AHLSTARZ Tax and Accounting Service -- Numbers, Simplified.

The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has announced that personal income tax liabilities may now be paid by pay-by-phone. The pay-by-phone option is a new e-pay option provided by the state's electronic funds transfer (EFT) vendor and allows taxpayers to use the automated clearing house (ACH) debit method to instruct the state to electronically debit a taxpayer's bank account for a specific payment amount. Pay-by-phone cannot be used by group nonresident return/composite filers.

To use pay-by-phone, taxpayers must first complete and submit form FTB 4073, Mandatory e-pay Pay-by-Phone Authorization Agreement for Individuals, to the FTB. The FTB will send a pay-by-phone approval letter to the taxpayer once the agreement has been processed. To change bank account information, taxpayers should complete another Form FTB 4073 and submit it to the FTB by fax or mail. Detailed information concerning how to use the pay-by-phone option is available on the FTB's Web site at http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/mandatory_epay/paybyphone.shtml.

Electronic payments may also be made online through the FTB's Web Pay service. No registration is required to use Web Pay.

Announcement, California Franchise Tax Board, November 11, 2009