Simi Valley, CA Local Taxes & Fees: Business Tax Classification (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SVMC § 3-1.201
- Tax options
- flat rate or gross receipts election
- Rate-setting body
- City Council, by resolution
- Rate review
- annual, under § 3-1.201(c)
- Enforcement
- Finance Director; Chief of Police assists
- Violation penalty
- infraction or misdemeanor (§ 3-1.135)
Summary
Every business operating in Simi Valley pays an annual business tax under SVMC § 3-1.201, either the flat rate the City Council sets by resolution or, if eligible, by electing to have the tax measured by gross receipts earned in the city instead. The Finance Director reviews rates annually, and businesses that switched schedules in the 1980s got a phased-in cap.
(a)Payment required. Every person transacting and carrying on business within the City shall pay a business tax, the amount of which shall be set by resolution of the Council.(b)Election of gross receipts taxes. Any person required to pay an annual flat rate tax as set forth in this chapter and by resolution of the Council may elect to pay a business tax measured by the gross receipts from business done in the City as an individual or corporation pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and the fee schedule adopted by resolution of the Council.(c)Review of business tax fee schedule. The amount of the business tax shall be subject to annual review by the Council for adjustments to the schedule of rates and fees.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
201 requires every person transacting and carrying on business within the City to pay a business tax at the flat rate set by Council resolution. 201(b) lets a business that would otherwise pay the flat-rate schedule elect instead to be taxed on gross receipts from business done in the City, following the fee schedule the Council adopts by resolution. 201(c) puts the entire fee schedule up for annual review, so the City can raise or lower rates without rewriting the ordinance itself. 202 capped the increase at 100 percent of the prior year's tax for any business affected by the change, a cap that carried forward year over year until every business paid the full gross-receipts rate by the 1987 tax year.
134, with the Chief of Police assisting when asked; the Finance Director or a deputy may enter any place of business at any reasonable time, free of charge, and demand that the business tax certificate be produced. 137 is issued on the applicant's understanding that state, county and city licensing rules still apply on top of the tax itself. 136, meaning the City is not limited to one collection tool.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of the business tax chapter, or knowingly misrepresenting a material fact to obtain a business tax certificate, is an infraction or misdemeanor under SVMC § 3-1.135. The Finance Director's inspectors, and any police or code enforcement officer, may enter a business at any reasonable time under § 3-1.134(c) to demand the certificate be shown; the City may pursue any or all of its collection remedies at once under § 3-1.136.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Simi Valley business pay tax on gross receipts instead of the flat rate?
Who enforces Simi Valley's business tax requirement?
What happens if I don't pay the business tax or lie on my application?
How often does the City change business tax rates?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Simi Valley
California rules heatmap·Compare Simi Valley to another location·View the California local taxes & fees overview
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