State tax problems have their own agencies, their own rules, and, in California, some of the strongest collection powers in the country.
State tax resolution means resolving debt with agencies like the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), CDTFA, and EDD, which have their own payment plans, settlements, and hardship programs, separate from the IRS.
California's agencies can garnish wages, levy bank accounts, and even suspend licenses, so state debt needs dedicated representation, ideally coordinated with any federal balance.
A state balance is not just a smaller version of a federal one. Each state agency has its own rules, its own programs, and its own collection tools, and California's are among the most aggressive in the nation.
That means a strategy built only for the IRS can leave a state balance to spiral. The right approach treats state and federal debt as one coordinated problem, because what you agree to with one affects what you can do with the other.
California can suspend your professional or driver's license for certain unpaid tax debts, and the FTB moves faster than many expect. State debt is not a problem to leave for later.
The state versions of the major relief programs exist, but the criteria and process differ from the IRS:
A free, confidential review of your options. No obligation.
The same three-stage approach, applied to your case.
We represent you before the FTB, CDTFA, EDD, or other authority, the same way we do with the IRS.
Where you owe both state and federal tax, we manage them together so the strategy is consistent and nothing undercuts the other.
We pursue the state's version of the right program, an agreement, a settlement, or hardship status, and confirm it in writing.
Yes. We regularly represent clients before the California Franchise Tax Board, and we coordinate FTB matters with any federal balance. The FTB has strong collection powers, which is exactly why dedicated representation matters.
In several respects, yes. California's FTB can garnish wages, levy accounts, intercept refunds, and support license suspension, and it often moves faster than the IRS. That makes early representation especially important.
For certain tax debts, yes, including professional and occupational licenses. Resolving or formally addressing the balance is what protects against that, and it is one reason not to let state debt sit.
Yes. The FTB and CDTFA have their own settlement programs with different rules from the IRS. We prepare state offers and coordinate them with a federal offer where both apply.
No. They should be coordinated, because the terms you agree to with one agency affect what you can do with the other. We manage both together as a single strategy.
Yes. While we are based in Carlsbad and handle a great deal of California work, we represent clients in state tax matters across the country, coordinated with their federal case.
A free, confidential consultation about your federal or state tax matter. No obligation, no pressure.
