Paul,
Technically, it depends on the laws in each city. Most have laws requiring licenses, but it is rarely enforced. Washington state requires us to collect sales taxes according to each locality, and report same. Based on that reporting, one small city sent me a nasty note threatening me with a huge fine per day if I did not get a license. Seems I no longer do business in that city ;) Others seem quite content to take the money without complaining.
There are people in the Department of Revenue who are there to help you figure this out. My Dad worked for the DOR here for 29 years. Through him I learned that the bureaucrat doesn't necessarily like or agree with the law, but they are forced to adhere to it. I have found with most bureaucrats if I make nice and ask them how I can do things the right way, they will go out of their way to find a way to help. This goes for the zoning issue as well.
Of course, some government folks have forgotten how to be human beings, in which case they will destroy you just for the notch on their belt.
David Stocker, RPT
Tumwater, WA
From: Paul T Williams
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 10:22
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Probelm with Business License. Please help!
David,
I was always curious that if we are licensed in the city in which we live as well as the state, do we also have to have a license for all the surrounding cities in which we work? (It doesn't matter now, since I'm a CAUT), but I didn't ever know if I was bending some sort of law living in Clinton, WA, but doing business all around Puget Sound.
Best,
Paul
From: "David Stocker" <firtreepiano at hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Date: 07/15/2010 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Probelm with Business License. Please help!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A huge problem for us is that the laws and codes are written by people who are educated into thinking commercial can only mean retail stores or industrial businesses. Our kind of business does not exist in their perception of the universe. The city I grew up in and started my business in made it literally impossible for me to remain, thereby losing my taxes. The county here classifies me the same as a piano teacher; which means if I have no sign, no employees and do nothing outside, they don't care. In Washington state there is no licensing of businesses by the county, only by the state and cities. A business license is not the same as an occupation permit.
You might ask about the procedure for re-zoning your property. Sometimes it is not as onerous as you might think, and you may be presenting your cause to a committee of citizens rather than bureaucrats.
David Stocker, RPT
Tumwater, WA
From: Hy Cohen
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 02:47
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] Probelm with Business License. Please help!
Hi everyone,
I just moved here to California a couple of weeks ago, and am working on getting my business plan assembled so I can soon start my piano tech business.
As part of that process, I gave a call over to my county to find out how much a business license would be (I live outside the city limits). They told me $415. But then they asked where I would be operating my business, so I explained to them that it would be a home-based business where I will perform a majority of my services at my clients’ location and that once in a while I would take a part home to work on using manual hand tools which are pretty quiet, and that my business would not generate any additional traffic, etc. She then asked me for my address, so I gave it to her.
Just as soon as I gave her my address she announced that I could not run my business where I live! She said the property is zoned as agriculture, and because I would occasionally bring something home with me to work on that it would be considered a commercial operation which would not be allowed under the property’s zoning. Any thoughts…besides moving or pretending I didn’t hear what the lady said? <grin> I’ve left messages for the city to find out if I lived there if I would run into the same problem, but they haven’t called back. In your experience, am I likely to run into this problem living in a city? We are planning to move into a city in the near future. But with this goofy problem, we might be moving sooner rather than later. <grin> Thanks for your advice!
Warmly,
Hy
frowninverter at gmail.com
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