Section 685.

(a) When by or pursuant to the laws of any other state or foreign country any taxes, licenses and other fees, in the aggregate, and any fines, penalties, deposit requirements or other material obligations, prohibitions or restrictions are or would be imposed upon California insurers, or upon the agents or representatives of those insurers, that are in excess of the taxes, licenses and other fees, in the aggregate, or that are in excess of the fines, penalties, deposit requirements or other obligations, prohibitions, or restrictions directly imposed upon similar insurers, or upon the agents or representatives of those insurers, of that other state or country under the statutes of this state, so long as the laws of the other state or country continue in force or are so applied, the same taxes, licenses and other fees, in the aggregate, or fines, penalties, deposit requirements or other material obligations, prohibitions, or restrictions, of whatever kind, shall be imposed upon the insurers, or upon the agents or representatives of those insurers, of the other state or country doing business or seeking to do business in California. Any tax, license or other fee or other obligation imposed by any city, county, or other political subdivision or agency of the other state or country on California insurers or their agents or representatives shall be deemed to be imposed by that state or country within the meaning of this article.

(b) On and after January 1, 1994, and before January 1, 1995, every insurer whose annual taxes exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall make payment by electronic funds transfer. On and after January 1, 1995, every insurer whose annual taxes exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) shall make payment by electronic funds transfer. The insurer shall choose one of the acceptable methods described in Section 45 for completing the electronic funds transfer.

(c) Payment is deemed complete on the date the electronic funds transfer is initiated, if settlement to the state's demand account occurs on or before the banking day following the date the transfer is initiated. If settlement to the state's demand account does not occur on or before the banking day following the date the transfer is initiated, payment is deemed to occur on the date settlement occurs.

(d) (1) Any insurer required to remit taxes by electronic funds transfer pursuant to this section who remits those taxes by means other than an appropriate electronic funds transfer, shall be assessed a penalty in an amount equal to 10 percent of the taxes due at the time of the payment.

(2) If the department finds that an insurer's failure to make payment by an appropriate electronic funds transfer in accordance with subdivision (b) is due to reasonable cause or circumstances beyond the insurer's control, and occurred notwithstanding the exercise of ordinary care and in the absence of willful neglect, that insurer shall be relieved of the penalty provided in paragraph (1).

(3) Any insurer seeking to be relieved of the penalty provided in paragraph (1) shall file with the department a statement under penalty of perjury setting forth the facts upon which the claim for relief is based.

(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 721, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1996.)