California businesses have a new requirement and a new perk when filing state taxes this year.
The requirement: Businesses that use tax preparation software must file their returns electronically now, although penalties won’t start for another three years.
The perk: Businesses can now pay their taxes using credit cards. The third-party company that processes the payments will charge a 2-point-3 percent convenience fee.
“We’ve been getting feedback over the last few years where businesses have been wanting to pay their tax bills with a credit card,” says Daniel Tahara of California’s Franchise Tax Board. “So we were finally able to get a provider out there that can make that happen, and we’re happy to announce that people can do that going forward now.”
Tahara says there are no significant changes this year that affect individual taxpayers.
This story was produced by Capital Public Radio.