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California’s Documentary Transfer Tax Act (Rev. & Tax. Code §§ 11901, et seq.) is based upon the former federal Documentary Stamp Tax Act first enacted by Congress to raise revenues for the Spanish-American War.  The federal law was repealed, effective Jan. 1, 1968, and simultaneously California, like many other states, picked up the tax with conforming legislation authorizing counties and cities to adopt their own documentary stamp tax on transferring of interests in real property.  This means that in California, in most situations, there are three levels of code related to any imposition of tax:  state, county, and city.

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Photo of Bradley R. Marsh Bradley R. Marsh

Bradley R. Marsh is Co-Managing Shareholder of the San Francisco office and focuses his practice on tax controversy matters, including property, sales, payroll, business license, employment, franchise, parcel, district, documentary transfer, transient occupancy, utility user, income, parking, gift and estate taxes. He serves…

Bradley R. Marsh is Co-Managing Shareholder of the San Francisco office and focuses his practice on tax controversy matters, including property, sales, payroll, business license, employment, franchise, parcel, district, documentary transfer, transient occupancy, utility user, income, parking, gift and estate taxes. He serves as a co-chair of the State and Local Tax (SALT) Practice. Brad represents clients in audits, litigation and administrative hearings, as well as analyzing transactions and business models, and developing strategies for legislative resolutions.

Photo of Cris K. O'Neall Cris K. O'Neall

Cris K. O’Neall focuses his practice on ad valorem property tax and assessment counseling and litigation (appeal hearings and trials). For over 25 years, he has represented a variety of California taxpayers in equalization proceedings before county assessment appeals boards, the State Board…

Cris K. O’Neall focuses his practice on ad valorem property tax and assessment counseling and litigation (appeal hearings and trials). For over 25 years, he has represented a variety of California taxpayers in equalization proceedings before county assessment appeals boards, the State Board of Equalization, the Superior Court, the California Court of Appeal, and the California Supreme Court.

The clients Cris has served include owners of the following property types:

  • Healthcare (hospitals, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, medical office buildings)
  • Hospitality (hotels and resorts)
  • Entertainment and recreation (entertainment venues, theme parks, golf courses, ski areas)
  • Retail (shopping centers, department stores)
  • Energy and natural resources (oil refineries, power plants, oil and gas fields, pipelines, quarries, service stations)
  • Public properties (airport concessions, port terminals, marinas, U.S. Forest Service land)
  • Food processing plants and distribution facilities/warehouses
  • Machinery & equipment, personal property (jet aircraft, harbor cranes)
Photo of C. Stephen Davis C. Stephen Davis

C. Stephen Davis focuses his practice on property tax counseling and controversies in the real estate, energy, oil, hospitality and healthcare industries. He litigates property tax controversies before local assessment appeals boards, superior courts, courts of appeal, and the California Supreme Court. His…

C. Stephen Davis focuses his practice on property tax counseling and controversies in the real estate, energy, oil, hospitality and healthcare industries. He litigates property tax controversies before local assessment appeals boards, superior courts, courts of appeal, and the California Supreme Court. His practice also includes participating in rule-making and other proceedings before the California State Board of Equalization.

Photo of Marvin A. Kirsner Marvin A. Kirsner

Marvin A. Kirsner is a shareholder in the Fort Lauderdale office where his primary areas of practice deal with corporate, transactional and industry specific tax issues. He serves as the Co-Chair of the State and Local Tax (SALT) Practice.