Individual Status Letters May 2021 Tax News

Occasionally, we will receive a request for written verification stating an individual has no California tax obligation and/or no filing requirement. These are commonly referred to as Individual Status Letters and may help a requester in the process of either obtaining a student loan or financing from the Department of Veterans Affairs. These letters can also show lenders and other interested third parties that the individual has met their California income tax obligations. 

FTB 4148 Individual Status Letter is designed for this purpose and normally can only be requested after the original due date of the return for the tax year in question. However, for 2020 returns, requesters do not need to wait for the extended due date of May 17, 2021 to submit their request. FTB will process these requests after the original due date of April 18, 2022 for tax year 2021.

Individual Status Letters may be obtained by an individual, the parent of a minor child (birth certificate required), or by an authorized representative of the requester (a signed statement authorizing Franchise Tax Board to release information on their behalf is required).

Important note: Due to the current COVID-19 State of Emergency, requests can be submitted via email to FTBIndividualStatusLetter@ftb.ca.gov with the following information:

• Student's name and address
• Requester's telephone number and email address

When we receive an email at the above email address or ID, FTB staff will send a secure email in reply and provide the information needed to secure a letter. The requester will be asked to reply via the secure email and provide the necessary documents. Once FTB has the information needed, the Individual Status letter will be emailed to the requester/customer.

Depending on the specific circumstances, documents to be provided to us via secure email may include:

• FTB-ID or social security number (SSN)
• Tax year(s)
• Copies of the requester's photo identification and SSN card

If the request is made on behalf of someone else, you will also need to provide:

• A copy of a minor child's birth certificate if the requester is under age 18
• A signed statement authorizing the FTB to release information on their behalf if the individual is over age 18