Breaking News - FTB Update on Original Signatures for Paper Returns and Other Documents, July 31, 2020

FTB posted on its COVID-19 FAQs page today that for paper returns and other documents that must be signed with an original signature by a taxpayer and/or tax representative, FTB will not require an original signature through December 31, except for Power of Attorneys (POAs).

FTB will accept two alternative signature methods for paper returns:

Method 1: An attached document that must be included with the filed return that provides a copy of the original signature. The attached document should: Identify what the document signature is for (example: Corp XX, 2019 Form 100) State “Refer to the attachment for a copy of the original signature” on the signature line.

Method 2: A paper return with a faxed signature on the signature page.

For all other documents filed with FTB that require an original signature, except POAs, documents with photographed or digital copies of required signatures will be accepted. You can also upload a document with a signature to MyFTB. Please note that only PDF and Excel documents are currently accepted.

These temporary procedures do not apply to filing a POA. Follow the procedure on "Submit a power of attorney" if you need to submit a POA to FTB.