(a) Upon the failure of a corporation to file the statement required by Section 12570, the Secretary of State shall provide a notice of that delinquency to the corporation. The notice shall also contain information concerning the application of this section, and shall advise the corporation of the penalty imposed by Section 19141 of the Revenue and Taxation Code for failure to timely file the required statement after notice of delinquency has been provided by the Secretary of State. If, within 60 days after providing notice of the delinquency, a statement pursuant to Section 12570 has not been filed by the corporation, the Secretary of State shall certify the name of the corporation to the Franchise Tax Board.
(b) Upon certification pursuant to subdivision (a), the Franchise Tax Board shall assess against the corporation a penalty of fifty dollars ($50) pursuant to Section 19141 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(c) The penalty herein provided shall not apply to a corporation which on or prior to the date of certification pursuant to subdivision (a) has dissolved, has been converted to another type of business entity, or has been merged into another corporation or other business entity.
(d) The penalty herein provided shall not apply and the Secretary of State need not provide a notice of the delinquency to a corporation the corporate powers, rights, and privileges of which have been suspended by the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to Section 23301, 23301.5, or 23775 of the Revenue and Taxation Code on or prior to, and remain suspended on, the last day of the filing period pursuant to Section 12570. The Secretary of State need not provide notice of the filing requirement pursuant to Section 12570, to a corporation the corporate powers, rights, and privileges of which have been so suspended by the Franchise Tax Board on or prior to, and remain suspended on, the day the Secretary of State prepares the notice for sending.
(e) If, after certification pursuant to subdivision (a) the Secretary of State finds the required statement was filed before the expiration of the 60-day period after providing notice of the delinquency, the Secretary of State shall promptly decertify the name of the corporation to the Franchise Tax Board. The Franchise Tax Board shall then promptly abate any penalty assessed against the corporation pursuant to Section 19141 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(f) If the Secretary of State determines that the failure of a corporation to file a statement required by Section 12570 is excusable because of reasonable cause or unusual circumstances which justify the failure, the Secretary of State may waive the penalty imposed by this section and by Section 19141 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, in which case the Secretary of State shall not certify the name of the corporation to the Franchise Tax Board, or if already certified, the Secretary of State shall promptly decertify the name of the corporation.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 834, Sec. 20. (SB 1041) Effective January 1, 2015.)