🧾 How to Fax the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB)
The California Franchise Tax Board takes many notice replies by fax, and each notice type has its own number: 916-845-9351 for notice FTB 4502, 916-843-6036 for FTB 4734D and FTB 4579, and 916-843-0561 for the FTB 3552 identity theft affidavit. Use the fax number printed on your own notice first. Select United States, type the 10 digits, upload your pages and pay $2.99 for up to 3 pages. A power of attorney cannot be faxed; it goes by mail only.
📋 In This Guide
Which FTB Fax Number to Use
The FTB does not have one general fax line. Each bureau has its own, and the right number depends on which notice or form you are answering. These are the numbers the FTB lists on its letters page and its fax list:
| What you are sending | FTB fax number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reply to notice FTB 4502, Additional Documentation Required | 916-845-9351 | Filing Compliance Bureau, MS F151. Respond within 30 days of the notice date. |
| Reply to FTB 4734D, Tax Information and Document Request | 916-843-6036 | Within 30 days, or your claim for refund may be disallowed. |
| Reply to FTB 4579, Demand to Furnish Information | 916-843-6036 | Same line as FTB 4734D. |
| Form FTB 3552, Identity Theft Affidavit (self-reporting) | 916-843-0561 | Mark the cover sheet "Confidential". If you got a notice, use the fax on the notice. |
| Protest Section | 916-364-2754 | A protest under FTB 5830 is due within 60 days. |
| Taxpayers' Rights Advocate | 916-843-6022 | Put the notice details on your cover page so the office can find your file. |
| Settlement Bureau | 916-845-4747 | Use only if your settlement correspondence does not print a different number. |
| Decedent and Probate | 916-845-0479 | For estates and accounts of people who have died. |
| Bankruptcy | 916-845-9799 | For accounts in a bankruptcy case. |
| Lien Program | 916-845-4389 | For state tax lien matters. |
People searching for the "FTB Filing Compliance Bureau" fax usually have notice FTB 4502 in hand. That bureau's number for the 4502 is 916-845-9351, and the notice also shows the mail stop, MS F151.
Use the Number on Your Notice First
The FTB's own instruction is to respond as outlined on your notice or letter, by mail, fax or online. So the notice wins. If it prints a fax number, send to that number even if it differs from the table above. The table is there for when you have the notice type but have lost the page with the number, or when you want to check that the number you have belongs to the right bureau.
One number causes a lot of failed faxes: 916-845-2867 is not a fax line. It is a phone number for the federal Treasury Offset Program. Faxing it will not work. If your question is about an offset, call it; if you need to send paper, use the fax number on your FTB notice.
If the notice offers an online reply and you can use it, that is also fine. Fax is the right choice when you are outside the United States, have paper documents to send, or cannot get into an FTB online account from abroad.
FTB Reply Deadlines
FTB deadlines are short, and they run from the notice, not from when you open it. Mail to an address abroad can eat most of the window before you even see the letter, which is the main reason people fax.
FTB 4502: respond within 30 days of the notice date. FTB 4734D: respond within 30 days, or your claim for refund may be disallowed. FTB 4601, Demand for Tax Return: 30 days. Protest under FTB 5830: within 60 days. Always check the exact date printed on your own notice, and send early rather than on the last day, when fax lines are busiest.
What Cannot Be Faxed: Power of Attorney
A California power of attorney, and the related tax information authorization, cannot be faxed to the FTB. They go by mail only, to PO Box 2828, Rancho Cordova CA 95741-2828. If you are abroad and need a representative to deal with the FTB, mail the form early and send your other documents by fax once the representative is on file.
This is different from the IRS, where Form 2848 does have fax numbers. If you need a federal power of attorney as well, see our guide to faxing Form 2848 to the IRS from abroad.
The rule: fax the FTB only to the number on your notice, or the matching bureau number above if the notice is lost. Never fax a power of attorney, and never fax 916-845-2867, which is a phone line.
Entering an FTB Fax Number
FTB numbers are ordinary US numbers. Select United States, then type the 10 digits with no leading 1, no spaces and no dashes. So 916-845-9351 is entered as 9168459351, and 916-843-6036 as 9168436036. The country code is added for you. More detail on US number format is in how to fax to the USA online.
From the US or any other country, OverseasFax is built for exactly this. If you are abroad, see sending a fax from outside the United States.
What to Put on the Pages
Start with a cover page. Put your full name exactly as it appears on the notice, the notice type and date (for example "FTB 4502, dated" and the date), any identifying number the notice asks you to include, your phone number with country code, your email, and a short list of what is attached with the total page count. For an FTB 3552 identity theft affidavit, write "Confidential" on the cover sheet.
Then add a copy of the notice itself, so the bureau can match your reply to the right file, followed by the documents it asked for, in the order it listed them. Write your name and the notice type in a corner of every page. Send a clear PDF scan rather than phone photos; fax is black and white, and faint receipts or bank statements can arrive unreadable.
Your Record and the Cost
A typical FTB 4502 or 4734D reply is a cover page, a copy of the notice and four pages of documents: 6 pages, which costs $2.99 + 3 x $0.99 = $5.96. A short three-page reply is $2.99. There is no account to open, nothing is printed on your document, and if the fax cannot be delivered the full amount goes back to your card automatically.
Delivery usually takes a few minutes. You then get a confirmation email showing the destination number, the page count and the time it went through, in US Eastern Time. Keep it with the notice. It is your record of exactly when it was sent, which matters if the FTB later says it did not hear from you within 30 days. If you also have federal notices for the same year, IRS numbers are completely separate; start with how to fax the IRS.
The FTB replies in the way your notice describes. If a California office tells you it will fax something back, our sister service GetAFax.com gives you a US fax number for 24 hours for $5, and anything received arrives in your email.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to fax the California Franchise Tax Board?
Is there a cheaper way to fax the FTB?
Can I fax the Franchise Tax Board for free?
Does the California FTB accept documents by fax?
What is the fax number for FTB notice 4502?
What is the FTB Filing Compliance Bureau fax number?
I got an FTB 4734D asking for documents, where do I fax them?
Can I fax a power of attorney to the California Franchise Tax Board?
I'm in Dubai and my FTB 4502 reply is due next week, can I fax it from here?
Where do I fax a protest to the FTB Protest Section?
What is the fax number for the FTB 3552 identity theft affidavit?
Is 916-845-2867 an FTB fax number?
How do I enter an FTB fax number from outside the US?
What is the FTB Taxpayers' Rights Advocate fax number?
What FTB fax numbers are there for settlement, probate, bankruptcy and liens?
Will the Franchise Tax Board fax me a reply?
What record do I get after faxing the FTB?
Why did my fax to the California FTB fail?
Is it safe to fax my tax documents to the FTB?
What should the cover page say when I fax the FTB?
How many pages can I fax to the FTB in one go?
I also have an IRS notice for the same year, can I fax both?
Related Guides
📖 Fax the New York State Tax Department
📖 Fax IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit
📖 Fax Form 2848 to the IRS From Abroad
📖 Fax a CP2000 Response to the IRS
📖 How to Fax to the USA Online
📖 Send a Fax From Outside the United States
📖 What an International Fax Costs
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