Whenever the amount of any tax has been overpaid or paid more than once or has been erroneously or illegally collected or received by the Tax Administrator under this subchapter from a person or service supplier, it may be refunded as provided in this section as follows:
(A) Written claim for refund. The Tax Administrator may refund any tax that has been overpaid or paid more than once or has been erroneously or illegally collected or received by the Tax Administrator under this subchapter from a person or service supplier, provided that no refund shall be paid under the provisions of this subchapter unless the claimant or his or her guardian, conservator, executor, or administrator has submitted a written claim to the Tax Administrator within one year of the overpayment or erroneous or illegal collection of said tax. Such claim must clearly establish claimant's right to the refund by written records showing entitlement thereto. Nothing herein shall permit the filing of a claim on behalf of a class or group of taxpayers unless each member of the class has submitted a written claim under penalty of perjury as provided by this section.
(B) Compliance with Claims Act. The filing of a written claim pursuant to Cal. Gov't Code § 935 is a prerequisite to any suit thereon. Any action brought against the city pursuant to this section shall be subject to the provisions of Cal. Gov't Code §§ 945.6 and 946. The Tax Administrator, or the City Council where the claim is in excess of $5,000, shall act upon the refund claim within the time period set forth in Cal. Gov't Code § 912.4. If the Tax Administrator/City Council fails or refuses to act on a refund claim within the time prescribed by Cal. Gov't Code § 912.4, the claim shall be deemed to have been rejected by the City Council on the last day of the period within which the City Council was required to act upon the claim as provided in Cal. Gov't Code § 912.4. The Tax Administrator shall give notice of the action in a form which substantially complies with that set forth in Cal. Gov't Code § 913.
(C) Refunds to service suppliers. Notwithstanding the notice provisions of division (A) of this section, the Tax Administrator may, at his or her discretion, give written permission to a service supplier, who has collected and remitted any amount of tax in excess of the amount of tax imposed by this subchapter, to claim credit for such overpayment against the amount of tax which is due the city upon a subsequent monthly return(s) to the Tax Administrator, provided that: such credit is claimed in a return dated no later than one year from the date of overpayment or erroneous collection of said tax; the Tax Administrator is satisfied that the underlying basis and amount of such credit has been reasonably established; and, in the case of an overpayment by a service user to the service supplier that has been remitted to the city, the Tax Administrator has received proof, to his or her satisfaction, that the overpayment has been refunded by the service supplier to the service user in an amount equal to the requested credit.
('64 Code, § 13A-17) (Ord. 648, passed 6-28-84; Am. Ord. 1015, passed 11-2-10)