MyFTB: the ins and outs of moving to a new service.

• Author: DeRosa, Gina
• Position: CATax - California. Franchise Tax Board

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As of June 22, your user name and password are entered on one page and you will not see the security image.

The transition to the new MyFTB site has been an adventure, to say the least.

The FTB is again making changes to the website to streamline processes and enhance security.

As of June 22, your user name and password are entered on one page and you will not see the security image (I'm going to miss the Golden Gate Bridge). New users will not choose a security image at all. While there is no need to change your password, the maximum length for passwords will increase from 16 to 32 characters.

FTB and POAs

FTB power of attorney (POA) processing has been troubling, as noted by the CalCPA Committee on Taxation at its May 10 meeting. Practitioners have experienced problems entering POA information online because the online version and the PDF' version of the POA form are not aligned. Practitioners also noted that the 30-day waiting period for POA posting is excessive.

The FTB has also noticed problems in POA processing and has released a list of the top five reasons a POA is rejected:

* The information on the signed and uploaded POA Declaration does not match the information entered online. The information must match exactly to avoid rejection.

* More than one POA Declaration is uploaded for a single POA online entry. In the case of married taxpayers, two POA Declarations must be entered online and each entry must have a corresponding signed and uploaded POA Declaration.

* Multiple signed POA Declarations are being uploaded for one online POA Declaration submission.

* POA Declarations for Business Entities are uploaded without signatures or with signatures on an incorrect line.

* POA Declarations for Fiduciaries are submitted without supporting backup for the fiduciary relationship, i.e. a legal document naming the person authorized to sign the POA on behalf of the Estate or Trust or a completed IRS Form 56. The FTB recently announced that, as of the end of June, there is a 10-business-day hold for POA and tax preparer relationships. What does that mean?

Tax practitioners with a valid POA or written authority from a client to access the client's account information on the MyFTB website must...