(a) If the tax administrator determines that a business operator has incorrectly reported any information to the city or has not paid all or any of the tax, penalties, or interest that are due, the tax administrator may, using any information available to the tax administrator, issue an initial determination stating what the tax administrator believes to be the correct information and, if new or additional tax, penalties, or interest are due, how much tax, penalties, or interest are due. An initial determination must be issued within five (5) years of the last day of the quarter to which the initial determination applies, except in the case of an audit conducted under Section 2.37.200, in which case it must be issued within ninety (90) days of the completion of the audit and can apply to any of the quarters that were subject to the audit. The initial determination shall be served on the business operator either personally or by U.S. mail to the most recent address for the business operator in the tax administrator’s records. Service is effective upon deposit of the initial determination in the U.S. mail.
(b) A business operator affected by an initial determination may within thirty (30) days of service of an initial determination contest the initial determination and request a hearing before the tax administrator by filing with the tax administrator a written request for a hearing. The further accrual of penalties and interest shall be tolled upon the filing of a request for a hearing. If a business operator does not contest an initial determination and request a hearing with the tax administrator within thirty (30) days of service of the initial determination, the initial determination shall become final and cannot be appealed.
(c) If a business operator timely contests an initial determination and requests a hearing, the tax administrator shall set a hearing within sixty (60) days of the filing of the request for a hearing. Notice of the hearing shall be served on the business operator either personally or by U.S. mail to the most recent address for the business operator in the tax administrator’s records.
(d) At the hearing the business operator may present evidence and argument regarding the initial determination to show why the initial determination is incorrect and to show what the determination of the tax administrator should be. Within sixty (60) day after the close of the hearing, the tax administrator shall serve a final determination, setting forth the tax administrator’s determination of the facts and issues that were the subject of the initial determination. The final determination shall be served on the business operator either personally or by U.S. mail to the most recent address for the business operator in the tax administrator’s records. Service is effective upon deposit of the final determination in the U.S. mail. Unless an appeal of a final determination is filed under Section 2.37.170, any penalties or interest tolled under subdivision (b) of this section will resume accruing ten (10) days after the service of the final determination.
(Ord. 5581 § 1 (part), 2022: Ord. 5607 § 5, 2024)