Commercial Business

Commercial Business License/Fees

Find more on the fees for a Commercial Business. Note: Please read all information before filling out the Business License Application (PDF).

The business license fees are based on the annual gross receipts of the business. If gross receipts are more than $2000 per year, the fee is based on the month the business is started. Use the chart to figure out the amount due.

If gross receipts are less than $2000 per year, the fee is $35 per fiscal year.
Please note, if you choose a minimum license and go over $2000 in gross receipts, you will receive an invoice for the Mill tax, DID tax (if applicable), deposit and the difference in the license fees.

Commercial Business License Fees

Start Month	Fee + Deposit + SB1186	Total Dues
July	$50.00 + $100.00 + $1.00	$151.00
August	$45.80 + $100.00 + $1.00	$146.80
September	$41.70 + $100.00 + $1.00	$142.70
October	$37.50 + $100.00 + $1.00	$138.50
November	$33.30 + $100.00 + $1.00	$134.30
December	$29.20 + $100.00 + $1.00	$130.20
January	$25.00 + $100.00 + $1.00	$126.00
February	$20.80 + $100.00 + $1.00	$121.80
March	$16.70 + $100.00 + $1.00	$117.70
April	$12.50 + $100.00 + $1.00	$113.50
May	$8.30 + $100.00 + $1.00	$109.30
June	$4.20 + $100.00 + $1.00	$105.20

License Expiration Date

The business license year begins July 1st and ends June 30th. Business licenses expire June 30th. The renewal fee is billed on the Declaration of Gross Receipts form for period ending June 30th (see schedule ) and due by July 31st, unless otherwise noted.

Mill and DID Taxes

In addition to the business license fee, you will receive quarterly Declaration of Gross Receipts forms as follows:

Period Ending	Time Period	Due Date
September 30th	July, August, September	October 31st
December 31st	October, November, December	January 31st
March 31st	January, February, March	April 30th
June 30th	April, May, June	July 31st

Mill tax rate for commercial retail businesses is 1 mil (.001). Mil tax rate for commercial service businesses is 2 mil (.002).

Sample Calculation

Commercial Retail Business -
Commercial Service Business -

DID (Downtown Improvement District) Tax

Businesses in the downtown area of Modesto pay an additional tax to the Downtown Improvement District (DID). DID tax is calculated in the same manner as Mil tax except the tax rate is 1/2 of mil rate (.0005 for commercial retail and .001 for commercial service) and paid at the same time. A $1,500 cap per year applies to DID collections from each business.

Late Penalties

A 5% penalty per month (up to a maximum of 25%) will be levied on the Mil tax, DID tax and license fee if payment is NOT paid in our office or postmarked by the post office by the Last Day to Pay.

Deposit Refunds

If gross receipts are filed quarterly, you may request a refund in writing after 2 consecutive full fiscal quarters paid by due date, or
If gross receipts are filed annually, a refund may be requested after a full calendar year of operation.

To be eligible for the refund, all taxes and fees must be paid by the due date during the applicable time period. Refund requests must be made in writing.

If you cancel your license, the deposit will automatically be refunded after a final Declaration of Gross Receipts form is filed and all outstanding taxes and license fees paid.

Closing Your Business

To close your license, a final Declaration of Gross Receipts form needs to be filed, reporting your final date of business, and all taxes and license fees paid.

License Changes

View our License Changes page to learn about how to move forward with various business license changes.