(a) Whenever any payer required to deduct and withhold tax under this article sells, transfers, dissolves, withdraws, terminates, or otherwise disposes of the business or a substantial portion of its assets, the successors (including assigns, purchasers, heirs, distributees, beneficiaries, or other persons acquiring either a substantial portion of the assets or the business) shall withhold in trust a sufficient part of the purchase price or set aside in trust money or property to cover the amount of the taxes required to be withheld and any interest or penalties with respect thereto which are due or unpaid by the payer. The money, property or portion of the purchase price shall be held in trust until a certificate is issued by the Franchise Tax Board stating that no amount of such tax, interest, or penalties are due or unpaid from the payer.

(b) Upon written request by the successor, the Franchise Tax Board shall, within 60 days, issue a certificate or a statement showing the amount of tax, interest, and penalties due from the payer. Except as provided in subdivision (c), failure to issue a certificate or statement within the 60-day period shall be deemed equivalent to the issuance of a certificate stating that no tax, interest, or penalties are due. If the Franchise Tax Board issues a statement showing that taxes, interest, and penalties are claimed to be due, the amount stated therein (not in excess of the fair market value of the assets or business acquired) shall be paid by the successor to the Franchise Tax Board within (1) 30 days after the statement is mailed or delivered to the successor, or (2) on the day the business or assets are acquired, whichever occurs last. If a request for a certificate is not made by the successor, the amount of tax, interest, or penalties due or unpaid by the payer shall be paid by the successor to the Franchise Tax Board on the day the business or assets are acquired. If a successor fails to pay the amount required by this section by the time prescribed in this subdivision, a penalty of 10 percent of the amount payable shall be levied.

(c) The issuance of a certificate stating that no taxes, interest, and penalties are due, or the failure to issue the certificate or statement within the period of 60 days shall not release the payer from liability on account of any taxes, interest, and penalties then or thereafter determined to be due from him or her, but shall release the successor from any further liability on account of any such taxes, interest, and penalties. Payment by the successor pursuant to subdivision (b) shall not release the payer from liability except to the extent of the amount paid by the successor.

(d) Any successor that fails to withhold money or other property or fails to pay the amount or value of the property withheld as provided in this section shall be personally liable for the payment of the taxes, interest, and penalties due from the payer up to but not exceeding the fair market value of the assets or business acquired. The Franchise Tax Board shall have all of the remedies for collection against any successor that acquires the business or substantially all the assets thereof of a payer as provided by this part against any payer liable for taxes, interest, and penalties. The time within which the obligation may be enforced against the successor acquiring the business or substantially all the assets thereof of a payer shall commence from (1) the date the successor acquires the assets or business, (2) the date an assessment against the successor payer becomes final, or (3) 31 days after the statement is mailed or delivered to the successor if a certificate is requested by the successor as provided in subdivision (b), whichever of the three events is later.

(Added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 31, Sec. 26. Effective June 16, 1993. Operative January 1, 1994, by Sec. 83 of Ch. 31.)