City of Gulf Shores postpones sales, lodgings tax payments for local businesses

Gulf Shores, Ala – March 24, 2020 – Effective immediately, the City of Gulf Shores is waiving municipal sales and lodgings tax late payment penalties for all local businesses currently registered as engaging in NAICS Sector 72 business activities, which includes restaurants and food service providers, all local business who currently collect and remit lodgings tax and any local business whose retail sales during the previous calendar year averaged $62,500 or less per month. This waiver is consistent with action taken by the Alabama Department of Revenue which also waives late payment penalties for state sales and lodgings tax payments.

“We understand some of the public health decisions that are having to be made to help curb the spread of
COVID-19 are going to have a significant impact on our local businesses and employees. It is our hope that
this action will help ease the burden for local businesses who may be financially impacted by this health emergency,” said Mayor Robert Craft. “We also encourage everyone in our community to do their part by continuing to safely support our local businesses. Gulf Shores is a community that rallies together in times of need and we will all get through this trying time together.”

The relief applies to sales and lodgings taxpayers who are unable to timely pay their February, March, and April 2020 sales and lodgings tax liabilities. This relief does not waive or extend normal filing requirements.

Instead, these taxpayers may file their monthly sales and lodgings tax returns for the February, March, and April 2020 reporting periods without paying the municipal or state sales and lodgings tax reported as due.

Late payment penalties will be waived for these taxpayers through June 1, 2020. The City will work with taxpayers who elected to utilize the waiver program to development workable payment plans that will allow taxpayers to pay outstanding liabilities for February, March, and April 2020, while navigating any other impacts of the coronavirus on their businesses.

A complete list of the business activities that full within the NAICS Sector 72 can be viewed at https://www.naics.com/six-digit-naics/?code=72.

Any business who elects to utilize this waiver should file a paper return with the City instead of filing online through the My Alabama Taxes portal. Any business who does not have a paper tax return form may
download one at https://www.gulfshoresal.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2937/Tax-Return-Form?bidId.

For business that have any questions, please contact the Gulf Shores Revenue Department at 251-968-2425.