As a person who has the misfortune of doing business in unincorporated DeKalb County, I’d like to start by congratulating the county government and its Board of Commissioners.
I did not think the county could make renewing a business license more costly, cumbersome or time consuming than it already is. But this week, the county proved me wrong.
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I learned that even though county occupational taxes are not actually delinquent until April 15, the county has arbitrarily assigned new renewal deadlines. Many business owners, including myself,
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Your eyes do not deceive you. The county will charge you $100 extra if you file your renewal paperwork tomorrow, Feb. 28, $300 more if you file it on March 1 and $600 (!) more if you file it on April 1, which is unfortunately not an April Fool’s Day joke.
Keep in mind that a business license is not considered delinquent until April 15. Under the law, I am in compliance if I drop off all of my paperwork on April 15 and pay my renewal fee.
When a reader brought this to my attention, I thought she must be high. Then I researched the matter myself and concluded the county definitely is high if they think that business owners should be on the hook for failing to return renewal notices the county never even mailed.
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County Commissioners adopted this new set of fees back in October , but apparently neglected to inform the business community about its plan to penalize us for the county’s incompetence.
Also, another fun new requirement: the county is requiring you to turn over a copy of your previous year’s tax returns to prove your gross receipts for the year:
DeKalb County, which struggles to accurately assess and mail you a water bill, would like unfettered access to your private financial data.
Georgia Business License
In a panic, I spent most of this morning calling around to figure out what the hell I should do. The first quarter in any business is always hard and this definitely is
The employee on the phone was nice and said they wouldn’t require me to bring in my tax returns, which is good since I haven’t finished them for this year and also weird since that’s what the county now says it requires. But whatever.
I went down to the business license office today, showed the county my paperwork, did an estimate of my revenue for the upcoming year (that’s always a fun game to play) and the employee signed my renewal application and filed it away somewhere. In prior years, I have paid for my renewals when I submit my renewal paperwork, which I
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My suspicion is the county would prefer not to have us hyperventilating over their wonderful new fees while sitting in the county office. The county has a long line of people behind you waiting to sign up for their future fleecing.
Anyone who doesn’t already know about the new late fees and turns in their renewal paperwork can expect a nasty surprise in the mail, particularly if they file after April 1.
DeKalb’s turn toward gouging business owners is particularly distressing because I’ve spent the last three years telling everyone in county government who would listen that I’ve had root canals that were more fun than getting my license renewed. Aside from business owners having to chase the county down to get a renewal notice, there’s also the practice of the county assessing your license fee based on your gross income. Not your
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If you go just by my gross income, I look like a financial genius. Once you subtract all of my various expenses, my profit is modest, in a good year. I’m not complaining. This gig definitely beats doing real work, but the theory behind assessing the fees this way doesn’t make much sense. I am a home-based business, so I don’t require any more services than what the county already provides me as a homeowner. My gross revenue going up doesn’t mean I receive any additional support from the county.
Decatur does not do it that way, I should note. When I lived in the city limits, I paid an annual fee based on my class of business. Home-based businesses paid the lowest fee. It was pretty sweet, actually, so maybe Decatur spoiled me.
Have a county business license because the process is so complicated and the county is unlikely to call them on it unless they are creating a nuisance. My business has a very public face and I’m always causing a nuisance, so it’s in my best interest to ensure my paperwork is in order.
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I’m willing to bet there are numerous other business owners, particularly home-based business owners, who simply do not bother getting a DeKalb County business license. The current system already penalized people for being honest well before the county added all these crazy fees to it.
For people wondering why anyone would want to join an existing or new city, I would submit DeKalb County government as Exhibit A. The county often fails at government’s most basic functions, and when they try harder, they somehow make it worse.
DeKalb County, CEO Mike Thurmond in particular, please listen to me: this ain’t rocket science. Let me help you streamline your business license process and increase compliance in a few easy steps.
Dekalb County Business License Guide
1) Create a tier system for business licenses. Home-based businesses pay one thing, attorneys pay another thing, smoke stacks pay something else, and so on. The cost of a license should reflect the cost of the services the county actually provides to a business.
2) Send out renewal notices and allow them to be paid online . The Georgia Secretary of State allows me to complete my license renewal in less than five minutes. I give them the credit card number. They process it. That’s it. Boom. Done.
Small businesses like mine create revenue for the county when they invest in our community, spending money at local companies and hiring local people. The business license should really be a nominal fee, at most, and should be viewed as a way to ensure people are doing business lawfully within the county.
Business License Checklists, Guides, And Calendars***
To pay my fair share of what it costs the county to pay for police and fire services and keep the roads paved. I recognize that there’s a cost to these things. Unfortunately, the county seems intent on shifting that cost to people who follow the rules while unintentionally exempting people who ignore them.
DeKalb County commissioners need to put their economic development hats on here and think of ways to make doing business easier, not harder. A community’s business climate should be like a warm pool that’s open to everyone. Doing business in DeKalb County is more like an obstacle course.
Recently, the county Development Authority launched a multi-million dollar re-branding effort to encourage economic investment in DeKalb and bolster the county’s image. It turns out the county has developed a bad reputation in the business community over the years.
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Editorial: Haven't Renewed Your County Business License Yet? It Could Cost You Hundreds Of Dollars
Complete and submit the renewal application along with the required documentation to blicense@dekalbcountyga.gov. Once received, allow one (1) week for review and processing. Upon completion, the department will generate fees and post to your account for online payment.
The state of Georgia does not require a general business license. Once you have obtained a valid business tax certificate, your business may legally operate throughout all of Georgia.
Business License taxes consist of four parts (1) a $75.00 non-refundable administrative fee, (2) an per worker employee fee, (3) a $50.00 minimum flat tax, and (4) a gross receipt tax based on an estimated gross receipts figure.
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5. Apply for Licenses and Permits Tax Registration. If you will be selling goods in Georgia, you must register with the Department of Revenue (DOR) to collect sales tax. ... EIN. ... Regulatory licenses and permits. ... Professional and occupational licenses. ... Sole proprietorships. ... Partnerships. ... LLCs. ... Corporations.
Fill Out & File an Application In all cases, the $25 filing fee is nonrefundable. Visit the Secretary of State's online services page.
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The pass-through entity must keep a copy of this page for its records as documentation showing why it did not pay withh ...
Trade names do not need to be renewed. You'll need to fill out a new registration form with amendments and pay a fee if you want to change your
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