Section 46159 Of Article 1. Returns And Payments From California Revenue And Taxation Code >> Division 2. >> Part 24. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 1.
46159
. (a) Under regulations prescribed by the board, if:
(1) A fee liability under this part was understated by a failure
to file a return 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, and the understatement of
the fee liability is attributable to one spouse; or any amount of the
fee reported on a return was unpaid and the nonpayment of the
reported 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 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 fee attributable to that understatement
or 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 understatement or nonpayment
of the fee.
(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 due date for nonpayment on
a return, 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 an omission of an item from the return,
"attributable to one spouse" may be determined by whether a spouse
rendered substantial service as an operator of a marine terminal, a
pipeline, or a refinery engaged in activities subject to fees under
this part to which the understatement is attributable. If neither
spouse rendered substantial services as an operator, 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.
(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.