Local Taxes & Fees in Inglewood, CA

If you live in Inglewood or are thinking about moving there, local taxes & fees are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Inglewood has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of local taxes & fees, and some of them might surprise you.

Business Tax Classification

Inglewood taxes most businesses on gross receipts under a lettered classification system, § 8-23 et seq., that runs A through L. A wholesale/auto seller pays a $20 minimum plus $1 per $1,000 of receipts over $20,000; retail and general service businesses pay $22 plus $1.10 per $1,000 over $20,000.

Key details: Classification A (wholesale/auto): $20 min + $1.00/$1,000 over $20,000. Classification B (retail/general): $22 min + $1.10/$1,000 over $20,000. Classification E (professional services): $33 min + $1.65/$1,000 over $20,000. Classification G (general contractor): $93.50 min + $1.10/$1,000 over $85,000. Late penalty: 20% plus 10%/month, capped at 50%.

Failure to pay the classification tax due exposes an operator to the general Chapter 8 penalty under § 8-2: 20% of the unpaid tax plus an additional 10% for every calendar month it remains unpaid after a citation, capped at 50% of the tax owed, collected the same way as other business taxes. Carrying on a business without paying the tax due is a misdemeanor and the unpaid amount is a debt to the City that survives a conviction; the business tax exists to raise revenue and does not itself authorize the business's operation, which still needs any zoning or permit approval that applies.

Vacancy Tax

Any lender, trustee, or property owner whose Inglewood real estate sits vacant, abandoned, or in foreclosure must register it with the City within 10 days and pay an annual fee of $150 for single-family or multifamily lots and $250 for commercial lots under Municipal Code Section 11-154. Unpaid fees post to the property tax bill with a $200 penalty, and unregistered vacant structures face penalties up to $1,000 per day.

Key details: Governing section: IMC § 11-154, Vacant Property Registration Ordinance. Residential fee: $150/year, single-family or multifamily lot. Commercial fee: $250 per year. Registration deadline: 10 days after vacancy inspection; renews Jan 1-31. Late penalty: 10% monthly late charge plus $200 if unpaid.

Failing to register triggers a strict-liability misdemeanor under Section 11-160, punishable per Article 2 of Chapter 1, plus administrative citations under Article 11.4. Leaving a structure vacant more than 30 days without a City-approved statement of intent and posted notice draws a penalty of $1,000 per structure per day, capped at $100,000 per property per calendar year. Unpaid registration invoices are added to the property tax bill with a $200 penalty on top of the fee owed.

Compared to other cities, Inglewood takes a harder line on vacancy tax. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Parking Tax

Inglewood taxes the rent paid to occupy a space in any parking station in the City at ten percent, collected by the lot operator at the time of payment and remitted monthly to the Finance Director. The tax applies to every occupancy on or after the ordinance's operative date, even under contracts signed earlier.

Key details: Tax rate: 10% of parking rent. Governing section: § 9-19. Operator registration deadline: 15 days after operative date. Monthly return due: 20th of following month. Late-payment penalty: 5% delinquency, plus 10% on determinations.

Late tax payments automatically draw a five percent delinquency penalty under Section 9-13, and a separate ten percent penalty plus one-half of one percent monthly interest applies to unpaid determinations under Sections 9-31 and 9-33. An operator who fails or refuses to register, file a return, or supply required data, or who files a false or fraudulent return, is guilty of a misdemeanor under Section 9-37. Unpaid tax is also collectible as a civil debt to the City under Section 9-38.

The Bottom Line

Inglewood's local taxes & fees rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Inglewood is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Inglewood can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.