The Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee voted 10-0 on April 5 to approve AB 879 (Blanca Rubio), the CalTax-sponsored California Tax Amnesty and Revenue Recovery Act, which requires the Franchise Tax Board and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to administer a tax amnesty program. The bill now advances to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Assembly Member Blanca Rubio noted that the bill will increase state revenue without raising taxes.
CalTax Policy Advocate Dustin Weatherby testified that the bill is good tax policy, helping taxpayers who have been struggling during the pandemic and suffered economic hardship through no fault of their own.
By relieving penalties, the amnesty program would help taxpayers recover from the recession and return to full tax compliance, Weatherby said.
The bill has no formal opposition.