Latest news with #CDTFA
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SymSoft Solutions Powers California's GenAI Revolution with Axyom Assist at CDTFA
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 15, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recently, Governor Newsom announced California's first-in-nation deployment of Generative AI (GenAI) technologies to improve government efficiency. As part of this effort, SymSoft Solutions is proud to highlight our successful initial implementation of Axyom Assist – our AI-powered assistant for customer service representatives at the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA). Aligned with the state's ambitious GenAI initiative, SymSoft is helping California agencies harness generative AI to improve citizen services, support state staff, and enhance operational efficiency. Transforming Taxpayer Services at CDTFA In collaboration with CDTFA, SymSoft Solutions has successfully implemented its Axyom Agent Assist solution to empower contact center staff with AI-augmented capabilities. This implementation supports CDTFA's mission of administering more than 40 tax and fee programs and handling over 800,000 taxpayer inquiries annually. Axyom Assist works alongside the Customer Service Agents like a knowledgeable teammate. It listens to calls and transcribes conversations in real-time, automatically detecting taxpayer needs while providing relevant information at agents' fingertips – right when they need it. Beyond this automatic assistance, agents can also proactively ask their own questions during calls to receive instant answers drawn from trusted sources. After calls, the system creates quick conversation summaries so agents can focus on people, not paperwork. Powered by AWS Bedrock and Anthropic's Claude large language models, Axyom Assist demonstrates how generative AI is enhancing public sector services—improving accessibility, empowering staff, and streamlining operations. "As California continues to lead the nation in the responsible implementation of generative AI technologies, SymSoft Solutions is committed to delivering AI solutions that combine powerful capabilities with appropriate safeguards," said Savita Farooqui, Emerging Technologies Lead and Founder of SymSoft Solutions. "With Axyom Assist, we're helping government agencies transform operations, empower their teams, and serve citizens with greater efficiency and care." "This implementation reflects SymSoft's broader vision for AI-powered transformation in the public sector," added Bhavik Patel, CEO of SymSoft Solutions. "We're proud to work with CDTFA to modernize service delivery while maintaining the highest standards of security, accuracy, and accountability." A Broader Vision: Axyom Assist, A Comprehensive GenAI Solution Suite SymSoft Solutions has expanded its generative AI vision with Axyom Assist — a powerful, flexible product suite designed to help government agencies and regulated industries transform the way they serve the public. More than just an agent support tool, Axyom Assist leverages the power of generative AI and emerging Agentic AI capabilities, to achieve three critical goals: improving the citizen experience, empowering government staff, and streamlining operations. With Axyom Assist, agencies can create conversational user interfaces that understand context, remember past interactions, and provide accurate, personalized information in real time. By integrating Agentic AI, these systems go a step further — autonomously retrieving and synthesizing information, generating compliant responses, and proactively guiding staff in various scenarios, and through complex regulations. Behind the scenes, Axyom Assist uses generative and Agentic AI to analyze structured and unstructured data, surface insights, automate routine tasks, and help agencies anticipate service needs before they arise. About SymSoft Solutions and Axyom SymSoft Solutions is a Sacramento-based firm specializing in digital transformation and user-centric solutions for government agencies. With a focus on innovation, security, and compliance, SymSoft delivers cutting-edge technologies that enhance public sector operations and citizen engagement. In 2023, SymSoft launched Axyom, a specialized division focused on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Distributed Digital Trust. Axyom Assist, our flagship GenAI product suite, is designed to transform customer service with innovative AI technologies that improve citizen services, support staff, and enhance operational efficiencies across government agencies and regulated industries. For more information about SymSoft Solutions and our Axyom Assist product suite, visit and View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Savita FarooquiEmail: info@ Phone: (916) 567-1740
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
SymSoft Solutions Powers California's GenAI Revolution with Axyom Assist at CDTFA
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recently, Governor Newsom announced California's first-in-nation deployment of Generative AI (GenAI) technologies to improve government efficiency. As part of this effort, SymSoft Solutions is proud to highlight our successful initial implementation of Axyom Assist – our AI-powered assistant for customer service representatives at the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA). 800,000+ Taxpayer Inquiries, One Smart Solution - Leveraging Gen AI to deliver smart solutions for tax administration Share Aligned with the state's ambitious GenAI initiative, SymSoft is helping California agencies harness generative AI to improve citizen services, support state staff, and enhance operational efficiency. Transforming Taxpayer Services at CDTFA In collaboration with CDTFA, SymSoft Solutions has successfully implemented its Axyom Agent Assist solution to empower contact center staff with AI-augmented capabilities. This implementation supports CDTFA's mission of administering more than 40 tax and fee programs and handling over 800,000 taxpayer inquiries annually. Axyom Assist works alongside the Customer Service Agents like a knowledgeable teammate. It listens to calls and transcribes conversations in real-time, automatically detecting taxpayer needs while providing relevant information at agents' fingertips – right when they need it. Beyond this automatic assistance, agents can also proactively ask their own questions during calls to receive instant answers drawn from trusted sources. After calls, the system creates quick conversation summaries so agents can focus on people, not paperwork. Powered by AWS Bedrock and Anthropic's Claude large language models, Axyom Assist demonstrates how generative AI is enhancing public sector services—improving accessibility, empowering staff, and streamlining operations. 'As California continues to lead the nation in the responsible implementation of generative AI technologies, SymSoft Solutions is committed to delivering AI solutions that combine powerful capabilities with appropriate safeguards,' said Savita Farooqui, Emerging Technologies Lead and Founder of SymSoft Solutions. 'With Axyom Assist, we're helping government agencies transform operations, empower their teams, and serve citizens with greater efficiency and care.' 'This implementation reflects SymSoft's broader vision for AI-powered transformation in the public sector,' added Bhavik Patel, CEO of SymSoft Solutions. 'We're proud to work with CDTFA to modernize service delivery while maintaining the highest standards of security, accuracy, and accountability.' A Broader Vision: Axyom Assist, A Comprehensive GenAI Solution Suite SymSoft Solutions has expanded its generative AI vision with Axyom Assist — a powerful, flexible product suite designed to help government agencies and regulated industries transform the way they serve the public. More than just an agent support tool, Axyom Assist leverages the power of generative AI and emerging Agentic AI capabilities, to achieve three critical goals: improving the citizen experience, empowering government staff, and streamlining operations. With Axyom Assist, agencies can create conversational user interfaces that understand context, remember past interactions, and provide accurate, personalized information in real time. By integrating Agentic AI, these systems go a step further — autonomously retrieving and synthesizing information, generating compliant responses, and proactively guiding staff in various scenarios, and through complex regulations. Behind the scenes, Axyom Assist uses generative and Agentic AI to analyze structured and unstructured data, surface insights, automate routine tasks, and help agencies anticipate service needs before they arise. About SymSoft Solutions and Axyom SymSoft Solutions is a Sacramento-based firm specializing in digital transformation and user-centric solutions for government agencies. With a focus on innovation, security, and compliance, SymSoft delivers cutting-edge technologies that enhance public sector operations and citizen engagement. In 2023, SymSoft launched Axyom, a specialized division focused on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Distributed Digital Trust. Axyom Assist, our flagship GenAI product suite, is designed to transform customer service with innovative AI technologies that improve citizen services, support staff, and enhance operational efficiencies across government agencies and regulated industries. For more information about SymSoft Solutions and our Axyom Assist product suite, visit and
Epoch Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
California Lawmakers to Consider Vacancy Tax on Commercial Property
A California state senator is proposing a tax on vacant commercial properties, saying empty buildings and storefronts reduce business vitality, lower tax revenue, and create public nuisances. Democratic state Sen. Caroline Menjivar of San Fernando Valley authored Menjivar sees the measure as a way to spur economic activity. 'Vacant commercial property represents a missed opportunity for community enrichment,' Menjivar said, according to a legislative analysis of the bill. 'Other times they contribute to the neighborhood's blight and can be areas of nuisance and public safety concerns. These underutilized spaces hold potential as storefronts for local entrepreneurs, innovative workspaces for growing businesses, or mixed-use projects combining housing with commercial amenities.' The measure requires all owners of commercial property in the state to register with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) each year, providing detailed information about their properties, including giving a reason why if a property is vacant. Anyone who doesn't file would be required to pay a penalty, according to the bill. Related Stories 4/22/2025 3/20/2025 Menjivar claims that without state oversight, the empty parcels can stay vacant for years and sometimes decades. 'In order to encourage development or penalize blighted vacant buildings, we need data to systematically track commercial vacancies, including their underlying causes like renovation delays, regulatory hurdles, or speculative holding patterns,' she said. The senator says the state would be able to streamline permit approvals if clusters of vacancies were caused by slow permitting, or consider a vacancy tax to incentivize productive use. The bill would also require that the state post on its public website detailed information about each commercial property, including the percentage of commercial properties that were vacant in a calendar year and the reason for the vacancy if the property was vacant for more than 182 days in a year. The state would have to post what percentage of commercial properties are located in a blighted area, among other information. The city and county of San Francisco approved a similar tax with Measure M in November 2022, but the ordinance was ruled unconstitutional. The measure imposed an annual tax of $2,500 to $5,000 per vacant unit, depending on the unit's size. The tax was allowed to increase annually to a maximum of $20,000 if the same owner keeps the unit vacant for multiple consecutive years. However, the San Francisco County Superior Court issued an order Nov. 26, 2024, in favor of taxpayers, finding that the tax violated the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The court also found the tax violated property-owners' constitutional right to privacy under the California Constitution by compelling owners to share their property via application of the tax. The court also held that Measure M violated the California Ellis Act, which prohibits public entities from compelling residential property owners to rent or lease. Other cities have instituted similar vacancy taxes in recent years. Berkeley, east of San Francisco, imposes an empty homes tax on residential units that are vacant for more than 182 days per year. Empty residential units in duplexes, condos, single-family homes, and townhouses are charged $3,000 the first year and $6,000 for each subsequent year. All other empty residential properties pay $6,000 in the first year and $12,000 each year after that. Stacked shipping containers begin to surround People's Park in Berkeley, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP Oakland also charges an annual tax of $6,000 for residential, nonresidential, and undeveloped properties, and $3,000 a year for condos, duplexes, and townhomes. The tax applies to privately owned properties not occupied more than 50 days per year and has several exemptions. Menjivar's legislation faces tremendous opposition from commercial property owner associations, building owners and managers groups, taxpayer advocates, hotel and lodging associations, mortgage bankers and housing associations, retailers, and multiple chambers of commerce throughout the state. The California Business Properties Association 'Vacancy is largely driven by market forces—not neglect—especially as sectors like retail, office, and industrial continue to recover from the pandemic,' the association wrote in an opposition statement. 'This tax would penalize property owners during economic uncertainty and risk further destabilizing struggling markets. SB 789 would also undermine local property tax revenues, reducing property values and triggering reassessments under Prop. 8—resulting in permanent funding losses for schools, cities, and essential services.' The bill also imposes costly administrative burdens, the association says.
Los Angeles Times
23-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
How the California Tax Relief Plan Affects L.A. Businesses and Residents, Post-Wildfire Devastation
After the devastating wildfires brutalized parts of Los Angeles earlier this year, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) had automatically extended the tax filing deadline for three months for taxpayers within Los Angeles County. This came on the heels of the state also announcing that taxpayers in Los Angeles County would be granted a postponement to October 15, 2025, to file California tax returns on 2024 income and make any tax payments that would have been due January 7, 2025, through October 15, 2025. 'California is taking greater action to continue supporting businesses that have been devastated by the Southern California wildfires,' the Governor announced. 'We are strong because of the diversity of our businesses, and we stand by them – providing relief to aid them through this difficult time.' CDTFA will also continue to offer relief and extensions to those impacted beyond Los Angeles County upon request. In addition to extra time to file, the state can provide relief from interest and penalties and create flexible payment plans for businesses. 'We have the operational building blocks in place to make sure the government is there for all Californians. We care deeply about everyone affected, and we're making sure that our business foundation remains strong and vibrant,' said Government Operations Agency Secretary Amy Tong. 'The loss resulting from these fires is devastating for business owners who have invested so much and worked so hard to succeed. Beyond the automatic extension, we encourage taxpayers who need help with any CDTFA program to reach out to us. Our team members are here to help taxpayers navigate their way to recovery,' said CDTFA Director Nick Maduros. CDTFA's disaster relief includes: • Extensions to file returns: CDTFA returns and payments due on or before January 31, 2025, have automatically been extended to April for Los Angeles County taxpayers whose last return was for less than $1 million in tax. This includes sales and use tax, as well as most other programs administered by CDTFA.• Additional relief from interest and penalties: Impacted business owners not subject to the automatic extension or who require additional relief are encouraged to contact CDTFA for assistance.• Copies of CDTFA tax records: Taxpayers who need to obtain copies of CDTFA tax records can receive replacements free of charge. • Help with updating account information: This could include changing an address, opening or closing a business location or obtaining a copy of a seller's permit or CDTFA-issued license. The automatic extensions for sales and use tax returns and payments to April 30, 2025, are eligible to those taxpayers who owed less than $1 million in sales and use tax on their 2024 third quarter returns. Annual licensing fees under the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act and returns due under the International Fuel Tax Agreement are not extended.
