This guide provides an overview of Sales Tax in California, including applicable rates, registration requirements, compliance obligations, and filing deadlines. It is designed for businesses engaging in transactions within California.
billion in sales and use taxes are collected annually, the highest total in the nation.
The following conditions might establish a physical nexus in California:
California generally taxes tangible property, not services. However, software delivered on physical media is treated as tangible and is taxable.
You can register online through CDTFA Online Services.
Once registered, collect the correct combined state + district rate based on the rules above, itemize tax on invoices, and remit it through the CDTFA Online Services portal according to your filing frequency.
No. SaaS, electronic downloads, and custom programming are not taxable because no tangible property is transferred.
A remote seller must register as soon as it exceeds $500,000 in total gross sales into California in the current or prior year - registration is required immediately, with tax collection starting on the next transaction.
Shipping by common carrier is not taxable if separately stated. Handling is always taxable, and combined shipping & handling is fully taxable. Shipping in the seller’s own vehicle is taxable unless separately stated.
The DGFiP Has Spoken: France’s September e-Invoicing Deadline Stands. There has been speculation in recent weeks about whether France’s mandatory e-Invoicing deadline would be pushed back following a cyberattack on the DGFiP, France’s Public Finances Directorate. The French government has now responded directly, and the answer is unambiguous: no postponement. David Amiel, Minister for […]
How to Deregister for VAT and What to Consider First A drop in turnover, a change of business model, or the closure of a cross-border sales channel can all result in a company being registered for a tax it no longer needs to charge. Cancelling that registration is rarely as simple as writing to the […]
EDI vs E-Invoicing: What’s the Difference and Which Does Your Business Need? Both EDI and e-Invoicing move structured transactional data electronically between businesses. On the surface they look similar. In practice they serve different purposes, operate through different mechanisms, and carry very different compliance implications depending on where your business operates. Understanding the distinction is […]
Backdating VAT Registration: What Businesses Need to Know VAT registration has a deadline. Miss it, and the tax authority does not simply move the start date forward to when you applied. In most cases, it moves it back to when you should have registered in the first place. That gap between when you were liable […]
VAT IT and Helios: Every Invoice Verified, All Eligible VAT Recovered. When your business crosses borders, the tax rules, invoice formats, and compliance requirements change with every country you enter. Most expense platforms were not built to handle that. Managing it across multiple vendors is where things tend to go wrong. Helios and VAT […]
Oman’s e-Invoicing Rollout Just Changed. Here Is the Updated Timeline. On 9 August 2026, Oman’s Tax Authority issued Decision No. 189/2026, adjusting the phased rollout of its mandatory e-Invoicing programme and providing more clarity in respect of the affected taxpayers. The dates have moved. The direction has not. What Changed Phase Who It Covers Previous […]
VAT in the Events Industry: The Triggers That Catch Businesses Out Most event businesses think they have a VAT plan. What they actually have is a VAT filing plan. Those are not the same thing. Filing returns on time does not protect you if the underlying classification of your supplies is wrong. If admission […]
Branch vs Subsidiary: Why the Distinction Matters More Than You Think for VAT Reclaim Most multinationals know the difference between a branch and a subsidiary from a corporate law perspective. Fewer realise how dramatically that distinction affects their VAT position, and specifically, how much recoverable VAT they may be leaving on the table because of […]
California Is About to Tax SaaS. Here Is What Changes on 1 January 2027. If California was the state your US Sales Tax compliance team never had to think about, that changes in six months. Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 122 into law as part of California’s 2026-2027 budget. From 1 January […]
VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA): The Complete Guide to the EU’s VAT Reform VAT in the Digital Age, better known as ViDA, is the European Union’s biggest overhaul of VAT rules in a generation. After nearly two years of political deadlock, the reform is no longer a proposal, it is enacted EU law, with the first major deadlines within the […]
This guide provides an overview of Sales Tax in California, including applicable rates, registration requirements, compliance obligations, and filing deadlines. It is designed for businesses engaging in transactions within California.
billion in sales and use taxes are collected annually, the highest total in the nation.
You can register online through CDTFA Online Services.
Once registered, collect the correct combined state + district rate based on the rules above, itemize tax on invoices, and remit it through the CDTFA Online Services portal according to your filing frequency.
No. SaaS, electronic downloads, and custom programming are not taxable because no tangible property is transferred.
A remote seller must register as soon as it exceeds $500,000 in total gross sales into California in the current or prior year - registration is required immediately, with tax collection starting on the next transaction.
Shipping by common carrier is not taxable if separately stated. Handling is always taxable, and combined shipping & handling is fully taxable. Shipping in the seller’s own vehicle is taxable unless separately stated.
The DGFiP Has Spoken: France’s September e-Invoicing Deadline Stands. There has been speculation in recent weeks about whether France’s mandatory e-Invoicing deadline would be pushed back following a cyberattack on the DGFiP, France’s Public Finances Directorate. The French government has now responded directly, and the answer is unambiguous: no postponement. David Amiel, Minister for […]
How to Deregister for VAT and What to Consider First A drop in turnover, a change of business model, or the closure of a cross-border sales channel can all result in a company being registered for a tax it no longer needs to charge. Cancelling that registration is rarely as simple as writing to the […]
EDI vs E-Invoicing: What’s the Difference and Which Does Your Business Need? Both EDI and e-Invoicing move structured transactional data electronically between businesses. On the surface they look similar. In practice they serve different purposes, operate through different mechanisms, and carry very different compliance implications depending on where your business operates. Understanding the distinction is […]
Backdating VAT Registration: What Businesses Need to Know VAT registration has a deadline. Miss it, and the tax authority does not simply move the start date forward to when you applied. In most cases, it moves it back to when you should have registered in the first place. That gap between when you were liable […]
VAT IT and Helios: Every Invoice Verified, All Eligible VAT Recovered. When your business crosses borders, the tax rules, invoice formats, and compliance requirements change with every country you enter. Most expense platforms were not built to handle that. Managing it across multiple vendors is where things tend to go wrong. Helios and VAT […]
Oman’s e-Invoicing Rollout Just Changed. Here Is the Updated Timeline. On 9 August 2026, Oman’s Tax Authority issued Decision No. 189/2026, adjusting the phased rollout of its mandatory e-Invoicing programme and providing more clarity in respect of the affected taxpayers. The dates have moved. The direction has not. What Changed Phase Who It Covers Previous […]
VAT in the Events Industry: The Triggers That Catch Businesses Out Most event businesses think they have a VAT plan. What they actually have is a VAT filing plan. Those are not the same thing. Filing returns on time does not protect you if the underlying classification of your supplies is wrong. If admission […]
Branch vs Subsidiary: Why the Distinction Matters More Than You Think for VAT Reclaim Most multinationals know the difference between a branch and a subsidiary from a corporate law perspective. Fewer realise how dramatically that distinction affects their VAT position, and specifically, how much recoverable VAT they may be leaving on the table because of […]
California Is About to Tax SaaS. Here Is What Changes on 1 January 2027. If California was the state your US Sales Tax compliance team never had to think about, that changes in six months. Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 122 into law as part of California’s 2026-2027 budget. From 1 January […]
VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA): The Complete Guide to the EU’s VAT Reform VAT in the Digital Age, better known as ViDA, is the European Union’s biggest overhaul of VAT rules in a generation. After nearly two years of political deadlock, the reform is no longer a proposal, it is enacted EU law, with the first major deadlines within the […]
This webinar explains how US businesses can identify and recover foreign VAT, breaking down key concepts like reciprocity and showing where refund opportunities are often missed.
