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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 3Pt. 2Ch. 3§ 37101 Local Business Licensing Taxes

§ 37101 Local Business Licensing Taxes

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 37101 Local Business Licensing Taxes

Key Takeaways

  • •Cities can charge fees for businesses, shows, or games to make money and keep things fair.
  • •If a business works in and out of the city, the fee should only cover the part done in the city.
  • •Nonprofits and religious groups don’t have to pay these fees.
  • •Counties can’t count certain cannabis taxes when calculating fees for cannabis shops.

Example

A food truck that sells tacos in the city and also in nearby towns.

The city can charge a fee for the tacos sold inside the city, but not for the ones sold outside.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 37101 Local Business Licensing Taxes

(a) The legislative body may license, for revenue and regulation, and fix the license tax upon, every kind of lawful business transacted in the city, including shows, exhibitions, and games. It may provide for collection of the license tax by suit or otherwise. If the legislative body levies a sales tax under the authority of this section, it may impose a complementary tax at the same rate upon use or other consumption of tangible personal property. If the legislative body imposes a sales or use tax, it shall do so in the same manner and use the same tax base as prescribed in Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 7200) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (b) Any legislative body, including the legislative body of a charter city, that levies a license tax pursuant to subdivision (a) upon a business operating both within and outside the legislative body’s taxing jurisdiction, shall levy the tax so that the measure of tax fairly reflects that proportion of the taxed activity actually carried on within the taxing jurisdiction. (c) No license tax levied pursuant to subdivision (a) that is measured by the licensee’s income or gross receipts, whether levied by a charter or general law city, shall apply to any nonprofit organization that is exempted from taxes by Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 23701) of Part 11 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or Subchapter F (commencing with Section 501) of Chapter 1 of Subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the successor of either, or to any minister, clergyperson, Christian Science practitioner, rabbi, or priest of any religious organization that has been granted an exemption from federal income tax by the United States Commissioner of Internal Revenue as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or a successor to that section. (d) A county shall not include in the definition of gross receipts, for purposes of any local tax or fee imposed by the county on a cannabis retailer licensed under Division 10 (commencing with Section 26000) of the Business and Professions Code, the amount of any cannabis excise tax imposed under Section 34011.2 of, or any sales and use taxes imposed under Part 1 (commencing with Section 6001) of, Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 7200) of, or Part 1.6 (commencing with Section 7251) of, Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, or Section 35 of Article XIII of the California Constitution. (Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 874, Sec. 3. (SB 1059) Effective January 1, 2025.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

regulationcommissionpropertyportlicenseorganizationtaxation codeinternal revenue code

Related Statutes

  • § 16142.1 Farmland Security Zone Payments
  • § 23334 County Debt Distribution Rules
  • § 31593 Annual Retirement System Audit
  • § 56123 County Jurisdiction For Reorganization
  • § 64520 Bay Area Revenue Authority Powers

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 37101.
View Official Source