California Department of Tax and Fee Administration

Government Tax Administrationcdtfa.ca.gov

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) administers California's sales and use tax plus 30+ special taxes and fees, collecting over $90 billion annually through an online portal and field offices to serve California businesses and feepayers.

Company typePrivate
Founded2017
HeadquartersCauseway Bay, Hong Kong SAR China
Headcount1,001–5,000
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What California Department of Tax and Fee Administration does

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) is a California state government agency responsible for administering the state's sales and use tax plus more than 30 special taxes and fees, including those on fuel, tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, electronic cigarettes, firearms, tires, and other regulated goods. Per agency-reported figures, CDTFA-administered programs collectively collect over $90 billion annually on behalf of the State of California, with proceeds distributed to local essential services such as transportation, public safety, health, libraries, schools, and social services. The agency operates under the California Government Operations Agency (GovOps) and is led by Director Trista Gonzalez and Chief Information Officer Scott Capulong, under Governor Gavin Newsom.

The agency's core platform is the CDTFA Online Services portal (onlineservices.cdtfa.ca.gov), a self-serve web application that supports return filing, payments, permit/license/account registration, permit verification, violation reporting, and relief requests, supplemented by a Return Filing Tool for qualifying businesses and a public Customer Service Dashboard that publishes real-time call wait times and offers 24/7 chat in English and Spanish. Telephone support is provided via 1-800-400-7115 (TTY: 711), and the agency maintains field offices throughout California plus dedicated out-of-state offices in New York, Chicago, and Houston to serve interstate taxpayers, including IFTA motor carriers. Forms, publications, and the State of Emergency Tax Relief request (Publication 252-A) are available in 11 languages, and the website achieved WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility certification on June 5, 2025.

As a state government entity, CDTFA is funded through state budget appropriation rather than commercial revenue; online registration for permits, licenses, and accounts is free, and tax and fee rates are set by statute. The customer base is highly distributed across California-registered businesses and feepayers, including retail, fuel distributors, cannabis operators, and motor carriers, with disaster-affected taxpayers forming a meaningful secondary segment that accesses up to three-month filing extensions, penalty/interest waivers, and free replacement records. Distribution is digital-first via the cdtfa.ca.gov domain and social channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram), augmented by email subscription lists and structured tax education content.

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration firmographics

Firmographics

Name: California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Legal name: California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Website: https://cdtfa.ca.gov
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2017
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1,001–5,000 employees
Short description: The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) administers California's sales and use tax plus 30+ special taxes and fees, collecting over $90 billion annually through an online portal and field offices to serve California businesses and feepayers.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration industry classification

Industry

Product category: Government Tax Administration
akta.pro primary industry: Excise, VAT/Sales Tax & Indirect Tax Administration (BPAIADAH)
akta.pro secondary industries: Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General) (BPAIAOAB), Fleet Tax & Regulatory Reporting (IFTA/IRP, VAT/GST Fuel Reclaims) (TLABAMAH)

Keywords

Tax administration services
Sales use tax
Excise tax programs
Special tax fees
Regulatory compliance

Where California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Causeway Bay
HQ country: Hong Kong SAR China
HQ region: Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Tax and Fee Administration for the State of California: As a State of California government agency, CDTFA administers rather than sells. It collects over $90 billion annually in sales and use, fuel, tobacco, alcohol, cannabis taxes, and a variety of special taxes and fees on behalf of the State of California, distributing proceeds to local essential services such as transportation, public safety, health, libraries, schools, social services, and natural resource management programs. The agency is funded through state budget appropriation rather than commercial revenue generation.
Permit, License, and Account Registration: Issuance and ongoing administration of seller's permits, licenses, and accounts that authorize businesses to operate and remit taxes within CDTFA-administered programs. Free online registration is available.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Pay-as-you-go	Online permit/license/account registration is free.
Other	Pay-as-you-go	State of Emergency Tax Relief provided at no cost to affected taxpayers.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration product offering

Product offering

Core offering

CDTFA administers California's sales and use tax and 30+ special taxes and fees (fuel, tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, e-cigarette, firearms, tire, IFTA, and others) on behalf of the State of California, collecting over $90 billion annually. It issues seller's permits, licenses, and accounts; processes tax returns and payments; conducts compliance and audit; provides taxpayer education in 11 languages; and delivers disaster-driven State of Emergency Tax Relief including filing extensions, penalty/interest waivers, and free replacement records.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Sales & Use Tax Program

Quantifiable outcome

Collects over $90 billion annually across administered tax and fee programs.
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use California Department of Tax and Fee Administration

Customer profile

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) member jurisdictionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFTA is an agreement among U.S. states and Canadian provinces that simplifies fuel-use tax reporting for motor carriers operating in multiple jurisdictions. CDTFA administers the IFTA program on behalf of California-based motor carriers, coordinating reporting and licensing across member jurisdictions. The Interstate User Diesel Fuel Tax program applies to carriers traveling only between California and Mexico or whose business is not based in an IFTA jurisdiction. California can waive interest/penalties for its own tax only under IFTA.
Franchise Tax Board (FTB)coreOthersCalifornia sister agency for personal income and corporate income tax administration. Referenced from CDTFA's External Tax Resources page as the relevant agency for taxpayers needing FTB-administered programs.
California Board of Equalization (BOE)coreOthersListed on CDTFA's External Tax Resources page as a related California tax authority. BOE historically administered many of the taxes now under CDTFA and continues to be referenced as a partner/state tax resource.
Office of Tax Appeals (OTA)coreOthersCalifornia's independent tax appeals body. Listed on CDTFA's External Tax Resources page so taxpayers can pursue appeals of CDTFA determinations through OTA.
California Employment Development Department (EDD)coreOthersListed on CDTFA's External Tax Resources page as the California agency responsible for employment-related taxes, supporting taxpayer navigation between payroll/employment and CDTFA-administered programs.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)coreOthersFederal tax authority referenced from CDTFA's External Tax Resources page to direct California taxpayers to federal tax information and forms.
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceives diesel fuel tax revenue deposited into the Highway Users Tax Account (after Motor Vehicle Fuel Account refunds) and transfers to the State Highway Account and local city/county road funds. CDTFA references Caltrans's Transportation Funding in California page for apportionment details.
California Governor's Office (Governor Gavin Newsom) and Government Operations Agency (Secretary Nick Maduros)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDTFA operates under the executive branch with the Governor and the Secretary of the Government Operations Agency providing oversight and policy direction, as listed on the agency's leadership section on the homepage.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance5 records

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Department of Tax and Fee Administration

What does California Department of Tax and Fee Administration do?

Is California Department of Tax and Fee Administration a public or private company?

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was California Department of Tax and Fee Administration founded?

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration was founded in 2017. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.

Where is California Department of Tax and Fee Administration based?

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is headquartered in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.

How does California Department of Tax and Fee Administration make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Tax and Fee Administration for the State of California is the primary driver. The others are permit, License, and Account Registration.

Does California Department of Tax and Fee Administration have an API?

No public API is recorded for California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

What industry is California Department of Tax and Fee Administration in?

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration's product category is Government Tax Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIADAH, Excise, VAT/Sales Tax & Indirect Tax Administration, with a secondary code of BPAIAOAB, Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General).