§ 4.56.150. Persons required to keep records.

A.

It shall be the duty of every person required to collect and/or remit to the city any tax imposed by this chapter to keep and preserve, for a period of at least three (3) years, all records as may be necessary to determine the amount of such tax as he may have been liable for the collection of and remittance to the tax administrator, which records the tax administrator shall have the right to inspect at a reasonable time.

B.

The city may issue an administrative subpoena to compel a person to deliver, to the tax administrator, copies of all records deemed necessary by the tax administrator to establish compliance with this chapter, including the delivery of records in a common electronic format on readily available media if such records are kept by the person electronically in the usual and ordinary course of business. As an alternative to delivering the subpoenaed records to the tax administrator on or before the due date provided in the administrative subpoena, such person may provide access to such records outside the city on or before the due date, provided that such person shall reimburse the city for all reasonable travel expenses incurred by the city to inspect those records, including travel, lodging, meals, and other similar expenses, but excluding the normal salary or hourly wages of those persons designated by the city to conduct the inspection.

C.

The tax administrator, or the tax administrator's designated representative, is authorized to execute a nondisclosure agreement approved by the city attorney to protect the confidentiality of customer information pursuant to Revenue and Tax Code Sections 7284.6 and 7284.7. The tax administrator, or the tax administrator's designated representative, may request from a person providing transportation or distribution services of gas or electricity to service users within the city, a list of the names, billing and service addresses, quantities of gas or electricity delivered, and other pertinent information, of its transportation customers within the city pursuant to Section 6354(e) of the California Public Utilities Code.

D.

If a service supplier uses a billing agent or billing aggregator to bill, collect, and/or remit the tax, the service supplier shall:

1.

Provide to the tax administrator the name, address and telephone number of each billing agent and billing aggregator currently authorized by the service supplier to bill, collect, and/or remit the tax to the city; and,

2.

Upon request of the tax administrator, deliver, or effect the delivery of, any information or records in the possession of such billing agent or billing aggregator that, in the opinion of the tax administrator, is necessary to verify the proper application, calculation, collection and/or remittance of such tax to the city.

E.

If any person subject to recordkeeping under this section unreasonably denies the tax administrator, or the tax administrator's designated representative, access to such records, or fails to produce the information requested in an administrative subpoena within the time specified, the tax administrator may impose a penalty of five hundred dollars ($500) on such person for each day following:

1.

The initial date that the person refuses to provide such access; or,

2.

The due date for production of records as set forth in the administrative subpoena. This penalty shall be in addition to any other penalty imposed under this chapter.

(Ord. 6857 § 2 (part), 2001)