California State Board of Equalization Extends Call Center Hours.

Hours Extended During Peak Times to Better Assist Taxpayers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California State Board of Equalization (BOE) announced today that it will extend its Taxpayer Information Call Center operating hours October 14 to 30 in an effort to reduce wait times and better help taxpayers during peak return filing period. The extended hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On October 31, Call Center representatives will take calls until midnight. Depending on the volume of calls, hours may be extended further.

The BOE is committed to helping all California businesses and individuals comply with the state's complex and changing tax laws. BOE offers a full range of services tailored to the diverse needs of the state's businesses -- from electronic services to personal assistance with tax compliance questions. Normal Call Center operating hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), excluding state holidays.

The Call Center answers over 400,000 calls per year from taxpayers, tax practitioners, and the general public. During the July 2008 recent quarterly return peak period, Call Center representatives fielded more than 45,146 phone calls, an eleven percent increase over July 2007.

Customer service representatives increasingly help taxpayers with diverse questions about efiling, registration, return preparation, the Statewide Compliance and Outreach Program, tax exemptions and other BOE related questions.

The BOE is currently transitioning paper return filers to efiling. Taxpayers have recently been informed they will no longer receive paper returns from BOE, effective with returns due in October. This has increased the number of calls, and at times has caused taxpayers to hear a busy signal rather than get immediate assistance. Call Center representatives offer individualized assistance to taxpayers to aid in the transition. Some of these calls are several minutes long, causing longer wait times for other callers. In addition to the extended hours, more Call Center representatives will be available to answer phone inquiries.

Best Times to Call

Historically, callers experience the shortest wait times from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. each day. Generally, the highest volume of calls received daily is between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. In addition, the last week of the month has a higher than average volume of calls. Taxpayers calling during this time may experience longer wait times.

Toll-free number: 800-400-7115

If you are calling from outside of the 48 contiguous states, please call 916-445-6362 to reach our Taxpayer Information Call Center. TDD service for the hearing impaired is available at 800-735-2929 and 800-735-2922 from voice phones.

Local Assistance Available

The BOE has 23 local field offices available to assist taxpayers. To find the office closest to you, visit http://www.boe.ca.gov/info/phone.htm.

The five-member California State Board of Equalization is a publicly elected tax board. The BOE collects more than $53 billion annually in taxes and fees supporting state and local government services. It hears business tax appeals, acts as the appellate body for franchise and personal income tax appeals, and serves a significant role in the assessment and administration of property taxes.