Sales Tax Update - City of Santa Maria

NEWS RELEASE
September 20, 2012
PAGE 1 of 2
City of Santa Maria – Sales Tax Update
In the June 5, 2012 election, City of Santa Maria voters approved Measure U,
establishing a temporary quarter-cent transaction (sales) and use tax. As a result, the
sales tax rate in Santa Maria will increase from 7.75 percent to 8.00 percent beginning
October 1.
It is estimated that the quarter-cent tax will generate about $4 million in annual local
revenue for Santa Maria. The additional revenue will be used to maintain, restore,
and/or improve essential City services such as neighborhood police patrols, fire
protection, 9‐1‐1 emergency response, gang suppression, Santa Maria River Levee
repairs, and other essential services.
The new transactions (sales) and use tax (also called a "District Tax") must be charged
on all taxable sales delivered or placed into use within the Santa Maria City limits. The
additional quarter-cent sales tax will be equivalent to one penny on a $4 taxable
purchase, or 25 cents on a $100 taxable purchase.
The tax is imposed on the seller, and the seller is responsible for collecting the correct
amount of tax. They are responsible for programming the new rate into their cashiering
equipment.
Businesses within the City limits recently were mailed a special notice about the 8.00
percent rate from the State Board of Equalization (BOE), the agency responsible for
administering and collecting the transactions and use taxes for the City. A copy of this
special notice is posted online at http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/pdf/l321.pdf.
If you are a seller or a purchaser and need to confirm or determine if your business
address is within the City limits of Santa Maria, please click on the following links.
City Address Listing
Street Index
City Street Map (zoom-in: Press Ctrl+Plus)
County Treasurer’s Website Property Tax Search
MORE

Page 2 of 2
Accurate tax area coding is critical to the allocation process because it is the basis for
distributing tax revenue collected to the place of sale or use. Each City, or other
jurisdiction, is identified by the BOE with a 12-digit area code assigned to the business
address. As a result of the June 2012 Measure U election, the updated 12-digit Tax
Area Code (TAC) assigned to Santa Maria is 42-002-295-0000. Some businesses may
need this code for their financial software.
The following information can also be found on the State Board of Equalization's
website:
Tax Tips for District Taxes
District Taxes and Delivered Sales http://www.boe.ca.gov/pdf/pub105.pdf
For more information specific to a business or industry, review the BOE’s
publication list: http://www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/staxpubsn.htm.
The BOE’s Local and District taxes website also has helpful information for
sellers and purchasers: http://www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/localdist.htm.
Training Opportunities
Please click on the following link to search for training sessions offered on how to
complete the Sales and Use Tax form(s).
Training Sessions for Sales and Use Tax Preparation
More Information
If you need additional information, please contact the California State Board of
Equalization toll-free Taxpayer Information Center at (800) 400-7115 (TTY: 711)
between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays, except State holidays.
Department:
City Manager’s Office
Contact Person:
Mark van de Kamp, Management Analyst II
Telephone Number: (805) 925-0951 ext. 372
E-mail Address:
mvandekamp@ci.santa-maria.ca.us