(a) Every employer required to withhold any tax under Section 13020 shall for each calendar quarter, whether or not wages or payments are paid in the quarter, file a withholding report, a quarterly return, as described in subdivision (a) of Section 1088, and a report of wages in a form prescribed by the department, and pay over the taxes so required to be withheld. The report of wages shall include individual amounts required to be withheld under Section 13020 or withheld under Section 13028. Except as provided in subdivisions (c) and (d), the employer shall file a withholding report, a quarterly return, as described in subdivision (a) of Section 1088, and a report of wages, and remit the total amount of income taxes withheld during the calendar quarter on or before the last day of the month following the close of the calendar quarter.

(b) Every employer electing to file a single annual return under subdivision (d) of Section 1110 shall report and pay any taxes withheld under Section 13020 on an annual basis within the time specified in subdivision (d) of Section 1110.

(c) (1) Effective January 1, 1995, whenever an employer is required, for federal income tax purposes, to remit the total amount of withheld federal income tax in accordance with Section 6302 of the Internal Revenue Code and regulations thereunder, and the accumulated amount of state income tax withheld is more than five hundred dollars ($500), the employer shall remit the total amount of income tax withheld for state income tax purposes within the number of business days as specified for withheld federal income taxes by Section 6302 of the Internal Revenue Code, and regulations thereunder.

(2) Effective January 1, 1996, the five hundred dollar ($500) amount referred to in paragraph (1) shall be adjusted annually as follows, based on the annual average rate of interest earned on the Pooled Money Investment Account as of June 30 in the prior fiscal year:

Average Rate of Interest

Greater than or equal to 9 percent:

$ 75

Less than 9 percent, but greater than or equal to7 percent:

250

Less than 7 percent, but greater than or equal to4 percent:

400

Less than 4 percent:

500

(d) (1) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (c), for calendar years beginning on and after January 1, 1995, if in the 12-month period ending June 30 of the prior year, the cumulative average payment made pursuant to this division or Section 1110 for any deposit periods, as described under Section 6302 of the Internal Revenue Code and regulations thereunder, was twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or more, the employer shall remit the total amount of income tax withheld within the number of business days as specified for filing federal income taxes by Section 6302 of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to mode or time of collection, and regulations thereunder. For purposes of this subdivision, payment shall be made by electronic funds transfer in accordance with Section 13021.5, for one calendar year beginning on January 1. Payment is deemed complete on the date the electronic funds transfer is initiated if settlement to the state’s demand account occurs on or before the business day following the date the transfer is initiated. If settlement to the state’s demand account does not occur on or before the business day following the date the transfer is initiated, payment is deemed complete on the date settlement occurs. The department shall, on or before October 31 of the prior year, notify all employers required by this paragraph to make payments by electronic funds transfer of these requirements.

(2) Effective January 1, 2017, paragraph (1) shall not apply to an employer subject to the electronic filing requirements of Section 1088. Effective January 1, 2017, an employer subject to the electronic filing requirements of Section 1088 shall remit the total amount of income tax withheld within the number of business days specified in Section 6302 of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations adopted thereunder for filing federal income taxes. Payment shall be deemed complete on the date the electronic funds transfer is initiated if settlement to the state’s demand account occurs on or before the business day following the date the transfer is initiated. If settlement to the state’s demand account does not occur on or before the business day following the date the transfer is initiated, payment is deemed complete on the date settlement occurs.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), effective January 1, 1995, electronic funds transfer payments that are subject to the one-day deposit rule, as described by Section 6302 of the Internal Revenue Code and regulations thereunder, shall be deemed timely if the payment settles to the state’s demand account within three business days after the date the employer meets the threshold for the one-day deposit rule.

(4) Any taxpayer required to remit payments pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) may request from the department a waiver of those requirements. The department may grant a waiver only if it determines that the particular amount paid in excess of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), as stated in paragraph (1) was the result of an unprecedented occurrence for that employer, and was not representative of the employer’s cumulative average payment in prior years.

(5)  A state agency required to remit payments pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) may request a waiver of those requirements from the department. The department may grant a waiver if it determines that there will not be a negative impact on the interest earnings of the General Fund. If there is a negative impact to the General Fund, the department may grant a waiver if the requesting state agency follows procedures designated by the department to mitigate the impact to the General Fund.

(e) An employer not required to make payment pursuant to subdivision (d) may elect to make payment by electronic funds transfer in accordance with Section 13021.5 under the following conditions:

(1) The election shall be made in a form, and shall contain information, as prescribed by the director, and shall be subject to approval by the department.

(2) If approved, the election shall be effective on the date specified in the notification to the employer of approval.

(3) The election shall be operative from the date specified in the notification of approval, and shall continue in effect until terminated by the employer or the department.

(4) Funds remitted by electronic funds transfer pursuant to this subdivision shall be deemed complete in accordance with subdivision (d) or as deemed appropriate by the director to encourage use of this payment method.

(f) Notwithstanding Section 1112, interest and penalties shall not be assessed against an employer that remits at least 95 percent of the amount required by subdivision (c) or (d) if the failure to remit the full amount is not willful and any remaining amount due is paid with the next payment. The director may allow any employer to submit the amounts due from multiple locations upon a showing that those submissions are necessary to comply with subdivision (c) or (d).

(g) The department may, if it believes that action is necessary, require any employer to make the report or return required by this section and pay to it the tax deducted and withheld at any time, or from time to time but no less frequently than provided for in subdivision (a).

(h) An employer required to withhold any tax and that is not required to make payment under subdivision (c) shall remit the total amount of income tax withheld during each month of each calendar quarter, on or before the 15th day of the subsequent month if the income tax withheld for any of the three months or, cumulatively for two or more months, is three hundred fifty dollars ($350) or more.

(i) For purposes of subdivisions (a), (c), and (h), payment that is not required to be made by electronic funds transfer is deemed complete when it is placed in a properly addressed envelope, bearing the correct postage, and it is deposited in the United States mail.

(j) (1) In addition to the withholding report, quarterly return, and report of wages described in subdivision (a), each employer shall file with the director an annual reconciliation return showing the amount required to be withheld under Section 13020, and any other information the director shall prescribe. This annual reconciliation return shall be due on the first day of January following the close of the prior calendar year and shall become delinquent if not filed on or before the last day of that month.

(2) The requirement to file the annual reconciliation return for the prior calendar year under this subdivision shall not apply to the 2012 calendar year and thereafter.

(k) The requirement in subdivision (a) to file a quarterly return shall begin with the first calendar quarter of the 2011 calendar year.

(l) The changes made to this section by Chapter 783 of the Statutes of 2012 shall apply on and after January 1, 2013.

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 222, Sec. 7. (AB 1245) Effective January 1, 2016.)