What is ReadyReturn?
ReadyReturn is a service the Franchise Tax Board designed to make tax return filing easier for taxpayers who have the simplest returns. We use information the state already has from the last return you filed and from your Form W-2 to pre-fill a California state tax return for qualifying taxpayers.
ReadyReturn is our free direct-to-government filing option that provides a completed state income tax return to taxpayers who file simple tax returns. Taxpayers need to review their completed ReadyReturn and make necessary changes before they file. ReadyReturn is based on a simple premise: we use information we already have from taxpayers and their employers, such as W-2 information and last year’s tax return, to provide them a completed tax return. We do most of the work, so taxpayers benefit. Taxpayers are eligible if in 2010 they: • Filed as single or head of household. • Earned wages from one employer. • Took the standard deduction. • Claimed up to five dependents. • Claimed the nonrefundable renter’s credit. • Were claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return – this typically applies to college students. We estimate that nearly 2 million California taxpayers qualify to use ReadyReturn. To find out if a ReadyReturn is waiting, go to ftb.ca.gov or call 800.338.0505.
