Chapter 3.20
UTILITY USERS TAX
Sections:
3.20.050 Electricity users tax.
3.20.070 Service users receiving direct purchase of gas or electricity.
3.20.100 Duty to collect—Procedures.
3.20.110 Additional powers and duties of tax administrator.
3.20.120 Assessment—Service user.
3.20.150 Termination or suspension of utility users tax.
3.20.170 California Public Utilities Commission jurisdiction.
3.20.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide revenues to the general fund to partially offset a deficit of expenses over revenues. The revenues so generated will be used for general government purposes. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.020 Definitions.
The following words and phrases whenever used in this chapter shall be construed as defined in this section.
“City” means the city of Winters.
“Gas” means natural or manufactured gas or any alternate hydrocarbon fuel which may be substituted therefor.
“Month” means a calendar month.
“Nonutility supplier” means a service supplier, other than an electrical corporation serving within the city, which generates electrical energy in capacities of at least fifty (50) kilowatts for its own use or for sale to others.
“Person” means any domestic or foreign corporation, firm, association, syndicate, joint stock company, partnership of any kind, joint venture, club, California business or common law trust, society, or individuals.
“Service supplier” means any entity requires to collect or self-impose and remit a tax as imposed by this chapter.
“Service user” means a person required to pay a tax imposed by this chapter.
“Tax administrator” means the city manager of the city of Winters.
“Telephone corporation,” “electrical corporation,” “gas corporation,” “water corporation,” and “cable television corporation” shall have the same meanings as defined in Sections 234, 218, 222, 241, and 215.5, respectively of the California Public Utilities Code, except “electrical corporation,” “gas corporation” and “water corporation” shall also be construed to include any municipality or governmental agency engaged in the selling or supplying of electrical power or gas or water to a service user. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.030 Exemptions.
A. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as imposing a tax upon any person when imposition of such tax upon that person would be in violation of the Constitutions of the United States or California.
B. The city council may, by order or resolution, establish one or more classes of persons or one or more classes of utility services otherwise subject to payment of a tax imposed by this chapter and provide that such classes of persons or services shall be exempt, in whole or in part, from such tax.
For residential utility users, the total annual tax from all utility service providers shall not exceed four hundred fifty dollars ($450.00) per year for each residential unit. This limitation applies to residential users only. The tax on commercial and industrial users continues without limitation.
C. The tax administrator shall prepare a list of the persons exempt from the provisions of this chapter by virtue of this section and furnish a copy thereof to each service supplier. (Ord. 2010-02 § 3; Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.040 Telephone users tax.
A. There is imposed a tax on the amounts paid for any intrastate telephone communications services by every person in the city other than a telephone corporation using such services. The tax imposed by this section shall be at the rate of five percent of the charges made for such services and shall be paid by the person paying for such services.
B. As used in this section, the term “charges” shall not include charges for services paid for by inserting coins in coin-operated telephone except that where such coin-operated service is furnished for a guaranteed amount, the amounts paid under such guarantee plus any fixed monthly or other periodic charges shall be included in the base for computing the amount of tax due; nor shall the term “charges” include charges for any type of service or equipment furnished by a service supplier subject to public utility regulation during any period in which the same or similar services or equipment are also available for sale or lease from persons other than a service supplier subject to public utility regulation; nor shall the words “telephone communication services” include land mobile services or maritime mobile services as defined in Section 2.1 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as said section existed on January 1, 1970. The term “telephone communications services” refers to that services which provides access to a telephone system and the privilege of telephonic quality communication with substantially all persons having telephone stations which are part of such telephone system. The telephone users tax is intended to, and does apply to all charges billed to a telephone account having a situs in the city, irrespective of whether a particular communications service originates and/or terminates within the city.
C. The tax imposed by this section shall be collected from the service users by the person providing the intrastate telephone communications services, or the person receiving payment for such services. The amount of the tax collected in one month shall be remitted to the tax administrator on or before the last day of the following month; or at the option of the person required to collect and remit the tax, an estimated amount of tax collected, measured by the tax billed in the previous month, shall be remitted to the tax administrator on or before the last day of each month.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, the tax imposed under this section shall not be imposed upon any person for using intrastate telephone communications services to the extent that the amounts paid for such services are exempt from or not subject to the tax imposed under Division 2, Part 20 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code, or the tax imposed under Section 4251 of the Internal Revenue Code. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.050 Electricity users tax.
A. There is imposed a tax upon every person in the city, other than an electrical corporation or a gas corporation, using electrical energy in the city. The tax imposed by this section shall be at the rate of nine and one-half percent of the charges made for such energy by an electrical corporation franchised to serve the city and shall be billed to and paid by the person using the energy. The tax applicable to electrical energy provided by a nonutility supplier shall be determined by applying the tax rate to the equivalent charge the service user would have incurred if the energy used had been provided by the electrical corporation franchised by the city. Nonutility suppliers shall install, maintain and use an appropriate utility-type metering system which will enable compliance with this section. “Charges,” as used in this section, shall include charges made for: (1) metered energy; and (2) minimum charges for service, including customer charges, service charges, demand charges, standby charges and all other annual and monthly charges, fuel or other cost adjustments authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The utility users tax shall not be applied to those customers currently qualifying under the approved Low Income Rate Assistance (LIRA) program, as well as those customers qualifying in the future.
B. As used in this section, the term “using electrical energy” shall not be construed to mean the storage of such energy by a person in a battery owned or possessed by him or her for use in an automobile or other machinery device apart from the premises upon which the energy was received; provided, however, that the term shall include the receiving of such energy for the purpose of using it in the charging of batteries; nor shall that term include the mere receiving of such energy by an electric corporation or governmental agency at a point within the city for resale; nor shall the term include the use of such energy in the production or distribution of water by a water utility or a governmental agency.
C. The tax imposed in this section shall be collected from the services used by the service supplier or nonutility supplier. The tax imposed in this section on use supplied by self-generation or from a nonutility supplier not subject to the jurisdiction of this chapter shall be collected and remitted to the tax administrator in the manner set forth in Section 3.20.080. The amount of tax collected by a service supplier or a nonutility supplier in one month shall be remitted by U.S. Mail to the tax administrator, postmarked on or before the last day of the following month; or at the option of the person required to collect and remit the tax, an estimated amount of tax measured by the tax billed in the previous month shall be remitted by U.S. Mail, to the tax administrator, postmarked on or before the last day of each month. (Ord. 2010-02 § 2 (part); Ord. 2008-07 § 2 (part); Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.060 Gas users tax.
A. There is imposed a tax upon every person in the city, other than a gas/propane corporation or an electrical corporation, using, in the city, gas which is delivered through mains or pipes. The tax imposed by this section shall be the rate of nine and one-half percent of the charges made for the gas, and shall be billed to and paid by the person using the gas. The tax applicable to gas or gas transportation provided by nonutility supplier shall be determined by applying the tax rate to the equivalent charges the services user would have incurred if the gas or gas transportation had been provided by the gas corporation franchised by the city. “Charges” as used in this section shall include: (1) that billed for gas which is delivered through mains or pipes; (2) gas transportation charges; and (3) demand charges, service charges, customer charges, minimum charges, annual and monthly charges, and any other charge authorized by this California Public Utilities Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The utility users tax shall not be applied to those customers currently qualifying under the approved Low Income Rate Assistance (LIRA) program, as well as those customers qualifying in the future.
B. The tax otherwise imposed by this section is not applicable to: (1) charges made for gas which is to be resold and delivered through mains and pipes; (2) charges made for gas used and consumed by a public utility; or (3) charges made by a gas public utility or gas used and consumed in the course of its public utility business; and (4) charges made for gas used in the propulsion of a motor vehicle, as authorized in the Vehicle Code of the state of California.
C. The tax imposed in this section shall be collected from the service user by the person selling or transporting the gas. A person selling only transportation services to a user for delivery of gas through mains or pipes shall collect the tax from the service user based on the transportation charges. The person selling or transporting the gas shall, on or before the twentieth (20th) of each calendar month, commencing on the twentieth (20th) day of the calendar month after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, make a return to the tax administrator stating the amount of taxes billed during the preceding calendar month. At the time such returns are filed, the person selling or transporting the gas shall remit tax payments to the tax administrator in accordance with schedules establishes or approved by the tax administrator. The tax imposed in this section on use supplied by self-production or a nonutility supplier not subject to the jurisdiction of this chapter shall be collected and remitted to the tax administrator in the manner set forth in Section 3.20.080. (Ord. 2010-02 § 2 (part); Ord. 2008-07 § 2 (part); Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.070 Service users receiving direct purchase of gas or electricity.
A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a service user receiving gas or electricity directly from a non-utility supplier not under the jurisdiction of this ordinance, or otherwise not having the full tax due on the use of gas or electricity in the city directly billed and collected by the service supplier shall report that fact to the tax administrator within thirty (30) days of such use and shall directly remit to the city the amount of tax due.
The utility users tax shall not be applied to those customers currently qualifying under the approved Low Income Rate Assistance (LIRA) program, as well as those customers qualifying in the future.
B. The Tax Administrator may require from the service user the filed tax returns or other satisfactory evidence documenting the quantity of gas or electricity used. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.080 Remittance of tax.
A. Taxes collected from a service user which are not remitted to the tax administrator on or before the due dates provided in this chapter are delinquent. Should the due date occur on a weekend or legal holiday, the return may be postmarked on the first regular working day following a Saturday/Sunday, or legal holiday. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.090 Actions to collect.
Any tax required to be paid by a service user under the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed a debt owed by the service user to the city. Any such tax collected from a service user which has willfully been withheld from the tax administrator shall be deemed a debt owed to the city by the person required to collect and remit. Any person owing money to the city under the provisions of this chapter shall be liable to an action brought in the name of the city for the recovery of such amount. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.100 Duty to collect—Procedures.
The duty to collect and remit the taxes imposed by this chapter shall be performed as follows:
A. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.20.080, the tax shall be collected insofar as practicable at the same time as, and along with, the charges made in accordance with regular billing practice of this service supplier. Except in those cases where a service user pays the full amount of the charges but does not pay any portion of a tax imposed by this chapter, if the amount paid by a service user is less than the full amount of the charge and tax which has accrued for the billing period, such amount and any subsequent payments by a service user shall be applied to the utility charge first until such charge has been fully satisfied. Any remaining balance shall be applied to taxes due.
B. The duty to collect the tax from a service user shall commence with the beginning of the first regular billing period applicable to that person which starts on or after the operative date of the ordinance codified in this chapter. Where a person receives more than one billing, one or more billings for different periods than another, the duty to collect shall arise separately for each billing period. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.110 Additional powers and duties of tax administrator.
A. The tax administrator shall have the power and duty and is directed to enforce each and all of the provisions of this chapter.
B. The tax administrator shall have the power to adopt rules and regulations not inconsistent with provisions of this chapter for the purpose of carrying out and enforcing the payment, collection and remittance of the taxes herein imposed. A copy of such rules and regulations shall be on file in the tax administrator’s office.
C. The tax administrator may make administrative agreements to vary the strict requirements of this chapter so that collection of any tax imposed herein may be made in conformance with the billing procedures of a particular service supplier so long as the agreements result in collection of the tax in conformance with the general purpose and scope of this chapter. A copy of each agreement shall be on file in the tax administrator’s office.
D. The tax administrator shall determine the eligibility of any person who asserts a right to exemption from the tax imposed by this chapter. The tax administrator shall provide the service supplier with the name of any person who the tax administrator determines is exempt from the tax imposed hereby, together with the address and account number to which service is supplied to any such exempt person. The tax administrator shall notify the service supplier of termination of any person’s right to exemption hereunder, or the change of any address to which service is applied to any exempt person.
E. The tax administrator shall provide notice to all service suppliers, at least ninety (90) days prior to any annexation or other change in the city’s boundaries. The notice shall set forth the revised boundaries by street and address, along with a copy of the final annexation order from LAFCO. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.120 Assessment—Service user.
A. Whenever the tax administrator determines that a service user has deliberately withheld the amount of the tax owed by him or her from the amounts remitted to a person required to collect the tax, or that a service user has refused to pay the amount of tax such person may be relieved of the obligation to collect taxes due under this chapter from certain named service users for specific billing periods.
B. The service supplier shall provide the city with amounts refused and/or unpaid along with the names and addresses of the service users neglecting to pay the tax imposed under provisions of this chapter. Whenever the service user has failed to pay the amount of tax for a period of two or more billing periods, the service supplier shall be relieved of the obligation to collect taxes due.
C. The tax administrator shall notify the service user that he or she has assumed responsibility to collect the taxes due for the stated periods and demand payment of such taxes. The notice shall be served on the service user by handing it to him or her personally or by deposit of the notice in the United States Mail, postage prepaid thereon addressed to the service user at the address to which billing was made by the person required to collect the tax; or, should the service user have changed his or her address, to his or her last known address. If a service user fails to pay the tax to the tax administrator within fifteen (15) days from the date of the service of the notice upon him or her, which shall be the date of mailing if service is not accomplished in person, a penalty of twenty-five (25) percent of the amount of the tax set forth in the notice shall be imposed, but not less than five ($5.00) dollars. The penalty shall become part of the tax herein required to be paid. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.130 Records.
It shall be the duty of every service supplier required to collect and remit to the city any tax imposed by this chapter to keep and preserve, for a period of three years all records as may be necessary to determine the amount of such tax such service supplier may have been required to collect and remit to the city, which records the tax administrators shall have the right to inspect at all reasonable time. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.140 Refunds.
A. 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 chapter, it may be refunded as provided in this section.
B. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A of this section, a service supplier may claim credit against taxes remitted, the amount overpaid, paid more than once, or erroneously or illegally collected or received when it is established that the service user from whom the tax has been collected did not owe the tax; provided, however, that neither a refund nor a credit shall be allowed unless the amount of tax erroneously or illegally collected has either been refunded to the service user or credited to charges subsequently payable by the service user to the person required to collect and remit. A service supplier that has collected any amount of tax in excess of the amount of tax imposed by this chapter and actually due from a service user may refund such amount to the service user and claim credit for such overpayment against the amount of tax which is due upon any other monthly returns, provided such credit is claimed in a return dated no later than three years from the date of overpayment.
C. The filing of a written claim pursuant to Government Code Section 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 Government Code Sections 945.6 and 946. The city council shall act upon the refund claim within the time period set forth in Government Code Section 912.4. If the city council fails or refuses to act on a refund claim within the time prescribed by Government Code Section 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 manager/city council was required to act upon the claim as provided in Government Code Section 912.4. The city clerk shall give notice of the action in a form which substantially complies with that set forth in Government Code Section 913.
D. Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, whenever a service supplier, pursuant to an order of the California Public Utilities Commission or a court of competent jurisdiction, makes a refund to service users of charges for past utility services, the taxes paid pursuant to this chapter on the amount of such refunded service charges may also be refunded to service users by the service supplier and the service supplier is due upon any monthly returns. In the event this chapter is repealed, amounts of any refundable taxes will be borne by the city.
E. A service supplier may refund the taxes collected to the service user in accordance with this section or by the service supplier’s customary practice. (Ord. 2008-12 § 1(c); Ord. 2008-07 § 2 (part); Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.150 Termination or suspension of utility users tax.
The service supplier shall, upon notification, terminate or suspend any utility user’s tax commencing with the first full billing period which occurs after the effective date of such action by the city council. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part); prior code § 7-7.15)
3.20.160 Imposition of tax.
The tax imposed under this chapter shall be applied to bills issued for billing periods on or after the first day of July 1994. (Editorially amended during 2003 codification; Ord. 94-06 § 4; Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))
3.20.170 California Public Utilities Commission jurisdiction.
Nothing contained in this chapter is intended to conflict with applicable rules, regulations and tariffs of any service supplier subject to the jurisdiction of the California Public Utilities Commission. In the event of any conflict, the provisions of such rules, regulations and tariffs shall control. (Ord. 92-13 § 1 (part))