• videocam Live Webinar with Live Q&A
  • calendar_month June 9, 2026 @ 1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT
  • signal_cellular_alt Intermediate
  • card_travel Corporate Tax
  • schedule 110 minutes

CDTFA Sales and Use Tax Examinations: High-Risk S&U Tax Issues, California S&U Tax Audits, Preparing for CDTFA Scrutiny

About the Course

Introduction

This webinar will provide businesses and their tax advisers with a practical framework for preparing clients for California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) examinations and defending positions taken on California sales and use (S&U) tax returns. Our panel of knowledgeable tax attorneys will outline current areas of focus and recent legislative and administrative developments in California related to S&U tax.

Description

S&U tax examinations conducted by the CDTFA present unique risks for California businesses due to the state's complex sourcing rules, expansive district tax regime, aggressive use tax enforcement, and data-driven audit selection methodologies. In recent years, CDTFA has intensified audit scrutiny across industries, with particular emphasis on exempt sales documentation, resale certificates, marketplace transactions, economic nexus, and use tax compliance. As a result, businesses operating in—or selling into—California face heightened exposure during S&U tax audits.

California has the highest sales tax rate, 7.25%. When combined with local taxes, Los Angeles businesses remit 9.75% on California sales. With local incentive taxes for city services, businesses in Palmdale and Santa Fe Springs suffer rates of 11.25% and 11%, respectively. The CDTFA imposes a 6% penalty on late payments, increasing to 10% if due to "negligence or disregard," and, for certain suppliers or wholesalers who knowingly fail to comply, the penalty rate is 25%. 

Tax professionals and businesses with S&U obligations in California need to understand current sales and use tax requirements, manage sales tax compliance, and prepare for potential CDFTA scrutiny

Listen as our panel of astute California tax attorneys divulges high-risk issues for California S&U examinations, outlines the CDTFA audit process, and offers advice for managing California S&U tax compliance. 

Presented By

Robert Horwitz
Principal
Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez, PC

Mr. Horwitz has over 35 years of experience as a tax attorney specializing in the representation of clients in civil and criminal tax cases, including civil audits and appeals, tax collection matters, criminal investigations, administrative hearings and in civil and criminal trials and appeals in federal and state courts. He has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Taxation Section of the State Bar of California and was Chair of the Taxation Section for 2015-2016 year. Mr. Horwitz was previously Chair of the Tax Procedure and Litigation Committee of the State Bar Taxation Section. Prior to joining Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez P.C., Mr. Horwitz was with a boutique tax controversy firm in Orange County, where he represented clients in civil and criminal tax cases in the U.S. Courts of Appeal, U.S. district courts, California superior courts, and before the Internal Revenue Service, the California Franchise Tax Board, the Board of Equalization, the Employment Development Department and the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. He has been a speaker on tax matters at the UCLA Tax Controversy Institute, the Annual Meeting of the Taxation Section of the California Bar and the California State Bar Annual Meeting. 

Cory Stigile
Principal
Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez, PC

Mr. Stigile specializes in tax controversies as well as tax, business, and international tax. His representation includes Federal and state tax controversy matters and tax litigation, including sensitive tax-related examinations and investigations for individuals, business enterprises, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations. Mr. Stigile's practice also includes complex civil tax examinations, administrative appeals and tax collection proceedings (where he is widely respected for achieving meaningful resolutions of difficult tax collection issues). He frequently writes and lectures on topics involving taxation.

Steven Toscher
Managing Principal
Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez, PC

Mr. Toscher has been representing clients for more than 35 years before the Internal Revenue Service, the Tax Divisions of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of the United States Attorney, numerous state taxing authorities and in federal and state court litigation and appeals. Mr. Toscher enjoys a unique combination of solid criminal defense experience and extensive substantive tax experience to assist individuals and entities subject to sensitive government inquiries. He has considerable experience as lead counsel in defending criminal tax fraud investigations (both administrative and grand jury investigations) as well as in defending criminal tax prosecutions (both jury and non-jury). Mr. Toscher’s tax practice includes a wide array of substantive areas including income taxes, estate taxes, employment taxes, sales taxes and property taxes. He is routinely involved in sensitive issue or complex civil tax examinations and administrative appeals on behalf of wealthy individuals and their closely held entities as well as large corporations involving both domestic and foreign tax related issues.

Credit Information
  • BARBRI is a NASBA CPE sponsor and this 110-minute webinar is accredited for 2.0 CPE credits.

Date + Time

  • event

    Tuesday, June 9, 2026

  • schedule

    1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT

I. Handling CDTFA S&U tax examinations: introduction

II. CDTFA audit environment and audit selection

III. Unique procedural aspects of CDTFA examinations

IV. High-risk S&U tax issues in California

V. Recent legislative and administrative developments

VI. Defending positions and managing an examination

VII. Best practices

The panel will cover these and other key issues:

  • Current CDTFA priorities in S&U tax examinations
  • S&U tax compliance requirements in California
  • Reducing future audit exposure
  • Steps in the CDTFA audit process
  • Preparing now for future potential examinations

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

  • Identify common California S&U tax issues that could trigger an audit
  • Determine high-risk areas that the CDTFA is targeting regarding S&U tax
  • Decide how recent sales and use tax legislation impacts S&U tax in California
  • Ascertain how to be audit-ready for a CDTFA examination
  • Field of Study: Taxes
  • Level of Knowledge: Intermediate
  • Advance Preparation: None
  • Teaching Method: Seminar/Lecture
  • Delivery Method: Group-Internet (via computer)
  • Attendance Monitoring Method: Attendance is monitored electronically via a participant's PIN and through a series of attendance verification prompts displayed throughout the program
  • Prerequisite:

    Three years+ business or public firm experience at mid-level within the organization, preparing complex state income tax forms and schedules; supervisory authority over other preparers/accountants. Knowledge and understanding of state taxation of warranties, including mandatory, option and extended warranties; familiarity with sales tax nexus issues.


BARBRI, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of Accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE Credits. Complaints regarding registered sponsons may be submitted to NASBA through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

BARBRI CE webinars-powered by Barbri-are backed by our 100% unconditional money-back guarantee: If you are not satisfied with any of our products, simply let us know and get a full refund. Contact us at 1-800-926-7926 .