CA Franchise Tax Board Payment FAQ

Paying a business franchise tax payment as an S corporation? Head to the California Franchise Tax Board payment portal and follow the steps below to submit a payment!

1. When prompted to choose between business and personal, select business.

2. Next, under entity type, you'll select Corporation. Your "Entity ID" is the number printed on the Articles of Incorporation issued from the California Secretary of State. Once you have filled this out, click "Login".

3. Based on the information you've submitted, your entity information should populate under Entity ID and Entity Name. Under contact info, you will input your (the client or Heard user's) name. Hit continue.

4. On the next screen, please check the first box, as your business files Form 100S for franchise tax.

5. Next, select the payment type depending on what you are aiming to pay for:

• Estimated Tax Payments are made on a quarterly basis. You will likely not have one until Q3 or Q4.
• Extension Payments are typically made around March 15.
• Original Return Payment should be selected after Heard's Tax Team has eFiled your return and notified you that a payment was due with the return. You may reference your final signed return (uploaded to Heard) for the amount.
• All other payment types are not typically calculations supplied by Heard.

6. Press continue. You will then be prompted to fill out your payment information. Please include the full tax year payment is covering.

• • For extension and original return payments: You will typically be submitting a tax payment for the previous year. (Since we are currently in 2023, you would be submitting a tax payment for 2022. You will mark 1/1/2022 – 12/31/2022.)
  • For estimated tax payments: You are submitting a tax payment for the current year. (Since we are currently in 2023, you will submit a tax payment for 1/1/2023 - 12/31/2023.)

This screenshot is an example of extension or original return payment selected.

If you are selecting and submitting an estimated tax payment, you may schedule multiple quarterly payments for the year.

This screenshot is an example of if estimated tax was selected.

Select “Add an estimated tax payment” and fill out the relevant information, then hit continue. The date entered can be today’s date or a future date.

The information you've submitted will then be shown at the bottom of the payment portal. Hit continue.

7. Enter your bank information, then hit continue. You should use your business bank account to pay this tax. This is considered a franchise tax and is therefore deductible on your business tax return!

8. A summary of the information you have provided will appear at the top of the screen. Enter in your email and telephone number and check the Payment Authorization box to complete the transaction.

A receipt will be emailed to you once you have clicked submit. Print a copy for your records and upload it to the Tax-Related Documents section of Heard!