Administrative Services

Finance Division

Business Licensing

The City of Turlock Finance Division is responsible for issuing and collecting taxes for business licenses.

Please note: The City of Turlock does not authorize any other agency to process or accept payment for City of Turlock Business Licenses.

When do I need a business license?
The City of Turlock requires that you obtain a Business License before starting business in the City Limits of Turlock.

Where do I get a business license?
Business Licenses may be obtained at the Finance Division / Accounts Receivable at Turlock City Hall, 156 S. Broadway, Suite 114. You may also download an application in Adobe Acrobat format.

How long is the business license valid?
Most businesses pay a Business License Tax based on gross receipts, and the license is renewable semi-annually on January 1st (delinquent after February 15th) and July 1st (delinquent after August 15th).

Businesses paying a Business License Tax based on a fixed rate may renew their license annually on January 1st (delinquent after February 15th).

Businesses that will be operating in the City of Turlock for a short term pay a license tax based on a fixed rate and licenses are not renewable.

How much does a business license cost?
When applying for a Business License you are usually required to pay a $50 application fee and the Business License fee for the first license period*.

* Gross Receipts: Unless your business falls into one of the categories listed in the Fixed Rate schedule below, your Business License fee for the first license period will be $30.00.

* Fixed Rate: If your business falls into one of the categories listed in the Fixed Rate schedule below, your Business License fee for the first license period will be the applicable fixed rate fee shown in the fixed rate schedule.

When renewing your Business License, the Business License fee will be charged according to the following schedules:

GROSS RECEIPT FEE SCHEDULE
OPTION 1: A tax of $.50 per $1000 of gross receipts with a minimum of $30 each semi-annual period.

OPTION 2: In lieu of providing the actual gross receipts you may find your Business License Tax based on the following schedule:

Semi-Annual Flat Fee In-Lieu of Reporting Actual Gross Receipts

Semi-Annual Gross Receipts	Semi-Annual Flat Fee
$0 - $59,999	$40.00
$60,000 - $124,999	$75.00
$125,000 - $249,999	$155.00
$250,000 - $374,999	$235.00
$375,000 - $499,999	$310.00
$500,000 - $749,999	$470.00
Over $749,999	$470.00

FIXED RATE FEE SCHEDULE
Businesses charged by fixed rate pay a license tax based on the following schedule:

Business	Tax
Auctioneer - No fixed place of business	$25.00 per day, or $200.00 per year
Bingo Games	$25.00 per year
Cabaret	$25.00 per day, or $100.00 per year
Card Rooms	$500.00 per year per table
Carnival	$150.00 per day
Circus	$150.00 per day
Closing Out Sale	$100.00 - 30 days, $200.00 - 60 days, $300.00 - 90 days
Crafts, Fairs, and Shows	$15.00 per day per stand (no individual application tax required)
Dance	$50.00 per day
Directory Sales	$100.00 per year
Farmers' Market	$200.00 per year (no individual application tax required)
Itinerant Vendor-fixed location	$25.00 per day, $100 per season, $150 per year
Peddler/Solicitor/Canvasser-Residential	$15.00 per day, $60 per month
Photographer-Itinerant	$100.00 per month
Push Carts	$60.00 per calendar year
Tent or Caravan Show	$150.00 per day
Vending Machines	$20.00 per year per machine (requires sticker)
Vendor: Movable Stand/Motorized vehicle	$30.00 per month, or $150.00 per year, per stand, vehicle, etc.
Video Games/Mechanical Amusement Devices	$30.00 per year per machine (requires sticker)
Sporting Exhibits	$100.00 per exhibition

Striking Gold in California

What you need to know about taxes and your small business.

http://www.boe.ca.gov/pdf/pub170.pdf (English)
http://www.boe.ca.gov/transpubs/pdf/StrikingGold-S6-2.pdf (Spanish)


Download Business License Application