Pay-by-phone option for individuals

General Information

The Pay-by-Phone option is provided by the state's EFT vendor and allows you to use the Automated Clearing House (ACH) Debit method to instruct the state to electronically debit a bank account you control for a specific payment amount. The state's EFT vendor offers two ways you can initiate the electronic payment, using touch-tone phone or Internet. Your account will be debited only upon your initiation and for the amount you specify.

Using pay-by-phone to make electronic payments satisfies the mandatory e-pay requirement for individuals.

Pay-by-phone cannot be used by Group Nonresident/Composite Return Filers.

Cost

The state pays the cost for you to report an ACH Debit payment using a touch-tone phone or Internet. You will be responsible for any fee your financial institution may charge you for the actual transfer of funds.

Registration

To use pay-by-phone, you must first complete and submit form FTB 4073, Mandatory e-pay Pay-by-Phone Authorization Agreement for Individuals, to us. After we have processed your authorization agreement, you will receive a letter informing you that you have been approved for participation in Pay-by-Phone.

If you need to change your bank account information, complete another FTB 4073 and submit it to us by fax or mail.

You may also make electronic payments using our Web Pay for Individuals online service. You can register for a MyFTB account to use Web Pay, or use Web Pay without registering.

Activating your account

Before you can make your first payment, you must activate your account.

Phone
(800) 554-7500

To activate your account as a first time user, call the toll-free number above and follow the prompts to change the temporary security code to a 4-digit number of your choosing.

The same security code can be used to make a payment using either the touch-tone phone or internet options.

Online
govone.com/PAYCAL

To activate your account via the Internet:

  • Go to govone.com/PAYCAL.
  • Select California Franchise Tax Board.
  • From the Sign In Page, select Register under “First time user.”
  • Enter your Social Security Number and temporary Security Code, then enter the requested information to complete your account registration.

If you were an existing customer before July 1, 2016, use your current Security Code.

Information required to make a payment

To make a payment by touch-tone phone or Internet, enter the following information:

  • Your SSN and security code (and password if making your payment via the Internet).
  • Your Spouse's SSN if making a joint payment.
  • A 5-digit Tax Type Code (see below).
    • 35910 = Bill Payment
    • 35920 = Estimated Tax Payment
    • 35930 = Extension Payment
    • 35940 = Return Payment
    • 35950 = Notice of Proposed Assessment (NPA) Payment
  • Tax Year. Enter the 4-digit year as YYYY.
  • Payment amount (dollars and cents).
  • Bank Account Debit Date. The date you want the payment to transfer out of your account and into the state’s bank account.

Choosing the Bank Account Debit Date

You may call the pay-by-phone telephone number or use the Internet 24 hours a day, year round to make your payment.

To ensure your payment is timely, you must complete your call by 3 p.m. PST on or before the due date of your payment. You cannot use the date you make the call as the payment date. If you make the call on the payment due date, you must select the next banking date as the payment date. However, as long as you complete the call before 3 p.m. PST, the payment will be considered to be timely.

If using the Internet option, you must submit the payment by 3 p.m. PST on or before the due date of your payment to ensure the payment is timely.

If the payment due date falls on a weekend or holiday, you have until the next banking day to make your payment. See the examples below.

Example 1

You call on the payment due date which is Thursday, 4/15 and complete the call by 3 PM PST on 4/15.
  • You cannot select 4/15 as the payment date, you have to use 4/16 (the next valid banking date).
  • The payment posts to your FTB account with an effective date of 4/15 and is considered to be timely.

Example 2

You call on the payment due date which is Friday, 4/15 and complete the call by 3 PM PST on 4/15
  • You cannot select 4/15 as the payment date, you have to use 4/18 (the next valid banking date).
  • The payment posts to your FTB account with an effective date of 4/15 and is considered to be timely.

Example 3

You call on the payment due date which is Thursday, 4/15 and complete the call after 3 PM PST on 4/15
  • You cannot select 4/15 or 4/16 as the payment date, you have to use 4/18 (the next valid banking date).
  • The call is considered received on the next day (Friday) since you missed the 3 PM PST cut-off.
  • The payment posts to your FTB account with an effective date of 4/18 and is considered to be delinquent.

Example 4

Payment due date is a weekend or holiday.
  • The payment due date is the next banking day.
  • You must still complete the call by 3 PM PST on or before this date.

FTB's Web Pay online service allows you to make your payment up to midnight PST on the payment due date and still use the payment due date as the debit date.

Warehousing payments

You can call the data collector and select a future date for your payment to transfer to the state’s bank account. You may designate any banking day, up to 90 days in advance, as the debit date of the payment. (The debit date is the date the payment will transfer out of your account and into the state’s bank account.)

Verification of payment

When you report your payment by either touch-tone phone or Internet, you will receive a reference number from the data collector. This serves as verification of the payment amount and date you made your payment.

Other transactions

Using the Internet or touch-tone phone, you can perform other transactions such as:

  • Change your security code.
  • Change your password. Available on the internet only.
  • Cancel a payment. You can cancel a previously submitted payment until 3 p.m. PST one business day prior to your selected debit date. You can cancel a payment using the Internet or touch-tone phone, regardless of how the payment was originally initiated.
  • Obtain status of previously submitted payments.

Contact us

Phone
(916) 845-4025
Between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM, Monday through Friday