MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -
$300,000 dollars back into Montgomery city coffers. It's money the city was due, but wasn't getting until now.
That's because officials are cracking down on businesses not paying their sales taxes.
And it's working.
"We want to have everybody adhere to the law...it's the right thing to do," says Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange.
Ever since the beginning of the year Strange says the city has been actively seeking out business owners who aren't handing over sales taxes owed to the city.
The city was due $800,000 dollars and has since recouped $300,000 of it.
"Our revenue people have gone out, put them on notice, they've been sent a letter certified mail, it's only after all of those steps have been taken do we take this other action," says Strange.
That action is to revoke business licenses. So far the city has revoked six of them.
City officials provided us with this list of those businesses:
-Adult and Child Therapy Services
-City Skies
-Las Salsas
-Peddlers Inn
-Steak Out (Taylor Road)
-Suave Barber
Some of these establishments have since paid their taxes or fees and are now back in business. The Mayor says the city is willing to work with anyone.
"They don't really have to pay the whole thing. As long as they make payment arrangements and keep those arrangements, we're more than willing to work with them."
Especially since the Mayor says any business that closes ultimately hurts the city's bottom line, too.
"We don't want to put anybody out of business."
WSFA 12 News spoke with many business owners who are on the list to possibly lose their license for failure to pay taxes.
Some owners say they have either recently paid that money or are trying to figure how to quickly.
The Mayor says while this practice may not have been enforced in years past, it is expected to be a permanent practice.
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