Business Tax & Licensing

Department of Administrative Services
Director:  James Purtee

Business Tax

Click on the button below to renew your Business Tax Certificate    

You will need your Business Tax Identification Number and last four digits of the Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) used for your business in order to log into the system.

General Information

The law provides that a Business Tax Certificate is necessary before any Business, Trade, Profession, Enterprise, Establishment, Occupation, or Calling is conducted within the City. A Tax Certificate is required even though the business may be located outside the City or have a Tax Certificate from another city.

The Business Tax Certificate is valid until December 31st of the year in which it is issued and must be renewed by April 30th of the following year. It is the responsibility of the tax certificate holder to insure that the tax is paid each year.

Applications and Renewals

All businesses operating within the City of Simi Valley are required to obtain an annual Business Tax Certificate. To obtain a new Business Tax Certificate, please contact the Planning Division at (805) 583-6769 or enviroservices@simivalley.org for further information.

• Business Tax Certificate Application Form

If you are renewing your Business Tax Certificate with the City, we encourage you to renew online by clicking the button above. Customers unable to use the new online payment system, can still submit their renewals in person at City Hall, 2929 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley, or through the mail at Post Office Box 1680, Simi Valley, CA 93062-1680. Customers with questions about the new system can call the Customer Services Division of the Department of Administrative Services at (805) 583-6736 during regular business hours or via e-mail to customerservices@simivalley.org.

Rates

The business tax rate is determined according to the following schedules. The tax for most businesses is based on annual gross receipts for the previous year. A new business should estimate their gross receipts from the day the business begins operation through December 31st of that year.  On December 12, 2011, the Simi Valley City Council adopted a resolution waiving business tax for Simi Valley businesses with gross recepts of $300,000 or less beginning January 1, 2012.  The waiver will extend through December 31, 2016.  All businesses are still required to register with the City and obtain a Business Tax Certificate.

Gross Receipts Schedule

Annual Gross Receipts

From	To	Your Tax is
$0	$20,000	$0.00
$20,001	$300,000	$0.00
$300,001	$400,000	$150.00
$400,001	$500,000	$187.50
$500,001	$600,000	$225.00

Schedule continues at the rate of $37.50 per $100,000 gross receipts.

PAYMENT IS REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION.

Flat Rate Schedule
Amusement Activities & Facilities	$100 per day
Filming by Motion Picture Studios	$100 per day
Delivery Trucks: (Business located outside City of Simi Valley)	$25 per truck
Swap Meet Vendors	$2 per day or gross receipts schedule

 
Automobile Dealers Annual Gross Receipts

From	To	Your Tax is
$0	$300,000	$0.00
$300,001	$1,000,000	$350
$1,000,001	$2,000,000	$350 + .24 per thousand dollars of gross receipts in excess of $1,000,000
$2,000,001	$3,000,000	$590 + .20 per thousand dollars of gross receipts in excess of $2,000,000
$3,000,001	$4,000,000	$790 + .16 per thousand dollars of gross receipts in excess of $3,000,000
$4,000,001	$5,000,000	$950 + .12 per thousand dollars of gross receipts in excess of $4,000,000
$5,000,001	Over	$1,070 + .08 per thousand dollars of gross receipts in excess of $5,000,000

Adjustments and Penalties

New businesses taxed pursuant to the gross receipts provision not in business a full year at the time of renewal shall be eligible for adjustment of the taxes upon renewal of the Business Tax Certificate.

For failure to renew a Business Tax Certificate on or before April 30, the Department of Administrative Services Customer Services Division shall add a penalty of Ten Dollars ($10.00) or Ten Percent (10%) of said tax, whichever is the greater, on the first day of each month after the delinquency thereof, to a maximum of no more than 100% of the tax. It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to pay the tax each year that business is conducted in Simi Valley.

Effect of the Business Tax Certificate

The Business Tax Certificate is evidence only of the fact that such tax has been paid. It does not sanction any act not otherwise permitted.

Zone Clearance, Sign Permits, and a Home Occupation Permit may be required on certain types of businesses.

A separate Business Tax Certificate must be obtained for each branch of operation. In addition, a person owning and/or managing two or more types of businesses must pay a tax for each establishment.

Any person who by the use of signs, circulars, cards, telephone books, newspapers, or other means of communication, advertises, holds out or represents that he/she is engaged in business in the City of Simi Valley, the transaction of which a tax is levied, shall be evidence of the liability of such party to pay such tax on business conducted within the City.

All certificates must be displayed at a fixed location. For those businesses that do not have a fixed location, the responsible party must carry his/her Business Tax Certificate.

Regulated Business

For protection of the public, various types of businesses are regulated through the Police, Fire, Health, and Environmental Services Departments. Your business may or may not be regulated.

The following is a list of some of the operations that need a "permit" in addition to a Business Tax Certificate:

• Billiard Rooms
• Bingo
• Circuses and Carnivals
• Dance Halls
• Firearm Dealers
• Massage Parlors/Therapists
• Parades and Shows
• Pawnbrokers
• Secondhand Dealers
• Solicitors
• Taxicabs

Health Department permits are required of those businesses that handle food. These include fixed places of business, canteen trucks, ice cream trucks, and temporary food stands, etc.  For more information, contact the Ventura County Health Department, 800 So. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, (800) 660-5474 Ext. 2437.

Sales Tax Number -To obtain a Sales Tax number, contact the State Board of Equalization, 4820 McGrath, Ventura, (805) 677-2700; 15350 Sherman Way, #260, Van Nuys, (800) 400-7115.

Fictitious Business Name - For more information, contact County Clerk's Office, 800 So. Victoria Ave., Ventura 1-800-660-5474, or click here to download the forms from the County of Ventura's website.

Small Business Administration - For more information, contact the Los Angeles Chapter of the Small Business Administration, (213) 894-2956.

Tri-County Better Business Bureau - For more information, call (805) 963-8657, (805) 963-8658, or (805) 963-8659.    AUTO COMPLAINTS ONLY (805) 963-5477.

Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce - For local business information, call (805) 526-3900.

State Contractors Board - To obtain more information, contact the local office at 1787 Mesa Verde Ave., Room 110, Ventura, (805) 654-4515.

Child Care - For information related to Child Care Services, contact the City of Ventura Community Care Licensing, 360 S. Hope Ave., Suite C 105, Santa Barbara, 93105, (805) 682-7647.

Foster Care (license only) (805) 654-3456.

Alcohol Beverage Control - To obtain information on liquor licenses, contact (805) 289-0100.

If you have any questions regarding the City's business tax, please contact the Customer Services Division of the Department of Administrative Services at: (805) 583-6736.
Or write to:

City of Simi Valley
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
P.O. Box 1680
Simi Valley, California 93062-1680