HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinances Book 13, Page 594, No Ordinance Number594//�
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AN ORDINANCE LEVYING AND IMPOSING LICENSE FEES FOR THE
PRIVILEGE OF ENGAGING IN OCCUPATIONS, TRADES AND PROFESSIONS IN THE
CITY OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY, BY ALL PERSONS EMPLOYED BY OTHERS,
MEASURED BY ONE PERCENT (1fo) OF THE GROSS RECEIPTS EARNED IN THE
.CITY OF PADUCAH,.KENTUCKY, BY SUCH EMPLOYED PERSONS ON AND AFTER
THE 26TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 1956; DEFINING WORDS AND TERMS;
PRESCRIBING REGULATIONS AND PROVIDING FOR THE ADMINISTRATION,
ENFORCEMENT AND COLLECTION OF SUCH LICENSE FEES; REQUIRING THE FILING
OF RETURNS AND THE GIVING OF INFORMATION B Y EMPLOYERS AND THOSE
SUBJECT TO SUCH LICENSE TAX; IMPOSING UPON EMPLOYERS THE,DUTY OF
COLLECTING LICENSE FEES AT THE SOURCE; EXEMPTING CERTAIN OCCUPATIONS
FROM THE PROVISIONS HEREOF; PROVIDING THAT THE LICENSE FEES COLLECTED
SHALL BE PAID INTO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE CITY FOR PAYMENT OF
GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL EXPENSES OF THE CITY; PROVIDING THE PENALTY
FOR THE VIOLATION THEREOF; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT
THEREWITH; AND PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF
PADUCAH, KENTUCKY:
SECTION 1. License fees, on whom imposed.
There is hereby levied and imposed.a license fee upon all
`c persons engaged in any occupation, trade.or profession, except those
hereinafter._excepted, in the City of Paducah, Kentucky, for the
privilege of engaging in such occupation, trade or profession,
which license fee shall be measured,by one percent (1%) of the
gross salaries, wages, commissions and other compensation earned
by such persons on and after the 26t1h day of September, 1956, except
those hereinafter exempted.
SECTION 2. Definitions. That the following words, when used
in this ordinance, shall have the meaning ascribed to them,.except
where the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning:
(a) The word "person" shall mean any natural person.
Whenever the word "person" is.used in any clause prescribing and
imposing a penalty in the nature of a fine or.imprisonment, the
word, as applied to a partnership or other form of unincorporated
enterprise shall mean the partners or members thereof, and as applied
to corporations shall mean the officers and directors thereof.
(b) The words "trade, occupation and profession" shall mean
and include the doing of any kind of work, the rendering of any kind
of personal services, or the holding of any kind of position or job
within the City of Paducah, Kehtucky, by any clerk, laborer, tradesman,
manager, official or other employee, including any non-resident of the
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City of Paducah who is employed by any employer as defined in this
section, where the relationship between the individual performing the
services and the person for whom such services are rendered is, as to
those services, the legal relationship of employer and employee, includ-
ing also a partner of a firm or an officer of a firm or corporation if
such partner or officer receives a salary for his personal services
rendered iin the business of such firm or corporation, but they shall
not mean or include domestic servants employed in private homes, or
businesses, professions or occupations for which license fees are
required to be paid under an ordinance adopted on December 23, 1947,
as amended, or, except a partner of a firm, any person who is an em-
ployer within the meaning of this section.
(c) The words "trade, occupations and professions" shall
also mean and include the holding of any kind of office or position,
either by election or appointment, by any federal, state, county or
city officer or employee where the services of such official or
employee are rendered within the City of Paducah.
(d) The word "employee" shall mean and include any person
engaging in or following any trade, occupation or profession within
the meaning of sub -section (b) of Section 2 of this ordinance.
(e) The word "employer" shall mean and include any person,
business, firm, corporation, partnership, association, or any other
kind of organization, who or that employs any person in any trade,
occupation or profession in the City of Paducah within the meaning
of sub -section (b) of Section 2 of this ordinance.
(f) The words "gross receipts" and "compensation" shall have
the same meaning and both terms shall mean and include the total
gross amount of all salaries, wages, commissions, bonuses, or other
money payments of any kind, or any other considerations having
monetary value, which a person receives from, or is entitled to
receive from'or be charged for by his employer for any work
done or personal services rendered in any trade, occupation or pro-
fession, including any kind of deductions before "take home" pay is
received, but the words "gross receipts" and "compensation" shall
not mean or include amounts paid to traveling salesmen or other
workers as allowances or reimbursement for traveling or other ex-
penses incurred in the business of the employer, except to the extent
of the excess of such amounts over such expenses actually incurred
and accounted for by the employee to his employer.
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The words "gross receipts" and "compensation" shall not mean
or include gratuities and tips customarily received by an.employee from
persons other than his employer.
(g) The words "licensee" shall mean and include any person
required to file a return or to pay a license fee under this ordinance.
(h) The word "city" shall.mean the.City of Paducah, Kentucky.
(i) The singular shall include the plural and vice versa,
and the masculine shall include the.feminine and the neuter.
SECTS In cases.where compensation is earned as a result of
work done or services performed both within and without the city the
license fee required under this ordinance shall be computed by deter-
mining upon the oath of _the employer or if required by the City
Treasurer, upon the oath of the employee, that percentage of the
compensation earned.from the proportion of the work which was done
or performed within the city.
SECTION 4.. Employers to withhold license fees and file returns.
Each employer shall deduct from the pay due any employee the amount of
the license fee measured by the compensation due each employee be-
ginning on the 26th day of September, 1956. The payments required to
be made on account of such deductions by employers shall be made
quarterly to the City Treasurer, for the quarterly periods ending
September 30, December 31, March 31 and June 30 of.each year, on
or before the last day of the month next following the end of each
such quarterly period, and each employer shall at the same time make
a return on a form furnished by the.City Treasurer. Provided, however,
that the failure or omission by an employer to deduct such license
fee shall not relieve an employee from the payment of such license
fee and compliance with the requirements for making returns as pro-
vided in this ordinance or with any regulations promulgated under this
ordinance.
If requested by the.City Treasurer, an employer shall file in
his office on or before January 31, 1957, a return on a form acceptable
to him, which return shall show the gross amount of compensation of
each employee, the amount of the license fee deducted and.paid by such
employer for all or any part of.the period from September 26, 1956 to
January 1, 1957, and the last known address of each such employee;
and if requested by the City Treasurer, an employer shall file on or
before January 31, 1957, and on or before January 31 in each year
thereafter, a return showing the gross amount of compensation of each
employee and the amount of the license fees deducted and paid by the
employer during all or any part of the preceding calendar year.
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SECTION 5_ Returns to be filed by employees When a return
in form and substance satisfactory to the City Treasurer is not filed
by an employer and the license fees are not paid to the city by such
employer, the employee for whon no return has been filed and no
payment has been made shall file a return with the City Treasurer
on or before January 31, 1957, showing in said return his gross
receipts subject to license fees fo r the period from September 26,
1956, to January 1, 1957, and shall file a return with the City
Treasurer on or before January 31, 1958, and on or before January 31
of each year thereafter, showing in said return his gross receipts
subject to license fees during the preceding calendar year. Such
return may be made by completing the original copy of the statement
furnished him by his employer in accordance with Section y hereof
if such statement shows all of the compensation earned by him, wherever
employed, during the period for which such return is made. If for any
reason all license fees of a person subject to the provisions of this
ordinance were not withheld by his employer from his gross receipts,
such person shall file the return required by this section on a
form obtainable at the City Treasurer's office. In addition to the
gross receipts earned by him, such return shall show such other
pertinent information as may be required by the City Treasurer. Each
person making a return required by this section shall, at the time of
filing thereof, pay to the City Treasurer the amount of license fee
due under this ordinance; provided, however, that any portion of the
license fee deducted at the source shall be deducted on the return
and only the balance, if any, shall be due and payable at the time of
filing said return. The amount of any license fees which were due on
October 31, January 31, April 30, and.Julk 31, in each year as provided
herein shall bear interest from the date the same became due at the
rate of six per cent per annum until paid, and the employer failing
to pay the same when due shall also pay the penalty imposed under
Section 10 of this ordinance.
SECTION 6. Duties of City Treasurer. It shall be the duty of the
City Treasurer to collect and receive all license fees imposed by this
ordinance and to keep records showing the amounts received by him from
each employer.
SECTION 7. Investigative powers of Citv Treasurer. The City
Treasurer or'any agent or employee designated by him is hereby author-
ized to examine the books, papers and records of any employer or
supposed employer or of any licensee or supposed licensee in order to
determine the accuracy of any return made, or if no return was made
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to ascertain the amount of license .fee due under the terms of this
ordinance by such examination. Eachi such employer or supposed
.employer or licensee or supposed licensee shall give to the City
Treasurer or to his duly authorized agent or employee the means,
facilities, and opportunity for the making of such examination and
investigation. The City Treasurer is hereby authorized to examine
,any person under oath concerning any gross receipts which were or
should have been shown in a return and to this end he may compel the
production of books, papers, records, and the attendance of all persons
before him, whether as parties or as witnesses, whom he believes to
have knowledge of such gross receipts or compensation, to the extent
that any officer empowered to administer oaths in this Commonwealth
is permitted to cause such coercion.
SECTION 8. Regulations may be promulgated The City Treasurer
acting under the direction of the City Manager, is hereby charged with
the enforcement of the provisions of this ordinance,. and, subject to the
approval of the City Manager, is hereby empowered to prescribe; adopt,
rpomulgate and enforce regulations relating to any matter or thing per-
taining to the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this
ordinance,.including but not limited to provisions for the re-examination
and correction of returns as.to which an overpayment or -underpayment is
claimed or found to have been made, and the regulations so promulgated
shall be binding upon all licensees and employers.
SECTION 9. Information to be confidential. Any information
gained by the City Treasurer or any other official or agent or employee
of the City as a result of any returns, investigations, hearings or
verifications required or -authorized by this ordinance, shall be
confidential, except for official purposes and except in accordance
with proper judicial order, or as otherwise provided by law, and
any person or agent divulging such information shall, upon conviction,
be subject to a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00 or
to imprisonment of not exceeding 30 days, or to both such fine and
imprisonment, at the discretion of the court or jury. Provided,
however, the City Treasurer may disclose to the Commissioner of
Revenue of the State of Kentucky or his.duly authorized agent
all such information and right to inspect any of the books and records
of the City Treasurer if said Commissioner of Revenue of the State of
Kentucky grants•to the City Treasurer the.reciprocal right to obtain
information from the files and records of the Department of Revenue
of the State of Kentucky and maintains the privileged character of
the information so furnished to him. Provided, further, that the city
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may publish statistics based on such information in such a manner as
not to reveal data respecting the gross receipts of any person.
SECTION 10. Interest and penalties
(a) All license fees imposed by this ordinance which remain
unpaid after they became due shall bear interest at the rate of six
per centum per annum and any person who has failed to pay such license
fees when the same became due shall also be charged a penalty of ten
(10%) per cent of the amount of such unpaid license fees. Any person
or employer who fails or refuses to withhold any license fee payable
under this ordinance, or who fails to pay such fees, after withholding
the same, to the City Treasurer at the time it is due as provided under
the terms of Section 4 hereof, shall become liable to the city for such
fees, as well as for the interest thereon at the rate of six per centum
per annum and for the aforesaid penalty. Provided, however, that.the
minimum penalty imposed against such person or employee shall be $1.00.
(b). Any person or employer who shall fail, neglect or refuse to
make any return required by this ordinance or any licensee who shall
fail, neglect or refuse to pay a license fee, or any employer who
shall fail to withhold said license fees or to pay over to the city
such license fees, penalties or interest imposed by this ordinance,
or any oerson or employer who shall refuse to permit the City
Treasurer or any agent or employee designated by him, in writing,
to examine his books, records and papers, or who shall knowingly
make any incomplete, false or fradulent return, or who shall attempt
to do anything whatever to avoid the full disclosure of the amount
of gross receipts or compensation in order to avoid the payment of
the whole or any part of a license fee shall, upon conviction, be
subject to a fine or penalty of not less than $25.00 nor more than
$100.00 or imprisonment of not more than thirty days, or to both such
fine or imprisonment, for each offense. Such criminal penalties
shall be in addition to the penalties imposed under sub -section (a)
of this section.
SECTION 11. Use of license fees. All money derived from
license fees under the provisions of this ordinance shall be paid
to the City Treasurer and placed to the credit of the General Revenue
Fund of the City of Paducah and shall be used and expended in defraying
the current, general and incidental expenses of the city.
SECTION 12_ Severability. The provisions of this ordinance are
severable. If any provision, section, paragraph, sentence or part
thereof, or the application thereof to any employer or licensee or
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class of persons shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, such
decision shall not affect or impair the remainder of the ordinance,
it being the legislative intent to ordain and enact each provision,
section, paragraph, sentence and part thereof, separately and
independently of each other.
SEQTION� Unlawful imposition of license fee.It is
not the intention of the City or of this ordinance to impose and
require an occupational license fee for any occupation, trade or
profession prohibited by law or ordinance.
SECTION 1/.. Repeal of Ordinance. All ordinances or parts
of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance are, to the extent
of such conflict, hereby repealed.
SECTION 15. Effective date. This ordinance shall be in
full force and effect on and after September 26, 1956.
Mayor
Passed by the Board of Commissioners September 25, 1956
Recorded by Sarah Thurman, City Clerk, September 25, 1956.