Peachtree City’s occupational tax unfair to people who work at home

Tue, 11/08/2005 - 4:53pm
By: Letters to the ...

My father is retired and lives in Peachtree City. He writes magazine articles and, every couple of years or so, a book. Because he writes in his home, Peachtree City charges him $100 a year because he has a home-based business. He is the sole employee.

Dad’s writing business provides retirement income for his family. Not incidentally, the extra money he earns helps pay Mom and Dad’s property tax.

However, his writing business makes no demands on city services. Because he does not commute to work he adds no traffic to the city’s streets. He puts no additional demand on services such as police, fire and rescue. He brings no additional auto or foot traffic to his neighborhood. His and Mom’s house has no signs or markings to indicate a business.

Are there any candidates for mayor or council who think it wrong that Peachtree City be able to use its taxing power to take money from a guy who is just quietly going about his business in the privacy of his own home? How about the little old lady who gives piano lessons in her home? Should PTC be able to get a “piece of that action,” too?

Eric Ferrell
Newnan, Ga.

login to post comments

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
oodlesOpoodles's picture
Submitted by oodlesOpoodles on Thu, 11/10/2005 - 11:52am.

Yo Hammer, are you sure you want to say that? If what you are saying is true, then not only did Code Enforcement bring the swimming instructor to court on an improper charge, but the Judge found them guilty and assessed a fine improperly. Code Enforcement does not fine anybody. Neither does the Police Department. A judge fines people who either plead guilty by posting a cash bond (paying the ticket off), plead guilty at court, pleading No Lo in court, or are found guilty after a trial.

Having said that, I find it truly hard to believe that all the checks and balances in the legal world failed this swim instructor. First off, I can tell you that Code Enforcement does not issue on the spot citations for 99 percent of what they do. They are big on what they call notices of violation. Those notices give you time to abate (fix/clear up) the violation, or call and explain what the deal is. Then, as I have experianced, they usually give a final notice that informs you to handle the situation immediately. Then, (I did avoid this part) they write a citation. I have also experianced that they are more than willing to work with people who are willing to work with them.

Secondly, if the swim instructor was not operating a business, they had the opportunity to plead not guilty and present any evidence they had. If they were not charging for lessons (making money/conducting a business) it seems like they would have been found not guilty by a judge. They could have brought witnesses and showed bank accounts and tax returns and all other sorts of items. If you are not guilty, it is the City's burden of proof in a misdemeanor case to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you committed the offense.

Seems to me that maybe you missed something there.

People who conduct a business and earn money should know that there is an occupational tax/business license requirement everywhere. It is a normal fact of life. If you conduct business, pay the fee.

Yo Hammer, don't hurt them.


Submitted by 1bighammer on Wed, 11/09/2005 - 2:38pm.

To answer your question...Yes they will try to get a piece. I had the unfortunate task of going to city court in PTC a few years back for a minor traffic offense. While I was ther I was able to hear several cases, one in particular was a lady giving swim lessons in her pool. She was cited for operating a business without a license. However she did not charge for the lessons. PTC code enforcement said it didn't mater and if she didn't stop they would fine her again.

So piano lady....watch out! PTC will do WHATEVER it needs to to get your money!

oodlesOpoodles's picture
Submitted by oodlesOpoodles on Thu, 11/10/2005 - 1:04pm.

I do not know what happened. I wanted to reply to 1bighammer's post and it put it above it and not below it.


birdman's picture
Submitted by birdman on Wed, 11/09/2005 - 3:04pm.

You are right. But how else was Steve Brown going to be able to claim that under his "leadership" 900 new businesses came to PTC. Yeah, 900 businesses like the "piano lady."


Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.