A. BUSINESS LICENSE TAX The City’s business licensing (BL) program is currently administered internally by the City’s Finance Department. The BL program consists of maintaining, auditing and issuing occupation tax, alcohol, and insurance licenses. The City collects licensing taxes and fees in accordance with Columbus Code Chapter 3 and Chapter 19. The scope of work for this program will include but will not be limited to the following: 1) Conduct research and perform audits to identify, detect and recover unreported and/or underreported occupation, alcohol, or insurance licensing taxes/fees and enforce compliance among non-compliant businesses. 2) Provide, maintain, and support a licensing database/application and online payment portal for submitting transactions, including renewals, new account registration, and payments. 3) Manage all payments for new and renewed accounts. The firm will update all license accounts with payment information and remit all collected revenues to the City, net of banking, and related processing fees, on a monthly basis or more frequently as required. 4) Send renewal notices to actively licensed accounts at least 75 days prior to the renewal period end date. The firm will provide all necessary forms to facilitate the renewal process and will follow City code, policies, and guidelines when processing delinquent accounts. 5) Process new and renewal applications in full compliance with City code, policies, and guidelines. 6) Support and communicate with new and existing business owners or their designee’s asit relatesto any application(s) needed to maintain or obtain their license (s). 7) Offer businesses multiple support options for registration, renewal, payment processing, and general inquiries to ensure ease of access and customer satisfaction. Excellent customer service must be maintained, and clear communication must be provided directly with businesses. 8) Where appropriate, provide recommendations on improved business license tax fee structures, city code changes and functional processes to maximize revenue collections while improving efficiency, compliance, and experience. 9) Provide customer support to City staff for inquiries related to business license operations and tax matters. However, services should not require extensive support from City staff beyond initial setup and other occasional needs. 10) Provide City staff access to the system for querying license information. 11) Provide a workflow notification system that collaborates with relevant departments in instances where certain permits are required in conjunction with the licensing process. 12) Audit and inspect records of licensees with the City’s approval as necessary, ensuring thorough oversight and compliance with all applicable regulations. 13) Provide copies of the data and/or reports at the City's request. 14) If necessary, issue citations to non-compliant businesses for violations of the City’s ordinances. Present evidence during Recorder’s Court hearing. Coordinate with City Attorney’s Office and Columbus Police Department on additional enforcement options as necessary.
