SB 533: Cities and counties: sales and use tax agreements.

The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law. That law provides that for the purpose of a local sales tax adopted pursuant to that law, all retail sales are consummated at the place of business of the retailer unless otherwise specified.

Existing law prohibits a local agency, as defined to mean all cities and counties, from entering into any form of agreement with any other person that would involve the payment, transfer, diversion, or rebate of any amount of Bradley-Burns local tax revenues for any purpose if the agreement results in a reduction in the amount of revenue that is received by another local agency from a retailer that is located within the territorial jurisdiction of that other local agency, and the retailer continues to maintain a physical presence within the territorial jurisdiction of that other local agency, with specified exceptions, including an exception for an agreement to pay or rebate any Bradley-Burns local tax revenue relating to a buying company, as defined.

This bill would repeal that prohibition and instead prohibit, on or after January 1, 2016, a local agency from entering into any form of agreement that would result, directly or indirectly, in the payment, transfer, diversion, or rebate of Bradley-Burns local tax revenues to any person, as defined, for any purpose, if the agreement results in a reduction in the amount of Bradley-Burns local tax revenues that, in the absence of the agreement, would be received by another local agency and the retailer continues to maintain a physical presence within the territorial jurisdiction of that other local agency, with specified exceptions. This bill would also impose specified notification and reporting requirements on a local agency entering into an agreement that results in a reduction of the amount of Bradley-Burns local tax revenues, that in the absence of the agreement, would be received by another local agency, prior to the ratification of that agreement. This bill would also require any local agency to post such an agreement on its Internet Web site, including any agreements entered into prior to January 1, 2016, that are still in effect. By imposing these notification and reporting requirements on a local agency, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would exclude from these provisions any mutual tax revenue sharing agreement between local agencies to pay, transfer, or divert Bradley-Burns local tax revenues to another local agency, and where the agreement would not result, directly or indirectly, in the payment, transfer, diversion, or rebate of those tax revenues to a retailer.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.