Sacramento, CA…Retailers are receiving letters from the Board of Equalization (BOE) notifying them of upcoming visits from Statewide Compliance and Outreach Program (SCOP) teams, George Runner, Second District Member of the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) announced today. These visits are intended to educate retailers about properly reporting sales and use tax, increase compliance with tax laws, and assure the state’s tax system is fair and equal for all Californians.

BOE has sent 19,071 letters to business owners in the following zip codes: Menlo Park (94025), San Francisco (94110), Pollock Pines (95726), Camino (95709), Placerville (95667), El Dorado (95623), El Dorado Hills (95762), Shingle Springs (95682), Sunnyvale (94086), Santa Maria (93454), Scotts Valley (95066), La Cañada Flintridge (91011), Newport Beach (92663), Santa Ana (92704), Quail Valley (92587), San Diego (92108), Cabazon (92230), Whitewater (92282), National City (91950), Riverside (92504), Hemet (92545), and Julian (92036).

Seven SCOP teams located statewide (Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Van Nuys, Norwalk, Irvine and Riverside) conduct door-to-door, in-person visits based on zip code. They check sellers’ permits at stores and other known retail locations. They ask only business-related questions, and do not inquire about personal financial information. SCOP teams check that registered retailers, as well as service industry businesses, have appropriate permits and licenses. SCOP team members educate businesses found to be out of compliance by providing instructions on how to register with the BOE, and information about other necessary licenses. SCOP team members do not visit businesses operated out of peoples’ homes.

Since 2008, the BOE SCOP teams have visited more than 330,000 businesses statewide to verify that retailers are registered, and to make sure that noncompliant businesses do not have an unfair advantage over registered businesses that are reporting their sales and use taxes and/or fees to BOE.

BOE has found that about 98 percent of businesses operating in California have the necessary permits or licenses that allow for collection of sales and use taxes, as well as other taxes and fees. However, the two percent who do not comply contribute to the more than $2 billion sales and use “tax gap” – the difference between the amount of taxes owed and the amount paid.

If business owners have questions, they may contact their local BOE SCOP Team or visit the SCOP website.

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Elected in November 2010, George Runner represents the State Board of Equalization’s Second District. He is a leading advocate for California taxpayers. Runner has worked to improve California’s tax policies and practices and to create and retain more private sector jobs in our state. Prior to his election to the Board, Runner served twelve years in the State Legislature, authoring the well-known California Amber Alert and California’s Blue Alert. As a thoughtful conservative, his legislative priorities included improving the economy, business growth, education excellence, and public safety for all Californians. As a member of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, Runner consistently led the fight against tax increases and supported tax relief for families and businesses.

The five-member California State Board of Equalization (BOE) is a publicly elected tax board. The BOE collects more than $53.7 billion annually in taxes and fees supporting state and local government services. It hears business tax appeals, acts as the appellate body for franchise and personal income tax appeals, and serves a significant role in the assessment and administration of property taxes. For more information on other taxes and fees in California, visit www.taxes.ca.gov.