Latest news with #CaliforniaDepartmentofTaxandFeeAdministration
San Francisco Chronicle
22-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Popular S.F. Italian restaurants file for bankruptcy
A San Francisco favorite for wood-fired pizza has filed for bankruptcy at two of its four locations. Fiorella entered filings for its Richmond District and Sunset District locations, each operated by different limited liability corporations, for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing type allows owners to continue operating a business while restructuring debt. Co-owner Brandon Gillis emphasized that the two restaurants would not be closing. 'These are calculated decisions that were made based on keeping our great team and continuing to feed people,' Gillis said. Fiorella filed for bankruptcy for the Richmond District location, at 2339 Clement Ave., on Tuesday. Court documents show Project Pizza, LLC, which owns the location, owes just over $1 million to creditors including wine distributors, meat purveyors and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Documents show the company has $78,855 in assets. The operator of Fiorella's Sunset location at 1240 Ninth Ave., Project Pizza Sunset LLC, filed for bankruptcy on April 1; it held $499,481.74 in assets, according to the filing, while its total liabilities were between $500,000 and $1 million at the time of the filing. Fiorella operates another two San Francisco locations under separate LLCs: one in Russian Hill, 2238 Polk St., and its latest in Noe Valley, at 4042 24th St. The restaurants share similar menus, with pizza and pastas plus specials. Co-owners Boris Nemchenok and Gillis founded the first Fiorella in the Richmond a decade ago. Gillis is hopeful for the future of his restaurants. 'I'm a really strong believer in San Francisco and I feel like the city is starting to reach a place where we can rebound,' he said.
Epoch Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
California Lawmakers to Consider Vacancy Tax on Commercial Property
A California state senator is proposing a tax on vacant commercial properties, saying empty buildings and storefronts reduce business vitality, lower tax revenue, and create public nuisances. Democratic state Sen. Caroline Menjivar of San Fernando Valley authored Menjivar sees the measure as a way to spur economic activity. 'Vacant commercial property represents a missed opportunity for community enrichment,' Menjivar said, according to a legislative analysis of the bill. 'Other times they contribute to the neighborhood's blight and can be areas of nuisance and public safety concerns. These underutilized spaces hold potential as storefronts for local entrepreneurs, innovative workspaces for growing businesses, or mixed-use projects combining housing with commercial amenities.' The measure requires all owners of commercial property in the state to register with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) each year, providing detailed information about their properties, including giving a reason why if a property is vacant. Anyone who doesn't file would be required to pay a penalty, according to the bill. Related Stories 4/22/2025 3/20/2025 Menjivar claims that without state oversight, the empty parcels can stay vacant for years and sometimes decades. 'In order to encourage development or penalize blighted vacant buildings, we need data to systematically track commercial vacancies, including their underlying causes like renovation delays, regulatory hurdles, or speculative holding patterns,' she said. The senator says the state would be able to streamline permit approvals if clusters of vacancies were caused by slow permitting, or consider a vacancy tax to incentivize productive use. The bill would also require that the state post on its public website detailed information about each commercial property, including the percentage of commercial properties that were vacant in a calendar year and the reason for the vacancy if the property was vacant for more than 182 days in a year. The state would have to post what percentage of commercial properties are located in a blighted area, among other information. The city and county of San Francisco approved a similar tax with Measure M in November 2022, but the ordinance was ruled unconstitutional. The measure imposed an annual tax of $2,500 to $5,000 per vacant unit, depending on the unit's size. The tax was allowed to increase annually to a maximum of $20,000 if the same owner keeps the unit vacant for multiple consecutive years. However, the San Francisco County Superior Court issued an order Nov. 26, 2024, in favor of taxpayers, finding that the tax violated the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The court also found the tax violated property-owners' constitutional right to privacy under the California Constitution by compelling owners to share their property via application of the tax. The court also held that Measure M violated the California Ellis Act, which prohibits public entities from compelling residential property owners to rent or lease. Other cities have instituted similar vacancy taxes in recent years. Berkeley, east of San Francisco, imposes an empty homes tax on residential units that are vacant for more than 182 days per year. Empty residential units in duplexes, condos, single-family homes, and townhouses are charged $3,000 the first year and $6,000 for each subsequent year. All other empty residential properties pay $6,000 in the first year and $12,000 each year after that. Stacked shipping containers begin to surround People's Park in Berkeley, Calif. on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP Oakland also charges an annual tax of $6,000 for residential, nonresidential, and undeveloped properties, and $3,000 a year for condos, duplexes, and townhomes. The tax applies to privately owned properties not occupied more than 50 days per year and has several exemptions. Menjivar's legislation faces tremendous opposition from commercial property owner associations, building owners and managers groups, taxpayer advocates, hotel and lodging associations, mortgage bankers and housing associations, retailers, and multiple chambers of commerce throughout the state. The California Business Properties Association 'Vacancy is largely driven by market forces—not neglect—especially as sectors like retail, office, and industrial continue to recover from the pandemic,' the association wrote in an opposition statement. 'This tax would penalize property owners during economic uncertainty and risk further destabilizing struggling markets. SB 789 would also undermine local property tax revenues, reducing property values and triggering reassessments under Prop. 8—resulting in permanent funding losses for schools, cities, and essential services.' The bill also imposes costly administrative burdens, the association says.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These Southern California cities are increasing sales tax rates on April 1
LOS ANGELES - Beginning April 1, several cities across Southern California will see higher sales tax rates. What we know Most of the increases, particularly for cities in Los Angeles County, are the result of Measure A, the Los Angeles County Homelessness Services and Affordable Housing Ordinance, approved by voters in November 2024. SUGGESTED: LA County sales tax rate increase effective April 1 Tax Rate Increase By City New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 9.5% New rate: 10.25% Old rate: 10% New rate: 10.75% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 8.75% Old rate: 7.75% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 9.25% Old rate: 8.75% New rate: Old rate: New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 8.75% Old rate: 7.75% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10% New rate: 8.75% Old rate: 7.75% New rate: 8.75% Old rate: 7.75% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.75% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.25% Old rate: 10% New rate: 10.75% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 8.75% Old rate: 8.25% New rate: 10.25% Old rate: 10% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 11.25% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.75% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.25% Old rate: 10% New rate: 10.25% Old rate: 9.5% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 8.75% Old rate: 7.75% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 8.75% Old rate: 7.75% New rate: 11.25% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.75% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 8.25% Old rate: 7.75% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 8.75% Old rate: 7.75% New rate: 9.25% Old rate: 8.75% New rate: 10.75% Old rate: 10.5% New rate: 10.75% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 9.25% Old rate: 8.25% New rate: 9.25% Old rate: 8.75% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.75% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.75% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.25% Old rate: 10% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 10.5% Old rate: 10.25% New rate: 8.75% Old rate: 7.75% New rate: 8.75% Old rate: 7.75% The Source Information for this story is from the website of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LA County sales tax rate increase effective April 1
The Brief Los Angeles County will see a sales tax increase from 9.5% to 9.75% starting April 1. The change is due to a Los Angeles County-wide tax increase approved by voters in 2024. Measure A repeals the previous Measure H tax. LOS ANGELES - Starting April 1, residents and businesses in Los Angeles County will be paying a higher sales tax rate. The sales tax rate will increase from 9.5% to 9.75% due to a Los Angeles County adjustment. What we know The increase is a result of Measure A, the Los Angeles County Homelessness Services and Affordable Housing Ordinance, approved by voters in November 2024. This measure imposes a countywide one-half percent (0.50%) sales tax on every $1 of goods sold in LA County. SUGGESTED: Over 2 million Honda vehicles under investigation for engine restart failure: What to know It aims to support homeownership, provide rental assistance, and fund various services for vulnerable populations, including mental health and addiction treatment. The backstory Measure A replaces the Measure H countywide sales tax, resulting in a net increase of one-quarter percent (0.25%) on all taxable sales in Los Angeles County. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration has issued a Special Notice regarding the new tax rates, available on their website. Why you should care The sales tax increase will impact consumers and businesses in LA County, affecting the cost of goods and services. SUGGESTED: Many shoppers admit returning items after use: See what's most common The additional revenue generated by Measure A is intended to address critical social issues, including homelessness and affordable housing, benefiting the broader community. What's next Residents and businesses are encouraged to review the Special Notice from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration for detailed information on the tax rate change. SUGGESTED: Tax deadline extensions: Where weather disasters have altered the April 15 filing date The county will continue to monitor the impact of Measure A on local services and funding. The Source Information for this story is from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration's website.
Los Angeles Times
31-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Sales taxes will rise across L.A. County starting Tuesday. Here's how it will impact you
Don't be surprised if there's a few extra cents rung up on your receipt this week. Starting Tuesday, Los Angeles County residents will see a quarter percent sales tax increase on their purchases due to a voter approved measure that supports county-run homeless services. As of April 1, Los Angeles County residents in unincorporated areas and in cities that did not impose their own voter-approved tax will see their sales tax jump from 9.5% to 9.75%. In California, Alameda County currently has the highest countywide sales tax at 10.25%, according to tax rates effective January 2025. In November, voters in Los Angeles County approved Measure A, a replacement for the county's 2017 quarter-cent sales tax to fund homeless services called Measure H. Measure H was set to expire in 2027. But now Measure A will replace it entirely, two years before the expiration date, and raise the tax rate to a half cent, which the county estimates will generate over $1 billion annually. The new tax will remain in effect until it's repealed by voters. Measure A's goals, according to the county's Homeless Initiative, includes reducing the number of people falling into homelessness and living on the streets with mental or substance use disorders, increasing the number of affordable housing units in the county and increasing the number of people transitioning into permanent housing from encampments. Here's the breakdown of how the proceeds of Measure A are slated to be used, by percentage. Approximately 60% of the proceeds will go towards county homeless services: Approximately 40% will be allocated to housing production: No. Some cities within the county have different, highers sales tax rates and as a result of Measure A those rates will be increased higher than 9.75%, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Cities whose current rate is 10.25% and will be increased to 10.50% as a result of Measure A: Cities that approved their own new sales tax rate in combination with Measure A, listed from highest rate to lowest: These cities were excluded from Measure H's 0.25% sales tax but now subject to Measure A and will see their sale tax rate increase to 10.75%: These cities are also seeing an increase from Measure A and their own local rate: A lot of your everyday purchases are subject to the tax including furniture, toys, clothing and electronics. The California Tax Service Center states items that are exempt from the sales tax includes:
