Help Center

The Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector has partnered with 311 to provide customer service to all San Francisco residents, businesses and visitors. Submit your question by selecting an option below and a representative will contact you on the same day of the request if submitted prior to 7pm. Requests received after 7pm will receive a response by the next business day. 

The City and County of San Francisco, the SF311 Customer Service Center and The Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector can only provide general information and cannot advise customers on detailed tax matters. This includes ordinance interpretations and tax calculations of payment or fees.  Consult your own tax professional, attorney, or Certified Public Accountant for specific information. 

Property

  • Secured, Supplemental, Escape
    (Residential, Commercial, Land)
  • Unsecured
    (Business Personal Property, Boats/Berths, Possessory Interest)
  • Delinquent
    (Redemption)

Ask a Property question

Business

  • Registration
  • Gross Receipts and Payroll Expense
  • Regulatory Licenses and Permits
  • Short Term Residential Rentals
  • Independent Contractors Registration

Ask a Business question

General

  • General Information
  • Business Tax Wire Instructions
  • Property Tax Wire Instructions
  • Press Inquiries
  • Emergency and False Alarm


Ask a General question

 

Frequently Asked Questions

You may view, print and pay your  current year secured property tax statement(s) online.

For property tax statements that are not shown online, submit a requestand we will email or mail you a copy. Be sure to include the block and lot, the property address, and the tax year/type of statement you are requesting.

 

Generally, it may take up to five (5) business days for the payment to be reflected in our system. You can check the status online. The date the payment was originally made will show as the posting date.

 

You may view your payment history online. Enter your block and lot or property address and select the payment history tab.

 

You will need to remit payment in full.  A $50.00 payment failure fee ("NSF") will be charged, plus a 10% late penalty if the payment is submitted after the deadline.

 

There is a State law that we must only accept exact payments for property tax. If you remit a property tax payment, but the amount you paid does not exactly match the amount you were billed, we will reject the payment and give you ten (10) days to remit the correct amount.

 

The term “unsecured” simply refers to property that is not secured real estate. In general, unsecured property tax is either for business personal property (office equipment, owned or leased), boats, berths, or possessory interest for use of a space. It can also be based upon supplemental or escape assessments against secured property for prior ownership.

Business property owners are required to file a property statement (Form 571-L) each year with the Office of the Assessor-Recorderdetailing the acquisition cost of all supplies, equipment, fixtures, and improvements owned at each location within the City and County of San Francisco.  If you don’t file, the Assessor’s Office will estimate the value of your business property and add a 10% penalty to the assessment.

All taxpayers are required to enter a valid online pin (PIN) in addition to their Business Account Number (BAN) and last four digits of their Federal Tax Identification Number to access our online payment and filing applications. If you lose or misplace your PIN:
Complete, DocuSign and submit the online PIN request.  To protect taxpayer confidentiality, the PIN will only be mailed to the mailing address on file with the Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector.  Note: 3 to 5 Business Days Processing Time. 

Request PIN

 

Business registration data is available online via DataSF and is updated weekly. Search for a business in the "registered business locations" data set. View our informational video on how to access business registration data on DataSF to learn more. 

Use our online Account Update form to change your mailing address, add a new location, or close a location or business.

 

You will not get a printed Business Registration Certificate if:

  1. You did not renew your registration by May 31st and pay the annual registration fee
  2. You owe any taxes or fees (Visit the Payment Portal)
  3. Your mailing address is not up to date. Use this link to update your mailing address.

To check the status of your account, submit a help desk ticket at the bottom of this page. 

 

You received this notice because you didn’t file a tax return by the deadline. Once you  go online and file your taxes, you will see an accurate amount to pay.  If you have further questions, contact the Collection Officer listed at the bottom of the letter.

 

If you are a new business, your Business Registration Fees are based on San Francisco gross receipts or payroll expense for the current calendar year, and the business activity types selected in your business registration application. If you are an existing business, your Business Registration Fees are based on San Francisco gross receipts or payroll expense for the immediately preceding calendar year, and the business activity types selected in your business registration application.

 

Submit a request to waive your penalties or get a refund. Our office will review requests in accordance with the California Revenue & Taxation Code and the San Francisco Business and Tax Regulation Code.  We encourage taxpayers to provide any documentation supporting the requests. 

 

Use our Account Update site to view and update the information we have about your business.

 

A Business Registration Certificate will be mailed within 10-15 business days once the application is submitted and payment processed.
 

 1. Did you sign the application using DocuSign? :

  • Yes: To step 2
  • No: You should have received an email with instructions. Please check your spam/clutter/junk folder to see if the DocuSign emails are there. You will need to submit the DocuSign after verifying all items are correct and then you will receive another email with your business account number and temporary pin to make payment online.

 2. Have you made payment/ and or submitted your exemption documents?

  • Yes: To step 3
  • No: you will need to submit payment/exemption documents and then your certificate will be mailed.

3. A Business Registration Certificate will be mailed within 10-15 business days once the application has been submitted and payment processed.

 

Your account will be open within an hour after your signature is submitted via DocuSign. 
 

To change the ownership name:

If the business tax ID number (FEIN) is changing, you must submit a new business registration application using the new ownership name and/or new business tax ID number. Don't forget to close the account with the old name.   

If the business tax ID is staying the same, contact us for further instructions. We will need to verify the name change by reviewing information from the IRS and articles of amendment from the Secretary of the State.  

To change the DBA:

Use the account update site to change your DBA.  Once you have submitted your change, you will be directed to DocuSign to confirm and authorize the change to your account. An electronic signature will be required for each change made to the account.

Don't forget to also file a FBN statement with the County Clerk.

 

The Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector provides public access to Department public records as permitted by the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance and the California Public Records Act. If you wish to complete a Public Records Request Form, please use the links below to submit your request.

Make a new request

Search for existing request

Mail your property tax payments to:

San Francisco Tax Collector
P.O. Box 7426
San Francisco, CA 94120

Mail your business tax and registration fee payments to:

San Francisco Tax Collector
P.O. Box 7425
San Francisco, CA 94120