Centralized Revenue Opportunity System (CROS)

What is CROS?

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The Centralized Revenue Opportunity System (CROS) replaced the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) legacy computer systems with an innovative customer-centered solution.

This solution is maximizing the effectiveness of staff operations, generating additional revenue, and providing efficiencies that benefit California businesses with:

  • Expanded online services
  • Better access to customer-centric records
  • Improved program processes
  • A more effective case-management system
  • A system that is more intuitive and user-friendly
  • Established data warehouse
  • Business intelligence capability

Project Lifecycle

Project Status: Completed

The CDTFA configured CROS to meet California business taxpayer's needs. The solution increases transparency by enabling taxpayers to access their account information online. As of November 9, 2021, all CDTFA administered tax and fee programs are now in CROS.

Release 1 – May 7, 2018:

  • Sales & Use Tax
  • Cigarette Retailer License Fee
  • Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Fee
  • Lumber Products Assessment
  • California Tire Fee
  • Prepaid MTS Surcharge
  • Cigarette & Tobacco Internet Purchases

Release 2 – August 12, 2019:

  • Alcoholic Beverage Tax
  • Cigarette and Tobacco Products Tax
  • Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing (Distributors, Importers, Manufacturers, Wholesalers)
  • Fuel Taxes (Aircraft Jet Fuel, Diesel Fuel, including Interstate User Diesel Fuel Tax, International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA), Motor Vehicle Fuel, and Alternative Use Fuel)
  • Oil Spill Response, Prevention & Administration Fees
  • Timber Yield Tax
  • Underground Storage Tank Maintenance Fee

Release 3 – November 9, 2020:

  • Cannabis Taxes
  • Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Fee
  • Emergency Telephone Users Surcharge
  • Energy Resources Surcharge
  • Hazardous Substances Taxes (Disposal, Environmental, Facility, Generator)
  • Integrated Waste Management Fee
  • Lead-Acid Battery Fees
  • Marine Invasive Species Fee (formerly Ballast Water Management Fee)
  • Natural Gas Surcharge
  • Occupational Lead Poisoning Prevention Fee
  • Public Warehouse – Alcoholic Beverage Tax
  • Tax on Insurers
  • Water Rights Fee

For more information about using our new system, visit our Online Services page.

CROS: A Customer-Centered Solution

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California businesses are benefiting from:

  • A single registration process for multiple tax and fee programs
  • Access to more information that can be used to improve business operations
  • Return filing assistance which helps reduce errors
  • The ability to amend returns online
  • Expanded online services with increased account maintenance capabilities
  • Access to real-time account information
  • Ability to track and obtain correspondence with the CDTFA.

CDTFA is benefiting from:

  • Faster and easier implementation of new legislation and program changes
  • Greater efficiencies through streamlined business processes
  • Automation of manual program processes with real-time access to customer information

External partners (Federal, State and Local) are benefiting from:

  • Improved access to internal CDTFA data
  • Improved tools and methods for analyzing and reporting data

Benefits-Based Contracting

While IT modernization can improve compliance and collections for state revenue agencies, recent budget constraints have made it increasingly difficult to fund new IT projects. Fortunately, we are able to finance the CROS project using revenue generated by and attributed to the new system.

This compensation strategy, called Benefits-Based Contracting, has been successfully employed by the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), Employment Development Department (EDD), and multiple state revenue agencies throughout the country, including:

  • Hawaii
  • Missouri
  • Kansas
  • South Carolina
  • Virginia
  • Texas
  • New Jersey
  • New York

CROS Project Resources

Here you can access project documents, such as the Request for Proposal (RFP), the Special Project Report (SPR), the Feasibility Study Report (FSR), and previous Board Meeting reports from the CROS Project Director.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

The Request for Proposal contains the preliminary requirements of the CROS system and reflects our general strategy and short/long term goals for the project. The RFP serves as the CDTFA's official solicitation of bids from Technology Contractors to build the CROS system.

Approved by the Department of General Services on July 1, 2013.

Special Project Report (SPR)

A Special Project Report (SPR) was developed to realign the project schedule with the (Procurement) Key Action dates stated in the CROS RFP, Section I. The SPR established a new schedule, resource, and cost baseline for the project. The SPR was approved by the Department of Technology on February 28, 2014.

Feasibility Study Report (FSR)

The Feasibility Study Report details our initial project objectives and proposed solution to replace our antiquated legacy computer systems, the Integrated Revenue Information System (IRIS) and the Automated Compliance Management System (ACMS).

Submitted to the California Technology Agency on May 23, 2011

CROS – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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The tax and fee programs listed below were transitioned into the new system in May 2018:

  • Sales & Use Tax
  • Cigarette and Tobacco Retailer's License Fee
  • Lumber Products Assessment
  • Prepaid Mobile Telephony Services (MTS) Surcharge
  • Covered Electronic Waste Recycling (eWaste) Fee
  • California Tire Fee
  • Cigarette & Tobacco Internet Purchases

The tax and fee programs listed below were transitioned into the new online system in August 2019:

  • Alcoholic Beverage Tax
  • Cigarette and Tobacco Products Tax
  • Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing (Distributors, Manufacturers, Importers, and Wholesalers)
  • Fuel Taxes (Aircraft Jet Fuel, Diesel Fuel, including Interstate User Diesel Fuel Tax, International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA), Motor Vehicle Fuel, and Alternative Use Fuel)
  • Oil Spill Response, Prevention and Administration Fees
  • Timber Yield Tax
  • Underground Storage Tank Maintenance Fee

The tax and fee programs listed below were transitioned into the new online system in November 2020:

  • Cannabis Taxes
  • Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Fee
  • Emergency Telephone Users Surcharge
  • Energy Resources Surcharge
  • Hazardous Substances Taxes (Disposal, Environmental, Facility, Generator)
  • Integrated Waste Management Fee
  • Lead-Acid Battery Fees
  • Marine Invasive Species Fee (formerly Ballast Water Management Fee)
  • Natural Gas Surcharge
  • Occupational Lead Poisoning Prevention Fee
  • Public Warehouse – Alcoholic Beverage Tax
  • Tax on Insurers
  • Water Rights Fee

Once you create a username and password you will be able to:

  • File returns, schedules, and reports
  • Make a payment
  • Print a permit or license
  • View account balance
  • Update your contact information
  • Request relief of penalty and interest
  • File an appeal or claim for refund
  • And more!

Yes, all tax and fee programs will have full access to all online services including filing returns. We will transition to paperless filing, in the near future.

  • To benefit from all the enhancements our new system has to offer, you should Sign Up Now to create a username and password. If you still use your Limited Access Code to file in the new system, we encourage you to create a username and password as the CDTFA will begin transition away from Limited Access Codes in January 2022.