Obtaining an Individual Status Letter

The Individual Status Letter may be requested after the original due date of the return for the tax year in question.

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 California 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. FTB will process these requests after the return due date.

Individual Status Letters may be obtained by an individual, the parent of a minor child, or by an authorized representative of the requester.

To obtain a letter, email FTBIndividualStatusLetter@ftb.ca.gov with the following information:

  • Student’s (or your) name and address
  • Requester’s (or your) telephone number and email address

When we receive your email, FTB staff will send a secure email in reply and provide the information needed to complete your request. The requester will be asked to reply via the secure email and provide the necessary documents. Once FTB has the information needed, we will email the Individual Status Letter to you within 3 to 5 business days.

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

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

Caution: Do not include these documents in your initial email.

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 when the request is made on behalf of someone age 18 or over

You may also schedule a field office appointment by visiting the Office Locations page, and following the instructions detailed in the How to Schedule an Appointment section.

After October 16, 2023, you may request an ISL for the current year by logging into your MyFTB account.