INSTRUCTIONS - STATE, LOCAL, AND DISTRICT SALES AND USE TAX RETURN
You can file your return online by going to www.cdtfa.ca.gov and selecting File a Return. When you file online you can
pay by credit card, paper check, or electronic check (ACH Debit).
Credit card payments. You can use an American Express
®
, Discover/Novus
®
, MasterCard
®
, or VISA
®
credit card to
pay your taxes. Other credit cards cannot be accepted. EFT accounts are not eligible for credit card payments. Credit
card payments can be made by calling 1-855-292-8931 or through our website at www.cdtfa ca.gov. Be sure to sign
and mail your return.
PREPARATION OF THE RETURN
Line 1 Total (gross) sales. Report all sales related to your California business (include all manner of sales).
Line 2 Purchases subject to use tax. Enter the purchase price of merchandise, equipment, or other tangible
personal property which you purchased without paying California sales or use tax and which you used for
purposes other than resale in the regular course of business. The purchase may have been made without
payment of tax because you used a resale or other exemption certificate to make the purchase; you
purchased from an out-of-state retailer who did not collect California use tax; or you made a purchase from
an unlicensed retailer, such as a person making an occasional sale of a vessel or an aircraft.
Line 3 Total. Enter total of lines 1 and 2.
Line 4 Sales to other retailers for resale. Enter sales to other sellers from whom you have taken valid resale
certificates (see Regulation 1668).
Line 5 Nontaxable sales of food products. Enter all sales of food products for human consumption. Do not enter
sales of alcoholic or carbonated beverages, hot prepared food products, meals or food served by you for
consumption at your facilities or food sold for consumption in a place which is subject to an admission charge
(see Regulations 1602 and 1603. Vending machine operators should refer to Regulation 1574). Note: If you are
claiming a deduction for sales of food products by the purchase ratio method, you must maintain a complete
analysis of taxable and nontaxable purchases.
Line 6 Nontaxable labor. Enter sales included in line 1 that constitute labor charges for installing or applying
property or for repairs or reconditioning of tangible personal property to refit it for the use for which it was
originally produced. Do not include charges for fabricating or processing personal property for consumers
(see Regulation 1546).
Line 7 Sales to the United States government. Enter sales to: (1) the United States or its unincorporated agencies
and instrumentalities such as, Treasury, Interior, Agriculture, Defense; (2) any incorporated agency or
instrumentality of the United States wholly owned by either the United States, or by a corporation wholly
owned by the United States; (3) the American Red Cross, its chapters and branches; (4) incorporated federal
instrumentalities not wholly owned by the United States, such as, federal reserve banks, federal credit unions,
federal land banks, and federal home loan banks (see Regulation 1614).
Line 8 Sales in interstate or foreign commerce. Enter sales involving shipments or deliveries from California to
points outside this state that are exempt from tax as interstate or foreign commerce. To be exempt, property
must be shipped outside this state, pursuant to the contract of sale, and delivered by the retailer by means of:
(1) facilities operated by the retailer; (2) delivery by the retailer to a carrier for shipment to a consignee at such
a point outside the state or (3) delivery by the retailer to a customs broker or forwarding agent for shipment
outside this state (see Regulation 1620).
Line 9 Sales tax. Enter sales tax reimbursement or use tax collected from customers if those taxes were included in
the amount shown on line 1 (see Regulation 1700).
Line 10 Other deductions. Enter the amount of all other deductions not listed on lines 4 through 9. Each deduction
must be clearly explained. For more information, see publication 61, Sales and Use Tax: Exemptions and
Exclusions.
Note: Do not use this form if you have tax recovery deductions such as Bad Debts on Taxable Sales, Returned
Taxable Merchandise, Cash Discounts on Taxable Sales or Cost of Tax Paid Purchases Resold Prior to Use.
Also, this form should not be used if you have sales eligible for a Partial State Tax Exemption. If you have such
transactions to report, you should contact your local California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
(CDTFA) office for the correct form.
CDTFA-401-EZ (S2F) REV. 39 (7-18)