MACON, Ga. — The Business Licensing Division is supposed to collect what is called an occupation business tax for Bibb County businesses.
Every business in Bibb County is supposed to pay that tax to get a business license, only now, some business owners report that they haven't gotten tax notices for years and they're past due and facing years of fines.
At Brown's Eye Center on Forsyth Road, you can get your eyes checked out, but owner Gregg Fitzgibbons says Macon-Bibb County needs to check out how business license fees are paid.
He says he received a notice from the county saying he owns more than $1,800 for unpaid business license fees since 2015, and more than $600 of that is interest and penalties.
Commissioner Mallory Jones says he's heard from people with complaints like Fitzgibbons.
“It’s human nature. If you get the notice, you’re going to pay it. If you don't get it, you're not going to think about it,” said Jones.
He said it's the county's fault after a computer glitch in 2013 wiped some businesses off their list for renewal notices.
He says that's like a credit card bill letting you know when your payment is due.
“So the business owners, it’s really on us -- Macon-Bibb County -- than the business owners,” said Jones.
County spokesperson Chris Floore says the business and licensing division sent out 8,200 notices to businesses to renew their license and pay the occupational tax. He says they never heard back from 2,000 of them, but some of those businesses may have closed or moved and signed up again under a new address.
Fitzgibbons says if there are even 1,000 businesses out there like his that didn't receive notices, that could be millions in revenue the county is leaving behind.
Jones says he is going to propose a resolution that would be presented in January which would ask the county to waive the penalty and the interest for people who didn’t receive a bill.
“We need you to pay it in the 90 days and get caught up,” said Jones.
Business licenses technically expire on December 31st, but the county allows business owners to make payments until April 1st without fines.
Floore says it's not the county's responsibility to call and remind business owners. He added the business license that owners receive each year includes the wording, "Display in a conspicuous place – renewal deadline April 1 of next year."
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