The Business Occupation Tax Certificate renewal season begins January 2nd annually. The deadline for submitting the renewal application and associated documents is February 15th. The payment deadline is April 1st. The City of Atlanta’s Business Occupational Tax and Permitting Portal, ATLBIZ, is the only way to renew your certificate.
You will be prompted to enter your renewal application information. Upon completion of this step, you will immediately see your balance due, including the $191 application fee and $50 flat rate fee.
The following documents are required:
- Complete Business Occupational Tax Renewal Application (via ATLBIZ prompts)
- Copy of a secure and verifiable document as listed in the Georgia Department Revenue code O.C.G.A § 50-36-2 (e.g. unexpired driver’s license, passport, etc.). View the Georgia code for a complete list of acceptable documentation.
- Financial documentation to support reported gross receipts/revenue. One of the following is required: (a) Federal and State of Georgia tax returns including schedules, (b) profit and loss statement, or (c) income statement.
- ZLA number and proof of zoning payment (see NOTE below)
ATLBIZ accepts multiple file types. Each document must be labeled with a Document Type upon submission. The various document types are in a drop-down box that will appear on the left side of the screen.
- Click on the arrow in the drop-down box—not the box—for the document types to appear.
- Select the desired Document Type, upload the document, then submit.
Example: A 2024 IRS tax return must be labeled, “Federal Tax Return”. If you are attempting to submit documents on a cell phone, you must turn the phone horizontally to see the drop-down box.
If you were contacted by the Office of Revenue to remit missing documents, access your account in ATLBIZ to view the message and respond with the appropriate documents. After logging in, click More..., then in the Communications box, select View and Send Messages.
After your occupation tax certificate has been issued, you will receive an email notice of a new message in ATLBIZ. Upon receipt of the message, you will be able to print the certificate.
If you do not remember your email address on file, view the article, Update Email Address/Forgotten Password Assistance for Business Occupation Tax Account. The article provides guidance for changes needed to your email address, including linking your new email to the business/occupation tax certificate.
If the business physical address has changed, you will need to submit both (1) your renewal and (2) change of address request via ATLBIZ.
NOTE: A change of address requires zoning review and approval by the Office of Buildings Zoning Enforcement Division. To apply for the zoning review, please access the Department of City Planning application system, Accela. A new Office of Buildings ZLA number and proof of zoning payment must be included with the address change submission.
After accessing Accela Citizen:
- Select Submit an Application.
- Enter “Business License” into the keyword search field.
- Click Create New.
- If you are an existing customer, log in. If not, click Register Now to create an account.
- After logging in, follow the prompts to complete and submit the application.
A $50 zoning review fee will be charged and must be paid to the Office of Buildings. Upon completion of the zoning review, the Office of Buildings will provide you with the results via a letter. If approved, the ZLA number (listed on the letter) and proof of payment to the Office of Buildings must be uploaded to your tax application. For questions specific to the business zoning approval process, please call 404-865-8550.
The zoning approval letter and zoning fee receipt must be uploaded to ATLBIZ. After logging in, follow these steps:
- Click More...
- In the Communications box, click View and Send Messages
- Click Send a Message.
- Choose the relevant account and period.
- Select Submit an Attachment from the listed options.
- Fill in the message and add any necessary attachments.
Businesses with multiple locations inside and outside of GA must renew in each municipality or jurisdiction where the business operates.
If you need to renew for any previous years, you must submit a renewal separately for each missed year. You will not receive the certificate for any year until ALL outstanding fees are paid.
Click here to view frequently asked questions.
For more information about ATLBIZ, click HERE to view the guide “Getting to Know ATLBIZ".
