SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Board of Equalization is preparing for statewide compliance visits to local business owners, including Arroyo Grande.
According to the BOE, "retailers are now receiving letters from the Board of Equalization (BOE) notifying them about upcoming visits from Statewide Compliance and Outreach Program (SCOP) teams. These visits are intended to educate retailers about properly reporting sales and use tax, increase compliance with tax laws, and assure the state's tax system is fair and equal for all Californians.
BOE has sent 5,983 letters to business owners in the following zip codes: Arroyo Grande (93420), North Hollywood (91602), Harbor City (90710), Lomita (90717), Santa Ana (92703, 92706, and 92707), and Ramona (92065).
Seven different SCOP teams located statewide (Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Van Nuys, Norwalk, Irvine and Riverside) conduct door-to-door, in-person visits based on zip code. They check seller's permits at stores, restaurants, and other known retail locations. They ask only business-related questions, and do not inquire about personal financial information. SCOP teams check that registered retailers, as well as service industry businesses, have appropriate permits and licenses. Businesses found to be out of compliance are given instructions on how to register with the BOE, and information about other necessary licenses. Those who operate their businesses from their homes are not visited by SCOP.
Since 2008, the BOE SCOP teams have visited more than 339,700 businesses statewide to verify that retailers are registered, and to make sure that noncompliant businesses do not have an unfair advantage over registered businesses that are reporting their sales and use taxes and/or fees to BOE.
BOE has found about 98 percent of the businesses operating in California are doing so with the correct permits or licenses that allow for collection of sales and use taxes, as well as other taxes and fees. However, the approximately two percent that are out of compliance are among those responsible for the more than $2 billion sales and use "tax gap" – the difference between the amount of taxes owed and the amount paid, negatively impacting all state taxpayers.
If business owners have any questions about this upcoming visit, they may contact their local BOE SCOP Team or visit the SCOP website.
