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Business license fees now apply to each location
Gov. Eloy S. Inos last week signed into law a revenue-generating bill requiring companies to pay for business license fees for each new location they open.
House Bill 18-57, HD1 is now Public Law 18-57 and it amended 4 CMC section 5611 to read, “A business shall be required to purchase one general business license for each line of business for each location in the Commonwealth.”
The impetus for amending the law on business license fees came about after the Legislature found out that many businesses in the CNMI have been opening shops in different locations on the islands, while only paying for one business license for multiple locations.
“The Legislature further finds that the Commonwealth can collect additional resources by charging businesses for all locations in which the same line of business are taking advantage of this incentive and over the years have made maximum profits with this loophole in the Commonwealth’s current statutes,” the law reads.
HB 18-57, HD1 passed the House of Representatives last Oct. 10 and was subsequently passed by the Senate last Oct. 16.
