Athens Banner Herald

Law change catches businesses off guard

Dozens of Athens business owners have been peppering the Athens-Clarke Finance Department with telephone calls and questions this year about a state law that now requires proof of U.S. citizenship to get a local “business license.”

The revised law, which took effect Jan. 1, requires the owner or manager of a business to file a notarized affidavit stating that he is a U.S citizen or a legal permanent resident to get a license.

The finance department issues annual occupation tax certificates – commonly called business licenses.

Workers in the finance office have been fielding dozens of calls about the citizenship affidavit since the new year started, Finance Director John Culpepper said.

“We received about 10 calls per day (last) week,” Culpepper said. “People who have been in business for (many years) are calling and asking, ‘Why are you requiring us to do this now?’ ”

Finance department officials mailed the renewal information Dec. 31 to 4,500 businesses and another 400 professional firms that were issued occupancy taxes in 2009.

The renewal notices include an application form, an affidavit sheet and information regarding the state law’s revision, which the Georgia General Assembly passed last year.

For applicants who claim legal permanent residency but who do not have U.S. citizenship, county officials must confirm the residency information by checking a database maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Culpepper said.

The affidavits are required in all Georgia municipalities that require businesses to pay occupation taxes.

Business owners pay according to how many employees they have, ranging from $52 to $3,622. The occupation tax rate for professionals is $400 per professional in a firm.

April 1 is the deadline for renewing occupation tax certificates this year.

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 HERE