Office for 3 State Taxing Agencies Opens

The State Board of Equalization on Wednesday officially opened a combined office of the state’s three taxing agencies in Ventura--only the second such unified taxpayer center in California.

In the past, a business owner with a sales tax problem would have to visit the Board of Equalization, perhaps travel to another city to have the Franchise Tax Board settle an income tax question, then go to the tax division of the Employment Development Department to deal with payroll issues.

Now, representatives of all three state agencies can be found at the Ventura Taxpayer Service Center, 4820 McGrath St., Suite 260. Taxpayers and business owners will be able to obtain tax forms as well as ask questions.

“The whole point of this is to make life for the taxpayer just a little easier and we hope we’ve accomplished that,” said Dean F. Andal, a member of the Board of Equalization who for two years spearheaded efforts to create the center.

The Ventura office, which has more than 100 auditors, has been open since the last week of January and expects that taxpayers will come pouring in as the April 15 federal income tax filing deadline nears.

“This office will affect every taxpayer on the Central Coast,” Andal said. “Whether you’re a businessperson or an individual taxpayer and you need a taxpayer number, this office will do it.”

The State Board of Equalization started a similar office in Bakersfield last month and plans to create 20 other such offices throughout the state.