Articles

Heads Up, Santa Clara

Silicon Valley Business Journal

by Troy Wolverton

City voters may vote this fall on a per employee tax on companies.
If it passes, Inte; Corp.'s yearly tax could rise from $500 to $1.2 million.

COMING TO A HEAD?
SANTA CLARA IS THE LATEST SILICON VALLEY CITY TO RECONSIDER THE WAY IT TAXES COMPANIES AND THE RATES IT CHARGES.

Santa Clara could become the next Silicon Valley city to revise how it imposes taxes on companies operating within its boundaries.
Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor has said a head tax would be a "last resort," but city staff, under her direction, are moving forward with preparing a ballot measure on the issue for the November election.
Right now, businesses ranging from mom-and-pop stores to global giants such as Intel Corp. and Nvidia Corp. pay an annual levy of no more than $500 to the city.

But to the Santa Clara Business Council, the proposal is the wrong idea at the wrong time and is being put forth with insufficient consultation with the business community.