How to Stop an FTB Bank Levy Before It Starts

Introduction: If You Wait, the FTB Won’t

When you owe California back taxes, the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) doesn’t hesitate to collect.

And one of their most disruptive tools is the bank levy — a legal action that allows the FTB to freeze and seize funds directly from your bank account without warning.

But here’s the good news:

You can stop an FTB bank levy — if you act early enough.

You can prevent or stop an FTB bank levy with help from a local CPA — if you act early enough. In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how FTB levies work, understand the steps the FTB takes before levying accounts, what warning signs to watch for, and what Orange County taxpayers can do to prevent the FTB from emptying their accounts.

💣 What Is a Bank Levy?

A bank levy is when the FTB sends a legal order to your financial institution requiring them to:

• Freeze your account
• Send available funds to the FTB
• Do it without court involvement

Unlike a lien (which is a claim), a levy actually takes your money.

🚨 What Triggers an FTB Bank Levy?

You may be at risk for a bank levy if:

• You have unpaid California taxes
• You ignored FTB notices
• You missed a Demand for Payment
• You failed to respond to a Notice of Proposed Assessment (NPA)
• You defaulted on a payment plan or prior arrangement

This is why it’s important to see how ignored notices can lead to a bank levy and act before the process escalates.

🧾 Common Warning Signs You’re About to Be Levied

• Demand for Tax Return (DFTR)
• Notice of Proposed Assessment
• Final Notice Before Levy
• FTB collection calls or wage garnishment notices
• Prior levies or liens filed on your account

Also, learn how liens can lead to levies and how to avoid them so you can break the cycle before it starts.

📍 How Fast Can It Happen?

The FTB does not require a court order to levy your bank account. Once your account is flagged for collection:

• A Final Notice Before Levy is issued
• You may have as little as 30 days (or less)
• Once the bank receives the levy, the funds may be frozen immediately

💡 Can I Stop an FTB Bank Levy Once It Starts?

Yes — but it becomes harder. Your best chance is to prevent it entirely by taking action during the notice period.

✅ How to Stop a Bank Levy Before It Starts

✅ 1. Open and Read Every FTB Notice

Even if it’s scary or confusing, you must read what the FTB sends you.

If you don’t understand it, call a CPA or tax professional — not the FTB directly.

👉 Received a Notice from the FTB? Here’s What It Means

✅ 2. File Any Missing Tax Returns

Non-filers are high-risk levy targets. The FTB may file a Substitute Return on your behalf (with inflated income and no deductions) and then pursue collections.

👉 How to Get Back Into Compliance with the FTB

✅ 3. Contact a CPA to Request a Hold on Collections

If your levy hasn’t hit yet, a tax professional can often:

• Contact the FTB on your behalf
• Request a temporary hold
• Submit financial disclosures
• Buy you time to set up a resolution and reduce penalties while negotiating a resolution

✅ 4. Request a Payment Plan (Installment Agreement)

Payment plans can stop the FTB from moving forward with a bank levy — especially if submitted before the levy date.

👉 FTB Offer in Compromise vs Installment Agreement – Which Is Better?

✅ 5. Qualify for a Hardship Deferral

If paying anything would create financial hardship, you may be able to request temporary suspension of collections.

👉 How to Qualify for a California FTB Hardship Deferral

✅ 6. Submit an Offer in Compromise (OIC)

If you truly can’t pay and never will, you may qualify to settle your debt. If an Offer is pending, the FTB may delay enforcement until it’s reviewed.

👉 FTB Offer in Compromise Success Rates & Mistakes to Avoid

🛑 What NOT to Do if You’re Facing an FTB Levy

❌ Don’t Move Your Money Around

The FTB can trace financial activity and issue multiple levies to different institutions.

❌ Don’t Call the FTB Without Representation

What you say may limit your options later — or trigger additional enforcement.

❌ Don’t Assume It Will Go Away

The FTB will not “give up.” Even small balances can trigger bank levies and liens.

🧭 How Boulanger CPA Helps Orange County Taxpayers

We help clients in Santa Ana, Irvine, Anaheim, Tustin, and throughout Orange County:

• Identify levy risk based on notices or transcripts
• Contact the FTB to stop pending levies
• Set up compliant Installment Agreements or Offers
• File missing returns
• Protect wages and bank accounts from enforcement

📞 Call 657-218-5700
🌐 www.orangecounty.cpa

📣 About the Author

Marc Boulanger, CPA is the founder of Boulanger CPA and Consulting PC, a boutique tax resolution firm based in Orange County, California and trusted by high-income individuals and business owners across Southern California.

He is the author of Defend What’s Yours: A California Taxpayer’s Guide to Beating the IRS and FTB at Their Own Game, available now on Amazon. The book offers a step-by-step plan for resolving IRS and FTB tax debt without losing your business, your home, or your peace of mind.

With over a decade of experience resolving high-stakes IRS and State tax matters, Marc brings strategic insight to complex cases involving wage garnishments, bank levies, unfiled returns, and six-figure tax debts. He is known for helping clients reduce or eliminate tax liabilities through expertly negotiated settlements and compliance plans.

Marc is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in California and Oklahoma and holds the designation of Certified Tax Representation Consultant. He is a member of the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS) — the national organization founded by the educators and practitioners who have trained thousands of CPAs, EAs, and tax attorneys in IRS representation strategy.

Every case is handled with discretion, proven methodology, and direct CPA-led representation — not call center scripts.

📍 Learn more at www.orangecounty.cpa or call (657) 218-5700.