New fees for business applications
Anita Sthankiya - Aug 22, 2019 - Biz Releases

Image: Twitter

The City of Kelowna is considering making changes to its business license application and renewal process system in what it says will help modernize the process.

On Monday, council will look at the proposed changes that, if approved, will come into effect this fall. A $25 application fee will be charged to new applications to help cover the costs associated with processing the application. A $25 late fee will also be charged to existing businesses that miss the annual renewal payment deadline.

“The Business Licence and Regulation Bylaw has received only minor updates since it was implemented more than 20 years ago,” said Greg Wise, Business Licence Manager. “This first set of changes will help improve and simplify the application process for businesses.”

To make it easier for business owners to classify their business, license codes and descriptions will be updated to better reflect the diversity of Kelowna’s businesses, according to Wise. This will move nearly 1,900 “unclassified” licenses into a more specific category. Existing businesses will find their updated classification on their 2020 renewal form.

“These changes are the first step to modernizing our business licence system,” added Wise. “This fall we anticipate moving to a new online platform that will allow for much easier functionality including e-billing options, applying and paying online and more.”

Wise says it’s common practice for municipalities to apply an application fee and late charge, and adds that Vancouver charges a $58 fee, whereas Vernon charges between $25 and $100.

There are currently 9,500 active business licenses in Kelowna.


All Biz Releases Stories