Resources for Cigarette and Tobacco Products Online Filing

Confidentiality Statement

Cigarette and tobacco products online filing adheres to all confidentiality procedures and requirements set forth by the CDTFA. Personal information, such as a driver license number, a social security number, or a residence address, is not disclosed to the public. However, some records are subject to disclosure. These include CDTFA license or permit numbers, business name and address, and license status. For purposes of enforcing the cigarette and tobacco products tax and licensing laws, personal information may be disclosed to federal agencies and other state agencies. Please review CDTFA-324-GEN, Annual Privacy Notice – No Action Needed, for information on the CDTFA's confidentiality procedures and requirements.

Authorization for Electronic Transmission of Data

Form CDTFA-82, Authorization for Electronic Transmission of Data, authorizes the CDTFA to communicate online matters with you via email. It is essential to successful cigarette and tobacco products online filing. Submit a completed Authorization for Electronic Transmission of Data via fax, email, or mail to:

Fax: 1-916-323-9352

Email: CDTFACTeFile@cdtfa.ca.gov

Mail: California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Special Taxes and Fees
P.O. Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0030

System Availability

Tax form data and payments transmitted must be received by the CDTFA in the required format and by the associated due dates in order to be considered timely. While the CDTFA strives to ensure the online filing system is available at all times, there are situations which may occur and interfere with a transmittal. It is your responsibility to file tax forms and make payments to the CDTFA by the required due dates. A complete listing of due dates is provided on the CDTFA's website.

If the system is unavailable or transmittals are rejected, you are still responsible for filing your tax forms and submitting payment to the CDTFA by the required due date and time. The following situations may occur which may affect the timely filing of tax forms and payments.

  • Scheduled Maintenance – The system may become unavailable while the CDTFA performs routine maintenance on the online filing system. Prior to this time, you will be notified of the time frame of the expected system outage.
  • Rejected Transmittals – Once the CDTFA receives a tax form or payment, a confirmation of filing or an error code/message will be sent to you immediately.

    You must receive a confirmation number on or before the due date and time in order for the return or payment to be considered timely. A confirmation number will not be returned for rejected transmittals. If you do not receive a confirmation number, the tax form and payment must be retransmitted. A tax form or payment may be rejected in the case of system errors or if required information was omitted or not in the required format.

  • System Problems and Unscheduled Emergency Maintenance – System problems and unscheduled emergency maintenance will impact availability to the online filing system. When system problems or unscheduled emergencies occur, you can check our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) web page. You should verify if any information was posted on the CDTFA's website at www.cdtfa.ca.gov before contacting the eServices Coordinator. If messages have not been posted, contact the eServices Coordinator by telephone or email to inform the CDTFA about any system errors encountered. The CDTFA strives to ensure that all known system problems are corrected in an efficient manner. The CDTFA strives to ensure that all known system problems are corrected in an efficient manner.