FTB Publication 1017 Resident and Nonresident Withholding Guidelines Revised: 04/2021

For information on real estate withholding, refer to the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) Publication 1016, Real Estate Withholding Guidelines.

For information on employee wage withholding, contact the California Employment Development Department (EDD) at edd.ca.gov

Law References

General

California Revenue and Taxation Code (R&TC) Section 18662 and the related regulations require withholding of California income or franchise taxes from payments and distributions made to nonresidents on California source income.

With certain limited exceptions, R&TC Section 18664 applies backup withholding to reportable payments made on or after January 1, 2010.

R&TC Section 18664 applies backup withholding (Section 3406 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC)) to reportable payments made on or after January 1, 2010.

R&TC Section 18668 makes the withholding agent liable to remit the tax withholding required.

R&TC Section 17951 contains the provision requiring nonresidents to be taxed on all income from California sources. California source income includes payments for personal services performed in California. Where the nonresident lives, the location where the contract for services is entered into, or the place of payment does not determine the source of income from personal services. The location where the personal services are performed determines the source of income. Nonresidents must include in California gross income the gross payments for all services performed in California.

Domestic (Nonforeign) S Corporation Shareholders and Partners

R&TC Section 18662 and the related regulations require S corporations and partnerships to withhold income taxes when distributing current or prior year income to domestic S corporation shareholders and partners. Withholding is not required if distributions to an S corporation shareholder or partner are $1,500 or less during the calendar year.

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Partners

R&TC Section 18666 requires withholding on income from California sources, which is allocated to foreign partners. R&TC Section 18666 generally conforms to federal IRC Section 1446 to the extent that the income is from California sources.

Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)

For withholding purposes, both LLCs, classified as partnerships, and LLPs are treated like partnerships. For purposes of this publication, LLCs and LLPs are generally included in the term “partnership” and members are generally included in the term “partner.” LLC and LLP information returns are included in the term “partnership information returns.” Form 568, Limited Liability Company Return of Income, is included in Form 565, Partnership Return of Income. However, LLCs should specifically see questions 29 and 30 relating to consenting and nonconsenting members.

What’s New

Beginning on January 1, 2020, we have a new Form 592-PTE, Pass-Through Entity Annual Withholding Return. Form 592-PTE is an annual form for pass through entities (PTEs) to allocate withholding credit to its payees. Withholding payments associated to Form 592-PTE are still due each payment period, and submitted with the new Form 592-Q, Payment Voucher for Pass-Through Entity Withholding.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Withholding Requirements

1. When is backup withholding required?

If you are required to withhold and remit backup withholding to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) you are also required to withhold and remit to FTB, except for instances specifically excluded for California purposes.

2. What if two or more types of withholding apply?

Under circumstances where both backup withholding and other types of withholding apply, backup withholding replaces all other types of withholding.

3. How do payers remit backup withholding?

Remit backup withholding to us using Form 592-V, Payment Voucher for Resident and Nonresident Withholding.

The due dates for California backup withholding are different than federal backup withholding due dates. California backup withholding due dates are the same as the due dates for individual estimated tax payments. The period due dates are described in the Form 592, Resident and Nonresident Withholding Statement, instructions and question 121 of this publication.

When an entity is a PTE (LLC, S Corp, Partnership, Estate, or Trust), use Form 592-PTE and Form 592-Q. When an entity has foreign partners or members, use Form 592-F and Form 592-A.

4. What is withholding?

Withholding is a prepayment of California state income or franchise tax (similar to wage withholding).

5. Who is the withholding agent?

A withholding agent is any person or entity with the control, receipt, custody, disposal, or payment of California source income. We also refer to withholding agents as “payers.”

6. Who is the payee?

Generally, the payee is the person or entity that receives items of income from a payer. It also includes partners, beneficiaries, shareholders, or members that receive payments or distributions from a PTE, estate, or trust. A payee may also include vendors that provide services to the payer.

7. Who is the payer?

Generally, the payer is the person or entity that pays an item of income or makes a distribution to a payee.

8. What is a partnership?

The term partnership has the same meaning as defined in R&TC Section 17008. For purposes of withholding, both LLCs and LLPs classified as partnerships are treated as partnerships.

9. What is a partner?

The term partner has the same meaning as defined in R&TC Section 17008. For purposes of withholding, members of both LLCs and LLPs classified as partnerships are generally included in the term partner.

10. When is a withholding agent required to withhold?

A withholding agent is required to withhold from all payments or distributions of California source income made to a nonresident payee unless the withholding agent receives a certified Form 590, Withholding Exemption Certificate, or authorization from us for a waiver, or an approved reduced withholding amount. The withholding agent is required to withhold once the total payments exceed $1,500 in a calendar year.

11.When should a withholding agent start withholding if the total payments to a nonresident are expected to exceed $1,500 during the calendar year?

Withholding is at the discretion of the withholding agent until payments exceed $1,500 during a calendar year. Once the total payments exceeds $1,500, the withholding agent is required to withhold.

12. Is catch-up withholding required if the withholding agent reasonably believed the total payments to a nonresident for the year would not exceed $1,500, but later determines the total payments will exceed $1,500?

No. Withholding must begin as soon as the total payments of California source income for the calendar year exceed $1,500.

13. What is the withholding rate for domestic (nonforeign) partners?

The withholding rate is 7 percent of the following:

14. What are the withholding rates for foreign (non-U.S.) partners?

The withholding rate is California’s highest tax rate for each partner’s entity type. The current withholding rates are:

15. Are there exceptions to withholding?

Yes. Withholding is not required if one of the following exceptions is met:

The exemption for motor carriers does not apply to all transportation providers. Similar exemptions for payments made to air, water, and rail carriers apply only to nonresident employees and not to independent contractors.

16. Are withholding agents required to notify nonresidents of the withholding requirements?

No. Withholding agents are not required to notify nonresidents of the withholding requirements. However, we recommend that they explain California’s withholding requirements to avoid confusion.

Income Subject to Withholding

17. What types of payments are subject to withholding?

The following California source income is subject to withholding:

For withholding purposes, California source income does not include return of capital, income sourced in another state, or other distributions not taxable by California.

18. What types of payments are not subject to withholding?

The following types of payments are not subject to withholding:

19. Are payments that are exempt from federal tax due to tax treaties (IRS Form W-8, Certificate of Foreign Status), also exempt from California tax and withholding?

No. California does not conform to federal law relating to income protected by U.S. tax treaties. California income is taxable and subject to withholding. Nonresident aliens are required to report income from California sources on Form 540NR, California Nonresident or Part‑Year Resident Income Tax Return.

20. Is withholding required on payments made to reimburse expenses?

If the reimbursement is separately accounted for and is not subject to IRS Form 1099 reporting, withholding is not required on payments to reimburse nonresidents for expenses related to services performed in California (corporate payees, for purposes of this exception, should be treated as individual persons). When the reimbursed expenses do not meet these requirements, withholding agents should withhold on the total payment.

21. How do you determine the amount subject to withholding with income from inside and outside California?

For withholding purposes, use any reasonable method to approximate the ratio of California income to worldwide income. Reasonable methods include using the prior year’s ratio or apportionment factors, annualizing current year data, and using actual year-to-date figures. (See California Schedule R, Apportionment and Allocation of Income, for more information on apportionment.) We do not expect exactness in meeting this requirement. Making a good faith effort to comply with the withholding requirements will satisfy this requirement.

Entities Subject to Withholding

22. Which nonresident entities are subject to withholding when receiving payments or distributions of California source income?

Nonresident entities subject to withholding include: