FTB 1015F CCTC: California Competes Tax Credit Review Information Explained

FTB 1015F CCTC, officially titled “California Competes Tax Credit Review Information,” is a form issued by the California Franchise Tax Board in connection with the California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC) program. This program, jointly administered by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the FTB, offers income tax credits to businesses that agree to expand or relocate operations in California and create new, full-time jobs. The FTB 1015F is not the application itself — it’s a supporting document used during the compliance and verification stage, once a business has already been awarded a credit under a negotiated agreement.

If your business signed a California Competes Tax Credit agreement with GO-Biz, the FTB may request this form as part of its review process to confirm that the terms of the agreement — job creation numbers, investment thresholds, and timelines — are being met. In practical terms, this means the FTB uses the information you report on this form to cross-check your credit claim against the milestones your company committed to when the agreement was signed.

Businesses that typically need this form include companies of any size that entered into a CCTC agreement, since the credit is available to small businesses as well as larger corporations expanding operations in the state. Unlike some tax credit programs that are open to anyone who qualifies automatically, the California Competes Tax Credit is awarded through a competitive application process, and this review form is part of the ongoing accountability tied to that award.

When Is This Form Used?

FTB 1015F comes into play after the credit has already been granted, not during the initial application. The FTB or GO-Biz may request it during an annual review cycle, or when verifying whether the business met its job creation and investment commitments for a given tax year. If your company is under a multi-year CCTC agreement, expect this type of review documentation to surface more than once, since the state monitors compliance over the life of the agreement rather than just at the time of approval.

It’s worth noting that failing to meet the commitments outlined in the original agreement can result in the recapture of some or all of the credit previously claimed. That’s exactly why the review information requested through this form matters — it gives the FTB a clear paper trail to determine whether the credit stays in place or needs to be adjusted.

How to Get and Complete FTB 1015F CCTC

This form is not fillable digitally. You’ll need to download the PDF from the FTB’s website, print it, and complete it by hand using black ink. Because it deals with financial and employment data tied to a legal agreement with the state, accuracy matters — double-check job counts, wage information, and investment figures against your internal records and the original CCTC agreement before submitting.

Once completed, the form should be submitted according to the instructions provided by the FTB or GO-Biz for your specific review cycle, which may include mailing it directly or including it with other requested documentation. Keep a copy for your own records, since these forms often get referenced again in future review periods.

Businesses navigating state-level tax credit programs elsewhere may find it useful to compare how other states structure similar incentives. For example, New York’s semiconductor manufacturing workforce training credit and its independent film production credit follow a similar logic of tying tax benefits to job creation or industry investment, though the paperwork and review process differ from California’s approach. Companies operating across multiple states, including those dealing with New York’s local filing requirements like the Yonkers nonresident earnings tax return, know firsthand how much state-specific documentation can vary even when the underlying goal — economic development — is the same.

If you’re unsure whether your business needs to submit FTB 1015F, the safest approach is to check directly with the contact listed in your original CCTC agreement or reach out to GO-Biz, since review requirements can differ slightly depending on the terms negotiated at the time of approval.