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Business Taxes Law Guide—Revision 2024
Fee Collection Procedures Law
Revenue and Taxation Code
Division 2. Other Taxes
Part 30. Fee Collection Procedures Law
Chapter 6. Administration and Taxpayers' Bill of Rights
Article 2. The California Taxpayers' Bill of Rights
Section 55336
55336. Preliminary notice to taxpayers prior to lien. (a) At least 30 days prior to the filing or recording of liens under Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 7150) or Chapter 14.5 (commencing with Section 7220) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, the department shall mail to the taxpayer a preliminary notice. The notice shall specify the statutory authority of the department for filing or recording the lien, indicate the earliest date on which the lien may be filed or recorded, and state the remedies available to the taxpayer to prevent the filing or recording of the lien. In the event tax liens are filed for the same liability in multiple counties, only one preliminary notice shall be sent.
(b) The preliminary notice required by this section shall not apply to jeopardy determinations issued under Article 4 (commencing with Section 55101) of Chapter 3.
(c) If the department determines that filing a lien was in error, it shall mail a release to the taxpayer and the entity recording the lien as soon as possible, but not later than seven days, after this determination and receipt of lien recording information. The release shall contain a statement that the lien was filed in error. In the event the erroneous lien is obstructing a lawful transaction, the department shall immediately issue a release of lien to the taxpayer and the entity recording the lien.
(d) When the department releases a lien erroneously filed, notice of that fact shall be mailed to the taxpayer and, upon the request of the taxpayer, a copy of the release shall be mailed to the major credit reporting companies in the county where the lien was filed.
(e) (1) The department may release or subordinate a lien if the department determines any of the following:
(A) Release or subordination will facilitate the collection of the tax liability.
(B) Release or subordination will be in the best interest of the state and the taxpayer.
(C) Release or subordination will be in the best interest of the state and another person that is not the taxpayer but that holds an interest with the taxpayer in the property that is subject to the lien.
(2) The amendments added to this subdivision do not constitute a change in, and are declaratory of, existing law.
History—Stats. 1999, Ch. 929 (AB 1638), in effect January 1, 2000, substituted "lien" for "lean" after "board releases a" in subdivision (a) and added subdivision (e). Stats. 2022, Ch. 474 (SB 1496), in effect January 1, 2023, substituted "department" for "board" throughout the section; renumbered subdivision (e) as paragraph (e)(1) and created subparagraph (A) and (B) from former sentence as follows: substituted "any of the following:" for "release" after "determines" in new paragraph (1), added "Release" before "or subordination will", deleted "or" and added a period after "liability" in new subparagraph (A), added "Release or subordination" before "will be" in new subparagraph (B), added subparagraph (C) to paragraph (1), and added paragraph (2) in subdivision (e).