Section 30285 Of Article 6. Interest And Penalties From California Revenue And Taxation Code >> Division 2. >> Part 13. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 6.
30285
. (a) Under regulations prescribed by the board, if:
(1) A tax liability under this part was understated by a failure
to file a return or report, or both, required to be filed under this
part, by the omission of an amount properly includable therein, or by
erroneous deductions or credits claimed on a return or report, or
both, and the understatement of tax liability is attributable to one
spouse; or any amount of the tax reported on a return or report, or
both, was unpaid and the nonpayment of the reported tax liability is
attributable to one spouse.
(2) The other spouse establishes that he or she did not know of,
and had no reason to know of, that understatement or nonpayment.
(3) Taking into account whether or not the other spouse
significantly benefited directly or indirectly from the
understatement or the nonpayment and taking into account all other
facts and circumstances, it is inequitable to hold the other spouse
liable for the deficiency in tax attributable to that understatement
or nonpayment,
then the other spouse shall be relieved of liability for tax
(including interest, penalties, and other amounts) to the extent that
the liability is attributable to that understatement or nonpayment
of tax.
(b) For purposes of this section, the determination of the spouse
to whom items of understatement or nonpayment are attributable shall
be made without regard to community property laws.
(c) This section shall apply to all calendar months subject to the
provisions of this part, but shall not apply to any calendar month
that is more than five years from the final date on the board-issued
determination, five years from the return or report due date for
nonpayment on a return or report, or one year from the first contact
with the spouse making a claim under this section; or that has been
closed by res judicata, whichever is later.
(d) For purposes of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), "reason to
know" means whether or not a reasonably prudent person would have had
reason to know of the understatement or nonpayment.
(e) For purposes of this section, with respect to a failure to
file a return or report, or both, or an omission of an item from the
return or report, or both, "attributable to one spouse" may be
determined by whether a spouse rendered substantial service as a
distributor of cigarettes or tobacco products or who sells or accepts
orders for cigarettes or tobacco products to be transported to a
consumer in this state from somewhere out of this state to which the
understatement is attributable. If neither spouse rendered
substantial services as a distributor, then the attribution of
applicable items of understatement shall be treated as community
property. An erroneous deduction or credit shall be attributable to
the spouse who caused that deduction or credit to be entered on the
return or report, or both.
(f) Under procedures prescribed by the board, if, taking into
account all the facts and circumstances, it is inequitable to hold
the other spouse liable for any unpaid tax or any deficiency (or any
portion of either) attributable to any item for which relief is not
available under subdivision (a), the board may relieve the other
spouse of that liability.
(g) For purposes of this section, registered domestic partners, as
defined in Section 297 of the Family Code, have the same rights,
protections, and benefits as provided by this section, and are
subject to the same responsibilities, obligations, and duties as
imposed by this section, as are granted to and imposed upon spouses.
(h) The relief provided by this section shall apply retroactively
to liabilities arising prior to the effective date of this section.