Rev. & Tax. Code, § 19169

(a) In addition to the criminal penalty provided by Section 19712, any tax preparer who endorses or otherwise negotiates (directly or through an agent) any warrant made in respect of the taxes imposed by Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001) or Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001) which is issued to a taxpayer (other than the tax preparer) shall pay a penalty of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) with respect to each warrant. The preceding sentence shall not apply with respect to the deposit by a bank (as defined by Section 581 of the Internal Revenue Code) of the full amount of the warrant in the taxpayer’s account in that bank for the benefit of the taxpayer.

(b) For purposes of subdivision (a), “tax preparer” means any person who prepares for compensation, or who employs one or more persons to prepare for compensation, any return of tax imposed by Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001) or Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001) or any claim for refund of tax imposed by Part 10 or Part 11. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the preparation of a substantial portion of a return or claim for refund shall be treated as if it were the preparation of that return or claim for refund.

A person shall not be a “tax preparer” merely because the person does any of the following:

(1) Furnishes typing, reproducing, or other mechanical assistance.

(2) Prepares a return or claim for refund of the employer (or of an officer or employee of the employer) by whom that person is regularly and continuously employed.

(3) Prepares as a fiduciary a return or claim for refund for any person.

(c) This section shall not apply where the tax preparer has advanced the taxpayer an amount of money equal to or greater than the amount of the taxpayer’s refund.