Section 43159.2 Of Article 1. Returns And Payments From California Revenue And Taxation Code >> Division 2. >> Part 22. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 1.
43159.2
. (a) Under regulations prescribed by the board, with
respect to a fee imposed pursuant to Section 105310 of the Health and
Safety Code, if:
(1) A fee liability due on a notice of determination or other
billing document for collection of the fee under this part was unpaid
and the nonpayment of the fee 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 nonpayment.
(3) Taking into account whether or not the other spouse
significantly benefited directly or indirectly from the nonpayment
and taking into account all other facts and circumstances, it is
inequitable to hold the other spouse liable for the deficiency in the
fee attributable to that nonpayment,
then the other spouse shall be relieved of liability for the fee
(including interest, penalties, and other amounts) to the extent that
the liability is attributable to that nonpayment of the fee.
(b) For purposes of this section, the determination of the spouse
to whom items of nonpayment are attributable shall be made without
regard to community property laws.
(c) This section shall apply to all calendar years subject to the
provisions of this part, but shall not apply to any calendar year
that is more than five years from the final date on the board-issued
determination or other similar billing document for collection of the
fee, five years from the due date for payment on the billing, 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 pay
a notice of determination or similar billing document for collection
of the fee, "attributable to one spouse" may be determined by
whether a spouse rendered substantial service as a feepayer with
respect to a fee imposed under Section 105310 of the Health and
Safety Code to which the nonpayment is attributable. If neither
spouse rendered substantial services as a feepayer, then the
attribution of the nonpayment shall be treated as community property.
(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 fee 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.