By Philip Haldiman | Your Valley
A Peoria city tax mired in obscurity for years has come to the forefront recently, and it hasn’t been a welcome sight for some local businesses.
The city has sent letters to a handful of businesses saying they owe several years worth of back taxes under section 12-410 of Peoria’s city code, referred to as an amusement tax.
At least one local business owner received a letter from the city claiming they owed more than $50,000, accumulated over more than seven years.
This person, along with others, declined to talk about it on the record for fear of being audited by the city.
The commonality among these merchants is they had no clue what the amusement tax was until a bill arrived at their door claiming they had never paid it.
Rhonda Carlson, Peoria Chamber of Commerce president & CEO, said those people wondering what an amusement tax is are not alone.
