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How to file California quarterly sales tax returns: CDTFA steps, due dates, and payment help

Filing a quarterly sales tax return in California can be challenging, and upcoming changes will add another consideration for SaaS businesses. Beginning January 1, 2027, California will begin taxing qualifying digital products, including many SaaS subscriptions accessed remotely. 

We wrote this blog to help quarterly filers move information from their TaxJar California Expected State Report into the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) system and catch common errors before submitting their returns.

Quick checklist before you file

Have these items ready:

• Your TaxJar Sales Tax Report
• Your California User ID and Password
• Your California sales and use tax account number
• Your state-assigned filing frequency
• Your California limited access login code

Open the CDTFA Online Services portal in a separate tab. If a district rate changed during the period, marketplace facilitator sales apply, or the CDTFA total differs from TaxJar by more than a small rounding amount, stop and review the underlying transactions before submitting.

Table of contents

• Filing basics for California sales tax
• What you need before you start
• How to file California sales tax in CDTFA
• Schedules, prepayments, and final review
• Common California filing mistakes
• California sales tax filing FAQ

Filing basics for California sales tax

When to file California sales tax

CDTFA assigns each account a filing frequency, which may be quarterly, monthly, or yearly. You should file the period displayed in your CDTFA account and confirm the current deadline on CDTFA’s filing dates page. Don’t assume every California seller files quarterly, and keep in mind your filing frequency can change if your business sale or revenue volume changes. 

What form do you use to file?

Sellers file California sales and use tax returns through CDTFA Online Services. The screens and supplemental schedules shown depend on the account, filing period, locations, and reported activity. Follow the return and schedules displayed in your account.

How to pay California sales tax online

After reviewing the return summary, submit the return in CDTFA Online Services and follow the payment prompts. Have your payment details ready, save the confirmation, and keep a copy of the filed return and receipt.

What you need before you start

Open the TaxJar California expected state report for the same period shown in CDTFA. Locate gross sales, purchases subject to use tax, taxable sales, deductions, district-tax breakdowns, prepayments, and expected sales tax due. 

Review the deductions/exemptions area. Common line items can include shipping, marketplace facilitator sales, and returned taxable merchandise, but only claim amounts that apply to your transactions and the CDTFA line description. For example, $1,200 of qualifying shipping plus $8,450 of marketplace facilitator sales would produce $9,650 in deductions if both amounts are eligible and belong on the selected lines.

Marketplace facilitator sales can change both gross-sales reporting and deductions. Review TaxJar’s guidance on marketplace facilitator tax before filing. Shipping can also be taxable or exempt depending on the transaction, so don’t deduct all shipping charges automatically.

How to file California sales tax in CDTFA

1. Open the correct TaxJar report

Open your California Expected State Report in TaxJar and select Record Filing. Confirm that the report period matches the CDTFA return period before copying any values.

 

How to record a filing in TaxJar

2. Sign in and open the filing period

Sign in to CDTFA Online Services. Under Accounts, select Sales and Use Tax, choose the correct period, and select File Return. If the period or account does not match your TaxJar report, resolve the mismatch first.

3. Enter gross sales and other sales amounts

Enter the Gross Sales amount from the TaxJar report as Total Sales. Add purchases subject to use tax and sales of fixtures and equipment when applicable. For example, if the report shows Gross Sales of $48,920.15, enter that exact amount unless the CDTFA field instructs you to round.

Enter sales at state-designated fairgrounds if applicable; for many businesses this amount is $0.

4. Enter nontaxable sales and deductions

Enter applicable nontaxable amounts on the corresponding CDTFA deduction lines. Match each entry to the Deductions/Exemptions section of the TaxJar report, then answer the questions about adjustments, credits, and partial exemptions.

Where to add your deductions/exemptions

5. Review taxable sales and tax due

Check that taxable sales and district allocations are consistent with the TaxJar report. Small differences can result from rounding. A larger variance may signal a missing deduction, the wrong filing period, a location or district-rate change, or marketplace facilitator activity handled incorrectly.

6. Submit the return and pay

Review the summary pages, enter preparer information, submit the return, and follow the payment instructions. Save or print the filed return and payment receipt. Record the filing and payment in TaxJar so the records are easy to find later.

Schedules, prepayments, and final review

In California, you use Schedules A, B, and C with your quarterly sales and use tax return to allocate local, county, and district taxes. Schedule A is used to report district taxes, Schedule B is used to allocate county-wide pools or sales made into counties where businesses don’t have a physical business location. Schedule C is used to report and allocate local sales and use taxes by specific in-state business location addresses when you operate registered brick-and-mortar or physical locations within California.

Schedule A

Use Schedule A (District Tax Breakdown) in the TaxJar report to enter the county, city, and taxable amount requested by CDTFA. Enter sales amounts, not tax collected, where the form asks for taxable transactions. If a district appears twice, check whether its rate changed during the period and match each TaxJar line to the corresponding CDTFA entry.

Schedule B

If CDTFA prompts you for Schedule B, open Schedule B (County Tax Breakdown) in the TaxJar California Expected State Report and transfer the requested county amounts. Not every seller files Schedule B. See TaxJar’s guide to filling out Schedule B and follow CDTFA’s current rounding instructions.

Schedule C

Complete Schedule C only if CDTFA presents it for your return. It may be used to allocate taxable sales and purchases to a registered location. Follow the current instructions in your CDTFA account rather than relying on previous filing instructions.

Prepayments and excess tax collected

Enter prepayments made during the period using the Prepayments section of the TaxJar report. Review California sales tax prepayments if you need more context. Report excess tax collected when applicable, then compare the CDTFA balance with expected sales tax due report in TaxJar.

Common California filing mistakes

• Using a TaxJar report for a different period than the CDTFA return
• Treating all shipping or marketplace facilitator sales the same without checking eligibility
• Skipping a Schedule B or Schedule C that CDTFA presents, or completing one that is not required
• Entering tax collected where Schedule A asks for taxable sales
• Ignoring duplicate district lines caused by a rate change during the period
• Assuming a mismatch is only rounding without reviewing deductions, locations, and filing periods
• Submitting without saving the return and payment confirmation

California sales tax filing FAQ

How often do I file California sales tax?

Use the filing frequency assigned by CDTF, keeping in mind that it may not be quarterly. Confirm the period and due date in CDTFA Online Services.

What if I have no sales to report?

You may still need to file a zero return for an assigned period. Follow the filing requirement shown in your CDTFA account.

Can I file and pay California sales tax online?

Yes. CDTFA Online Services supports filing and payment workflows. Available payment methods and screens depend on the account and return.

Where do I find California sales tax rates?

Use CDTFA’s current rate resources and confirm the rate for the transaction location and period. TaxJar’s California sales tax guide and calculator can help with general guidance.

What if CDTFA and TaxJar differ?

Confirm the filing period, gross sales, deductions, marketplace facilitator treatment, prepayments, and district allocations. A small variance may be rounding; a larger difference needs transaction-level review before submission.
Enter your Total Sales – Use the “Gross Sales” amount from your California state Expected TaxJar report. Enter any other values pertinent to your business in “Purchases Subject to Use Tax’ and “Sales of Fixtures and Equipment.” Click “Next.”

Make quarterly California sales tax filing easier with TaxJar

TaxJar can help take the complexity out of quarterly California sales tax returns for customers on a Professional plan by organizing your sales tax data and automating filing through AutoFile. If the CDTFA requires you to make monthly prepayments and file a quarterly return, select “Quarterly Prepay – quarterly remitted monthly” in your TaxJar State Settings. Learn more about setting up AutoFile for quarterly prepayments in our support article.

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