California Department of Tax and Fee Administration

State Tax Administrationca.gov

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is a Sacramento-headquartered state agency that administers California's sales and use, fuel, tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and specialty fee programs, collecting over $90 billion annually from California businesses to fund essential public services.

Company typePublic
Founded-
HeadquartersSacramento, United States
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 state government agency headquartered in Sacramento, California, that administers California's sales and use, fuel, tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis taxes, as well as a range of specialty fees. It serves as the single state-level authority for tax and fee compliance across the California business ecosystem, with registered businesses across all industries as its obligate constituents. CDTFA-administered programs collect over $90 billion annually, which is distributed to fund essential public services including transportation, public safety, health, libraries, schools, social services, and natural resource management.

The agency operates a unified tax administration platform spanning registration, collection, enforcement, and regulatory guidance across multiple tax and fee programs. Core product lines include sales and use tax administration, fuel excise tax management, tobacco and alcohol tax oversight, cannabis taxation, and specialized fee programs such as the lead-acid battery recycling fee (effective July 1, 2024). CDTFA also publishes regulatory guidance — including Publication 177 (marketplace facilitator obligations for internet auctions) and Regulation 1595 (business transfers and reorganizations) — and administers equity programs for cannabis businesses harmed by prior criminalization, in coordination with the Department of Cannabis Control, the Franchise Tax Board, and the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

As a government entity, CDTFA does not generate commercial revenue; its operations are funded through state appropriations tied to the taxes and fees it administers. Distribution occurs primarily through the CA.gov state portal and direct taxpayer assistance at field offices. The agency holds WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 Level AA accessibility certifications and operates under the authority of the State of California with no parent holding company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity.

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://ca.gov
Company type: Public
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1,001–5,000 employees
Short description: The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is a Sacramento-headquartered state agency that administers California's sales and use, fuel, tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and specialty fee programs, collecting over $90 billion annually from California businesses to fund essential public services.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration industry classification

Industry

Product category: State Tax Administration
NAICS: Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)
akta.pro primary industry: State/Provincial Taxation & Revenue Administration (BPAIABAD)
akta.pro secondary industries: Excise, VAT/Sales Tax & Indirect Tax Administration (BPAIADAH), Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General) (BPAIAOAB), Regulated/Controlled Substance Compliance, Tax Stamp & Track-and-Trace Services (Alcohol/Tobacco/Cannabis) (CRAOAIAJ)

Keywords

State tax administration
Sales and use tax
Fuel tax programs
Tobacco tax compliance
Cannabis tax collection

Where California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Sacramento
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

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, Others

Revenue model

Tax and Fee Collection: CDTFA-administered programs collect over $90 billion annually in sales and use taxes, fuel taxes, tobacco taxes, alcohol taxes, cannabis taxes, and various other fees that fund specific state programs including transportation, public safety, health, libraries, schools, social services, and natural resource management.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) administers California's major state tax programs, including sales and use tax, fuel excise taxes, tobacco taxes, alcohol taxes, and cannabis taxes. It also administers specialized programs such as the lead-acid battery recycling fee and state-level cannabis equity programs providing fee relief and tax credits. CDTFA-administered programs collect over $90 billion annually that funds essential California state and local services.

Product overview

The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) operates as a unified tax administration platform that administers multiple tax programs including sales and use tax, fuel taxes, tobacco taxes, alcohol taxes, and cannabis taxes. The CDTFA collects over $90 billion annually through these programs, which fund essential local services such as transportation, public safety, health, libraries, schools, social services, and natural resource management. The department publishes regulatory guidance documents (such as Publication 177 and Regulation 1595) and administers fee programs like the lead-acid battery recycling fee. CDTFA also participates in inter-agency equity programs for the cannabis industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Sales and Use Tax Administration Administers California's sales and use tax programs, including registration, collection, reporting, and enforcement for retail transactions conducted in the state.
Fuel Tax Programs Manages fuel excise taxes including gasoline, diesel, and alternative fuels that fund transportation and infrastructure projects in California.
Tobacco and Alcohol Tax Administration Oversees tax collection on tobacco products, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, and cannabis products sold in California.
Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Fee Administration Implements $2.00 fee regulations for sale of new and replacement lead-acid batteries, defining entities responsible for fee collection and remittance; regulations became operative on July 1, 2024.
Cannabis Equity Program Administration Administers state-level equity programs providing fee relief, tax credits, and vendor compensation to cannabis businesses harmed by criminalization, in coordination with the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) and the Franchise Tax Board (FTB).

Companies that use California Department of Tax and Fee Administration

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDTFA partners with the Department of Cannabis Control and Franchise Tax Board to administer state-level equity programs providing fee relief, tax credits, and vendor compensation to cannabis businesses harmed by criminalization.
Franchise Tax Board (FTB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDTFA partners with the Franchise Tax Board and Department of Cannabis Control to administer state-level equity programs providing fee relief, tax credits, and vendor compensation to cannabis businesses harmed by criminalization.
Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGO-Biz provides grants to local jurisdictions to develop and implement their own support programs for cannabis entrepreneurs, complementing the state-level equity programs administered by CDTFA, DCC, and FTB.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

California Franchise Tax Board (FTB): California's partner state tax agency administering personal income tax and corporate income tax. Most directly comparable peer because it sits alongside CDTFA within California state government, serves the same taxpayer base, and co-administers programs (e.g., cannabis equity) with CDTFA.
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts: Texas's state tax administration and revenue agency, overseeing sales/use, motor fuel, tobacco, and other state taxes. Comparable in function as the lead state revenue administrator for a major state economy.
Florida Department of Revenue: Administers Florida's state tax and fee programs. Comparable as a state-level tax administration agency managing multiple consumption-based taxes and fees.
Washington State Department of Revenue: Administers Washington's major tax programs including sales/use, business, and excise taxes. Comparable as a peer state agency with similar multi-tax administrative mandate.
Illinois Department of Revenue: Illinois's primary state tax administration agency for income, sales, excise, and other state taxes. Comparable in mandate and multi-program state tax administration scope.
Pennsylvania Department of Revenue: Pennsylvania's state tax administration agency overseeing personal income, corporate, sales/use, and excise taxes. Comparable as a peer state-level revenue administrator with overlapping program scope.
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance: Administers New York's state taxes including sales/use, excise, and corporate taxes. Comparable in mandate (multi-program state tax administration) and operating scale, though serving a different state.

Emerging players

Avalara: Private-sector tax compliance software company providing automated sales/use tax determination and filing tools. Comparable as a technology-enabled sales tax compliance provider serving the same underlying businesses CDTFA regulates.

Broad incumbents

Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Federal tax administration agency responsible for federal tax collection and compliance. Wider mandate and scope than CDTFA but operates the same core function of tax administration at a higher governmental tier.
Thomson Reuters (Tax & Accounting): Provides tax compliance, research, and regulatory workflow software used by tax professionals interacting with agencies like CDTFA. Comparable as an adjacent incumbent enabling compliance with state tax regimes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance2 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

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 public 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 -1. 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 Sacramento, United States, in the North America region.

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

One revenue line is on record: tax and Fee Collection.

Who are California Department of Tax and Fee Administration's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Florida Department of Revenue, Washington State Department of Revenue, Illinois Department of Revenue, Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Avalara is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Thomson Reuters (Tax & Accounting).

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 State Tax Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIABAD, State/Provincial Taxation & Revenue Administration, with a secondary code of BPAIADAH, Excise, VAT/Sales Tax & Indirect Tax Administration. Its NAICS code is 92615.