Franchise Tax Board Field Office

You better hope you NEVER have to come to this office; it is by far the slowest operating government office on earth. It makes a day at the DMV feel like you’re royalty. This place is horrid. The workers move insanely slow– almost like they’re doing it on purpose. They usually only have 2 people working at a time too. Then people walk up to the windows, without having a number, and they will help them! Its painful to be here. I imagine that this is what hell is like. Except in hell they’d actually follow the number system.

Most horrible service provided website /​phone.
cannot get registered online.
cannot get the status on current tax year no prior
cannot get assistance over the phone call, too busy. bla bla
2 weeks behind payments.
fantastic
well done!

Get here on time!!! I arrived right at 8am and walked right through. Got great service and was done in 20 min! Good experience.

By far the worst organization I’ve ever dealt with. They make themselves extremely difficult to get in touch with. They will send letters and demands of what they request be done, with threats. However, these demands are often based on internal mistakes. Please have caution when opening a business in CA. I highly recommend that you look at Texas and Nevada first. I’ve been trying to close a business with them for over 9 months, and they keep sending demands for more fees. The first three times, I paid them as it was easier to pay then to fight. After the fourth letter, I am fighting them. A costly endeavor, but hopefully I can help others out there as well. Please also voice your concern over this monopolistic cartel.

Wow, government workers at it’s finest. The wait time is completely ridiculous. Is there anyone even working. Give yourself at least 2 – 5 hours. Guaranteed every individual here will give you a different story, nothing is consistent when it comes to the FTB. Anytime I call I get a completely different answer, nothing is consistent, no one knows what they are doing and no one knows the correct answer. People here just want to prove something like they have power over you. Very interesting. Can’t you just do your job? Is it that bad that you can’t be accountable to the tax payers of the state? Our state is a mess and it starts with our horrible government workers… in the corporate sector these people wouldn’t survive.

This is a good example of what happens in a Blue State:
–things don’t work
— politicians create a few jobs for their supporters and
Suffocate business owners and businesses!
I just found out that this Agency has Took all the money I had on my business account!!!
When I called they said it was a clerical error…
What… so I asked how come they took the exact amount I had on my account! Weird: if I owe them money it should be a defined amount not my exact balance that they took in 2 shots!
I am sure those agencies wouldn’t get away with this nasty actions in a place like Texas or Arizona!
The way this blue state is managed is ridiculous and not business friendly, it reminds me of the Soviet Union or any socialist country!
Beware of this Agency!

Are you kidding me. I got here at 10;11 am and there were two people in front of me. All the windows were closed except one. Are hard working tax dollars at work? Who is running this place? 4 hours later they call one #? F**k me. This is ridiculous. Now there are 20 people in here waiting and 30 people behind the closed windows doing what? Finally it’s 4;02 and they call my # 6 hours to call 2 people. As I waited 6 hours I figured out what these employees are doing. THEY ARE MILKING THE CLOCK. WAITING FOR OVERTIME TO CLICK IN TO START WORKING. no management. No one running this place. Jerry Brown is an idiot. Plan on being here for 6 – 8 hours.

Expect no privacy. You are a live audience for everyone sitting behind you waiting for their number to be called. The wait is unknown. Go with low expectations that you’ll be there for five hours, that way when you walk out of office in two, you leave with a positive experience.

If you’re thinking of opening a business in California, DON’T. the horrific FTB will make your life a living hell. If you’re late, they’ll take your entire bank account, and empty it. You will have to fight them in court to attempt to get it back, which is impossible. They will ‘loose ’ your tax returns, then give you late fees in thousands of dollars, then suspend your business, and change more thousands on fees. They will ultimately take your house if you don’t pay your $ 900 per year, even if your business first make a penny, and kate fees. The lines will eat your entire day. You will r so your day job dealing with them. They don’t answer the phone, after 45 minute on hold, and can’t help you. They will not tell you that they suspended your business, and yet you need to pay your taxes, BUT YOU CAN’T PAY YOUR TAXES BECAUSE THEY SUSPENDED YOUR BUSINESS. you can’t hire a lawyer to solve it fir you, you must do it in person. You can not take care of it on line. They are cold hearted and not understanding. They will wrack up thousands against you and ruin your entire life!!! Never, never never open a business in California. Just get a Nevada LLC. Ftb is pure evil. They will destroy you with charges. The ONLY WAY to dissolve your business is to apply to activate your business with the Secretary of state, after paying thousands, BUT YOU CAN’T PAY IT BECAUSE THEY SUSPENDED YOU. it is a catch 22 that you CAN NOT GET OUT OF. If you try to resend your taxes in, it TAKES THEM EIGHT MONTHS TO LOG YOUR TAXES, AND YOU GET THOUSANDS IN LTE FEES. THEN AFTER EIGHT MONTHS THEY’LL TELL YOU YOU NEVER TURNED THEM IN, AND MUST DO SO IN PERSON IN AN ALL DAY LINE!!!

Had to take care of some business here recently, and as expected I had to wait a ridiculously long time to be attended to. It made waiting at the DMV a walk in the park compared to this place. First of all, finding this place isn’t too bad. It’s located at the Ronald Reagan Building in Downtown LA. There’s a paid parking lot right next door to the building, and you’ll be paying $ 10 off the bat. Getting into this federal building, requires you to go thru the usual metal detector, quick pat down BS… but I suppose that’s the norm now these days with all these crazies running round…
So you go up to the 5^th floor and the FTB office is right there. You take a number and sit your butt down and hope your phone, tablet, or laptop has a good connection cuz you’re gonna need it to kill time. Maybe you can make a new friend like I did. I met this cute Filipina chick in her early 30’s, a realtor by trade… petite, bubbly personality, nice smile… all good up until I asked about kids or family, and she said «divorced, no kids, but living with her boyfriend…» which then made her instantly unattractive to me lol. Just kidding… she was cool peeps. But yes back to your eternal wait here… your number will eventually be called and for the most part the people that work here are very helpful, but can be a bit rude. Anyway, if you can avoid having to come here, then please do so… but if you must, I suggest you go as early as possible (they open at 8 am) and bring a bit more patience than usual. Good luck!

I was not expecting a good experience based on the previous reviews. I decided to get there as soon as they opened to try to avoid the long waits. Got there at 7:50am and waited outside the suite until they unlocked door at 8am. They handled my issue right away and I was out if there at 8:06am. No other customers had come by the time I left. So my advice is get there when they open, grab a number from the red ticket machine in the middle if the room (they directed me to do this even though I was the only one there), and you should avoid the crowds and headaches of going later in the day.

The best time to come here is before 9 and just so you know they stop doing revivors after one pm. I didnt know this and the first time I got there at 2pm. I was helped after an hour of waiting fir my number to be called, I had a very good experience at the ftb after being helped by the manager I think her name was Michelle in window one. I got everything I needed done in about ten minutes.

Omg! Wait… Wait … Wait… 1 worker and 30 people waiting… It’s been 3 hours and 4 people have been helped. This is worse than the dmv

Bring a long book, a game of monopoly, and a big jigsaw puzzle. Pack a lunch and a water bottle. Leave your whiney brat at home. Kiss your productive day goodbye. You’re going to be waiting a while… at least an hour to three hours, if you’re going to be seen at all.
You must get here in the morning; the earlier the better. If you get there in the afternoon you may not be seen that day. First thing, go up to the little machine and take a number. Read any notice that they may have up. Ask someone in the waiting room for what number they are on and if there were any announcements of restrictions on who they were seeing. Sometimes corporations do not get seen after 1:00 pm. You often can accomplish the same things by calling the FTB or using their website.
The waiting room is «shoot yourself in the head» depressing. It’s full of pissed off people and most have that slouched stare-​at-​the-​floor defeated look about them. One lady started shouting into the crowd of people pissed off about how the FTB suspended her nonprofit for wanting a tax return when she said they give all their money to the homeless. No one gave a crap because they were all there for some other B.S. reason. Another lady left yelling about how she had to get out of there to get her dialysis. We all have our priorities.
The only public restroom is on the second floor. Do not park at a metered parking space that is only an hour parking. Park in one of the lots: $ 10 maximum parking fee. You have to to through a metal detector to get into the building. Plan accordingly.

Be prepared to wait and wait and wait. Also there is a cutoff at 1pm for certain types of cases.
Word of advice. Go at 8am. There is early bird parking $ 6 vs $ 10. The wait will be around an hour or so and not 2.5 hours. If you come here at 10am be prepared for a 2 hour wait. Pack your lunch. Thats what they tell you when you come here.

Yes there actually is a FTB in LA.
Here is where you go if you have to resolve issues, get issued income statements, or revive your suspended business.
Like any governmental agency, grad the number ASAP. The machine is located in the middle of the waiting area.
Wait your turn. (It took me 75 minutes)
Print/​fill out paperwork from FTB website.
Bring a check and ID.
The help staff were helpful and considerate. Some of the forms are at the office, but better to print at home. Facilities are not Four Seasons spotless, but well above your typical DMV.
Tips:
— Don’t park at meters; they’re only for one hour and don’t work from 4−7pm
— Prepare to go through security screening to enter the building.