1     
MUNICIPAL BUSINESS LICENSURE AMENDMENTS

2     
2019 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Jacob L. Anderegg

5     
House Sponsor: ____________

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill prohibits local government taxation of a business that a minor operates only
10     occasionally.
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This bill:
13          ▸     prohibits local government taxation of a business that a minor operates only
14     occasionally; and
15          ▸     makes technical and conforming changes.
16     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
17          None
18     Other Special Clauses:
19          None
20     Utah Code Sections Affected:
21     AMENDS:
22          10-1-203, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 105
23          17-53-216, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2017, Chapter 361
24     

25     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
26          Section 1. Section 10-1-203 is amended to read:
27          10-1-203. License fees and taxes -- Application information to be transmitted to

28     the county assessor.
29          (1) As used in this section:
30          (a) "Business" means any enterprise carried on for the purpose of gain or economic
31     profit, except that the acts of employees rendering services to employers are not included in
32     this definition.
33          (b) "Telecommunications provider" means the same as that term is defined in Section
34     10-1-402.
35          (c) "Telecommunications tax or fee" means the same as that term is defined in Section
36     10-1-402.
37          (2) Except as provided in Subsections (3) through (5) and (7)(a), and subject to
38     Subsection (7)(b), the legislative body of a municipality may license for the purpose of
39     regulation any business within the limits of the municipality, may regulate that business by
40     ordinance, and may impose fees on businesses to recover the municipality's costs of regulation.
41          (3) (a) The legislative body of a municipality may raise revenue by levying and
42     collecting a municipal energy sales or use tax as provided in Part 3, Municipal Energy Sales
43     and Use Tax Act, except a municipality may not levy or collect a franchise tax or fee on an
44     energy supplier other than the municipal energy sales and use tax provided in Part 3, Municipal
45     Energy Sales and Use Tax Act.
46          (b) (i) Subsection (3)(a) does not affect the validity of a franchise agreement as defined
47     in Subsection 10-1-303(6), that is in effect on July 1, 1997, or a future franchise.
48          (ii) A franchise agreement as defined in Subsection 10-1-303(6) in effect on January 1,
49     1997, or a future franchise shall remain in full force and effect.
50          (c) A municipality that collects a contractual franchise fee pursuant to a franchise
51     agreement as defined in Subsection 10-1-303(6) with an energy supplier that is in effect on July
52     1, 1997, may continue to collect that fee as provided in Subsection 10-1-310(2).
53          (d) (i) Subject to the requirements of Subsection (3)(d)(ii), a franchise agreement as
54     defined in Subsection 10-1-303(6) between a municipality and an energy supplier may contain
55     a provision that[: (A)] requires the energy supplier by agreement to pay a contractual franchise
56     fee that is otherwise prohibited under Part 3, Municipal Energy Sales and Use Tax Act[;] and
57     [(B)] imposes the contractual franchise fee on or after the day on which Part 3, Municipal
58     Energy Sales and Use Tax Act is:

59          [(I)] (A) repealed, invalidated, or the maximum allowable rate provided in Section
60     10-1-305 is reduced; and
61          [(II)] (B) not superseded by a law imposing a substantially equivalent tax.
62          (ii) A municipality may not charge a contractual franchise fee under the provisions
63     permitted by Subsection (3)(b)(i) unless the municipality charges an equal contractual franchise
64     fee or a tax on all energy suppliers.
65          (4) (a) Subject to Subsection (4)(b), beginning July 1, 2004, the legislative body of a
66     municipality may raise revenue by levying and providing for the collection of a municipal
67     telecommunications license tax as provided in Part 4, Municipal Telecommunications License
68     Tax Act.
69          (b) A municipality may not levy or collect a telecommunications tax or fee on a
70     telecommunications provider except as provided in Part 4, Municipal Telecommunications
71     License Tax Act.
72          (5) (a) (i) The legislative body of a municipality may by ordinance raise revenue by
73     levying and collecting a license fee or tax on:
74          (A) a parking service business in an amount that is less than or equal to[: (I)] $1 per
75     vehicle that parks at the parking service business[;] or [(II)] 2% of the gross receipts of the
76     parking service business;
77          (B) a public assembly or other related facility in an amount that is less than or equal to
78     $5 per ticket purchased from the public assembly or other related facility; and
79          (C) subject to the limitations of Subsections (5)(c) and (d)[: (I)], a business that causes
80     disproportionate costs of municipal services[;] or [(II)] a purchaser from a business for which
81     the municipality provides an enhanced level of municipal services.
82          (ii) Nothing in this Subsection (5)(a) may be construed to authorize a municipality to
83     levy or collect a license fee or tax on a public assembly or other related facility owned and
84     operated by another political subdivision other than a community reinvestment agency without
85     the written consent of the other political subdivision.
86          (b) As used in this Subsection (5):
87          (i) "Municipal services" includes:
88          (A) public utilities; and
89          (B) services for[: (I)] police[; (II)], fire[; (III)], storm water runoff[; (IV)], traffic

90     control[; (V)], parking[; (VI)], transportation[; (VII)], beautification[;], or [(VIII)] snow
91     removal.
92          (ii) "Parking service business" means a business:
93          (A) that primarily provides off-street parking services for a public facility that is
94     wholly or partially funded by public money;
95          (B) that provides parking for one or more vehicles; and
96          (C) that charges a fee for parking.
97          (iii) "Public assembly or other related facility" means an assembly facility that:
98          (A) is wholly or partially funded by public money;
99          (B) is operated by a business; and
100          (C) requires a person attending an event at the assembly facility to purchase a ticket.
101          (c) (i) Before the legislative body of a municipality imposes a license fee on a business
102     that causes disproportionate costs of municipal services under Subsection (5)(a)(i)(C)[(I)], the
103     legislative body of the municipality shall adopt an ordinance defining for purposes of the tax
104     under Subsection (5)(a)(i)(C)[(I)]:
105          (A) the costs that constitute disproportionate costs; and
106          (B) the amounts that are reasonably related to the costs of the municipal services
107     provided by the municipality.
108          (ii) The amount of a fee under Subsection (5)(a)(i)(C)[(I)] shall be reasonably related to
109     the costs of the municipal services provided by the municipality.
110          (d) (i) Before the legislative body of a municipality imposes a license fee on a
111     purchaser from a business for which it provides an enhanced level of municipal services under
112     Subsection (5)(a)(i)(C)[(II)], the legislative body of the municipality shall adopt an ordinance
113     defining for purposes of the fee under Subsection (5)(a)(i)(C)[(II)]:
114          (A) the level of municipal services that constitutes the basic level of municipal services
115     in the municipality; and
116          (B) the amounts that are reasonably related to the costs of providing an enhanced level
117     of municipal services in the municipality.
118          (ii) The amount of a fee under Subsection (5)(a)(i)(C)[(II)] shall be reasonably related
119     to the costs of providing an enhanced level of the municipal services.
120          (6) All license fees and taxes shall be uniform in respect to the class upon which they

121     are imposed.
122          (7) A municipality may not:
123          (a) require a license or permit for or impose any tax on a business that is operated:
124          (i) only occasionally; and
125          (ii) by an individual who is under 18 years of age; or
126          (b) charge any fee for a resident of the municipality to operate a home-based business,
127     unless the combined offsite impact of the home-based business and the primary residential use
128     materially exceeds the offsite impact of the primary residential use alone.
129          (8) (a) Notwithstanding Subsection (7)(b), a municipality may charge an administrative
130     fee for a license to a home-based business owner who is otherwise exempt under Subsection
131     (7)(b) but who requests a license from the municipality.
132          (b) A municipality shall notify the owner of each home-based business of the
133     exemption described in Subsection (7)(b) in any communication with the owner.
134          (9) The municipality shall transmit the information from each approved business
135     license application to the county assessor within 60 days following the approval of the
136     application.
137          (10) If challenged in court, an ordinance enacted by a municipality before January 1,
138     1994, imposing a business license fee on rental dwellings under this section shall be upheld
139     unless the business license fee is found to impose an unreasonable burden on the fee payer.
140          Section 2. Section 17-53-216 is amended to read:
141          17-53-216. Business license fees and taxes -- Application information to be
142     transmitted to the county assessor.
143          (1) As used in this section, "business" means any enterprise carried on for the purpose
144     of gain or economic profit, except that the acts of employees rendering services to employers
145     are not included in this definition.
146          (2) Except as provided in Subsection (4)(a), and subject to Subsection (4)(b), the
147     legislative body of a county may by ordinance provide for the licensing of businesses within
148     the unincorporated areas of the county for the purpose of regulation, and may impose fees on
149     businesses to recover the county's costs of regulation.
150          (3) All license fees and taxes shall be uniform in respect to the class upon which they
151     are imposed.

152          (4) A county may not:
153          (a) require a license or permit for or impose any tax on a business that is operated:
154          (i) only occasionally; and
155          (ii) by an individual who is under 18 years of age; or
156          (b) charge a license fee for a home based business unless the combined offsite impact
157     of the home based business and the primary residential use materially exceeds the offsite
158     impact of the primary residential use alone.
159          (5) The county business licensing agency shall transmit the information from each
160     approved business license application to the county assessor within 60 days following the
161     approval of the application.
162          (6) This section may not be construed to enhance, diminish, or otherwise alter the
163     taxing power of counties existing prior to the effective date of Laws of Utah 1988, Chapter
164     144.