Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 6015 — General Provisions and Definitions

(a) “Retailer” includes:

(1) Every seller who makes any retail sale or sales of tangible personal property, and every person engaged in the business of making retail sales at auction of tangible personal property owned by the person or others.

(2) Every person engaged in the business of making sales for storage, use, or other consumption or in the business of making sales at auction of tangible personal property owned by the person or others for storage, use, or other consumption.

(3) Any person conducting a race meeting under Chapter 4 of Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, with respect to horses which are claimed during such meeting.

(b) When the board determines that it is necessary for the efficient administration of this part to regard any salesmen, representatives, peddlers, or canvassers as the agents of the dealers, distributors, supervisors, or employers under whom they operate or from whom they obtain the tangible personal property sold by them, irrespective of whether they are making sales on their own behalf or on behalf of the dealers, distributors, supervisors, or employers the board may so regard them and may regard the dealers, distributors, supervisors, or employers as retailers for purposes of this part.

(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), a newspaper carrier is not a retailer and the retailer is the publisher or distributor for whom the carrier delivers the newspapers. The publisher or distributor is responsible for the tax measured by the price charged to the customer by the carrier.