction be fined an amount not to
exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) or be imprisoned for a term not
to exceed one year, or both, at the discretion of the court,
together with costs of investigation and prosecution.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), any person who signs his or
her spouse's name shall not be guilty of a misdemeanor when one
spouse is physically unable by reason of disease or injury to sign a
joint return, and the other spouse, with the oral consent of the one
who is incapacitated, signs the incapacitated spouse's name in the
proper place on the return followed by the words "By ____, Husband
(or Wife)," and by the signature of the signing spouse in his or her
own right, provided that a dated statement signed by the spouse who
is signing the return is attached to and made a part of the return
stating each of the following:
(1) The name of the return being filed.
(2) The taxable year.
(3) The reason for the inability of the spouse who is
incapacitated to sign the return.
(4) That the spouse who is incapacitated consented to the signing
of the return and that the taxpayer and his or her agent, if any, are
responsible for the return as made and incur liability for the
penalties provided for erroneous, false, or fraudulent returns.
(c) The penalties provided by this section are cumulative and
shall not be construed as restricting any other penalty provided by
law based upon the same facts, including any penalty under Section
470 of the Penal Code. However, an act or omission which is made
punishable in different ways by this section and different provisions
of the Penal Code shall not be punished under more than one
provision.