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Committee backs annual filing, limited amnesty and planning tweak to ease small residential parking tax compliance
Summary
The committee approved forwarding an ordinance simplifying parking‑tax compliance for owners renting up to five residential parking spaces: annual instead of quarterly returns, a limited amnesty period (01/01/2013–06/30/2013) for up to two years of back tax without penalties, and a planning‑code change to allow leasing up to five spaces to city residents (removing the 1,250‑foot limit for small owners).
The committee considered legislation to amend the Business and Tax Regulations Code to ease compliance for residential owners or managers who rent up to five parking spaces to nonresidents but live in the city.
Supervisor Scott Wiener, the sponsor, said the law historically applied citywide parking‑tax rules to small residential owners in ways that made compliance onerous — requiring revenue control equipment, bonding, fingerprinting and fees that often exceeded the revenue from a few rented spaces. The proposal simplifies compliance by allowing small operators (five or fewer spaces) to register and report annually, waive the equipment/bonding/fingerprint requirement, and receive a limited amnesty: owners who register during a defined period (amended to 01/01/2013–06/30/2013) would pay no more than two years of back tax and owe no penalties.
The legislation includes a planning‑code amendment so that small residential owners may rent up to five spaces to city residents without the existing 1,250‑foot geographic restriction (the 1,250‑foot limit would remain for larger operators). Treasurer Tax Collector staff worked with the sponsor on technical details.
Budget Analyst estimates (preliminary) indicate potential one‑time revenue of about $1.8 million and ongoing annual revenue of ~$900,000, though the office and Treasurer's Office noted limited data on how many small operators would come forward; the committee accepted amendments (annual filing and revised amnesty dates) and forwarded the item with recommendation.
