BOE special-tax teams extend filing deadlines for wildfire-affected alcohol licensees; insurance tax on track

Lede: Laura Williams, BOE technical advisor for special-tax programs, told the board the agency leveraged post-COVID statutory changes to automatically extend due dates for alcoholic beverage tax filers in governor-declared emergency areas, and that tax-on-insurers revenues for FY24-25 were running above forecast.

Nut graf: Williams said the alcoholic beverage tax (ABT) quarterly January 31 returns for impacted account holders were extended 90 days and that additional extensions can be granted if conditions warrant. For the insurers tax, she reported 2,742 accounts and Department of Finance bulletin figures showing FY24-25 revenues at about $1.87 billion — roughly 8% above forecast.

Body: Williams explained that legislation passed after the COVID pandemic lets the BOE extend ABT due dates when the governor proclaims an emergency rather than waiting for a separate executive order. “This allowed us, in conjunction with CDTFA, to work quickly and seamlessly to automatically extend the due date for our alcoholic beverage tax programs,” she said.

She reported 10,688 ABT accounts (a modest decline consistent with account closures and annual filers) and that the ABT revenue count matched the Department of Finance forecast at about $182 million. For the tax on insurers, Williams said the December 2024 DOF bulletin shows $1.87 billion in projected revenue for FY24-25, approximately $138 million (8%) above forecast, and that compliance remains high in those programs.

Ending: Williams said staff will continue to monitor which taxpayers are affected and to extend deadlines further if warranted; the board received the quarterly update with no formal vote.